Is the Gospel of Thomas in the King James Bible?
No. It is not in the KJV, the Protestant, Catholic, or Eastern Orthodox canon. The earliest church fathers who listed accepted books (Origen, Eusebius, Cyril of Jerusalem, Athanasius) all excluded it.
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Gospel of Thomas — Free PDF Study Guide
An honest, KJV-anchored introduction to the Gospel of Thomas — the 114-saying collection discovered at Nag Hammadi in 1945. This free PDF guide covers its origin, its parallels with Matthew, Mark, and Luke, why the early church excluded it from the canon, and how a Christian reader can engage it wisely.
An original Bible Sundays study companion. We summarize the scholarly background and compare key themes to the KJV — we do not reproduce a full English translation of Thomas, which remains under modern copyright.
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Inside this PDF
- Length
- 8 pages
- File size
- 0.1 MB
- Format
- Searchable PDF
- Access
- Free, no account
- Plain-English introduction to the 114 sayings
- Date, authorship, and the Nag Hammadi discovery
- Why Origen, Eusebius, and Athanasius rejected it
- Side-by-side themes vs. the KJV gospels
- FAQ section answering the most-asked questions
What you get
Plain-English introduction to the 114 sayings
Date, authorship, and the Nag Hammadi discovery
Why Origen, Eusebius, and Athanasius rejected it
Side-by-side themes vs. the KJV gospels
FAQ section answering the most-asked questions
No email or sign-up required — free to share
What is the Gospel of Thomas?
The Gospel of Thomas is a second-century collection of 114 sayings attributed to Jesus, preserved most fully in a Coptic manuscript discovered at Nag Hammadi, Egypt, in December 1945. Earlier Greek fragments (P.Oxy. 1, 654, 655) were recovered between 1897 and 1903. Unlike Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, Thomas has no narrative — no birth, no miracles, no passion, no resurrection. Each entry begins with a phrase like 'Jesus said' and presents a teaching, parable, or short dialogue.
Why isn't the Gospel of Thomas in the Bible?
Three concerns kept Thomas outside the canon recognized by the early church. First, late and disputed witness: unlike the four canonical gospels, Thomas has no clear citation in the apostolic fathers and was rejected by Origen, Eusebius, and Cyril of Jerusalem when they catalogued accepted writings. Second, conflicts with apostolic teaching: several sayings teach a hidden 'knowledge' available only to a spiritual elite, denigrate the body and material creation, and a final saying requires a woman to 'become male' to enter the kingdom. Third, no cross and no resurrection: the saving acts at the heart of the gospel Paul preached (1 Corinthians 15:3) are simply absent.
Sayings that overlap with the canonical gospels
Some Thomas sayings echo teachings recorded in the Synoptics — the parable of the sower (Thomas 9, cf. Matthew 13), the mustard seed (Thomas 20, cf. Mark 4), the lost sheep (Thomas 107, cf. Luke 15), and 'a prophet is not accepted in his own village' (Thomas 31, cf. Luke 4:24). Where Thomas overlaps with the canonical gospels the canonical wording is generally older, longer, and embedded in narrative context that clarifies meaning. Where Thomas diverges, the KJV is the safer guide.
Frequently asked questions
Did the apostle Thomas write the Gospel of Thomas?
Almost certainly not. The text was composed in Greek in the second century, long after the apostle's lifetime. Attributing a work to a famous figure was a common ancient practice known as pseudepigraphy.
When was the Gospel of Thomas written?
Mainstream scholarship dates the surviving form to the mid-second century (c. AD 140–180), though a minority of scholars argue some individual sayings preserve earlier oral tradition.
Where was the Gospel of Thomas found?
A complete Coptic copy was discovered in December 1945 at Nag Hammadi in Upper Egypt, buried in a sealed jar. Earlier Greek fragments had been found at Oxyrhynchus between 1897 and 1903.
Does the Gospel of Thomas have any value for Christians today?
It has historical value as a witness to second-century religious thought, and a small number of its sayings overlap with the canonical gospels. Read it as an early Christian-era document, not as Scripture.
Is the Infancy Gospel of Thomas the same book?
No. The Infancy Gospel of Thomas is a separate, later legendary text about Jesus' childhood. The Gospel of Thomas covered here is the sayings collection from Nag Hammadi.
Why didn't the early church accept it?
It lacked apostolic authorship, was not quoted as Scripture by the apostolic fathers, conflicts with apostolic teaching on creation and salvation, and contains no account of the cross or resurrection.
Can I share this PDF?
Yes. This is an original Bible Sundays study guide and is free to share for any personal, ministry, or educational purpose.
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Biblical names and their meanings
Every name below appears in the King James Bible. Each page gives the meaning, the verse it appears in, and who carried it in Scripture.
- JonahDove
- JonathanThe LORD has given
- JordanTo flow down or descend
- JosephHe will add
- JoshuaThe LORD is salvation
- JosiahThe LORD heals
- JosiahThe Lord supports; Healed by God
- JoyGreat happiness
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