Saying 24 - A Person Of Light Enlightens The Whole World

Nag Hammadi Coptic Text

BLATZ (24) His disciples said: Teach us about the place where you are, for it is necessary for us to seek it. He said to them: He who has ears, let him hear! There is light within a man of light, and he lights the whole world. If he does not shine, there is darkness.

LAYTON (24) His disciples said, "Show us the place where you are, for we must seek it." He said to them, "Whoever has ears should listen! There is light existing within a person of light. And it enlightens the whole world: if it does not enlighten, that person is darkness."

DORESSE 29 [24]. His disciples say to him: "Instruct us about the place where thou art, for we must know about it!" He says to them: "He who has ears, let him hear! If a light exists inside a luminous one, then it gives light to the whole world; but if it does not give light, <it means that it is> a darkness."

 

Funk's Parallels

POxy655 24
[...] There [is light within a person] of light, [and it shines on the whole] world. [If it does not shine, then] it is [dark]."

Luke 11:33-36
No man, when he hath lighted a candle, putteth it in a secret place, neither under a bushel, but on a candlestick, that they which come in may see the light. The light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness. Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness. If thy whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light, as when the bright shining of a candle doth give thee light.

Matt 6:22-23
The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!

Matt 5:14-16
Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

John 14:2-7
In my Fathers house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.

John 8:12-16
Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. The Pharisees therefore said unto him, Thou bearest record of thyself; thy record is not true. Jesus answered and said unto them, Though I bear record of myself, yet my record is true: for I know whence I came, and whither I go; but ye cannot tell whence I come, and whither I go. Ye judge after the flesh; I judge no man. And yet if I judge, my judgment is true: for I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent me.

John 12:27-36
Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour. Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again. The people therefore, that stood by, and heard it, said that it thundered: others said, An angel spake to him. Jesus answered and said, This voice came not because of me, but for your sakes. Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. This he said, signifying what death he should die. The people answered him, We have heard out of the law that Christ abideth for ever: and how sayest thou, The Son of man must be lifted up? who is this Son of man? Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth. While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light. These things spake Jesus, and departed, and did hide himself from them.

John 1:6-13
There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

DialSav 27-28
[Matthew] said, "Lord, I want [to see] that place of life [...] where there is no wickedness, [but rather] there is pure [light]!" The Lord [said], "Brother [Matthew], you will not be able to see it [as long as you are] carrying flesh around."

DialSav 60-63
Mary said, "Tell me, Lord, why I have come to this place to profit or to forfeit." The Lord said, "You make clear the abundance of the revealer!" Mary said to him, "Lord, is there then a place which is ..., or lacking truth?" The Lord said, "The place where I am not!"

DialSav 77-78
They said to him, "What is the place to which we are going?" The [Lord] said, "Stand in the place you can reach!"

DialSav 8
The Savior [said], "The lamp [of the body] is the mind. As long as [the things inside] you are set in order, that is, [...] your bodies are [luminous]. As long as your hearts are [dark], the luminosity you anticipate [...] I have [...] I will go [...] my word [...] I send [...]

DialSav 14
The Lord said, "[...] weep on account of its works [...] remain and the mind laughs [...] spirit. If one does not [...] darkness, he will be able to see [...]. So I tell you [...] light is the darkness [...] stand in [...] not see the light [...] the lie [...] they brought them from [...] You will give [...] and [...exist] forever. [...] ever. Then [all] the powers which are above as well as those [below] will [...] you. In that place [there will] be weeping and [gnashing] of teeth over the end of [all] these things."

 

Scholarly Quotes

Robert M. Grant and David Noel Freedman write:

"The disciples ask to be shown where Jesus is, just as in John 13:36 Simon Peter asks where he is going, in John 14:5 Thomas asks about the way, and in John 14:8 Philip asks to be shown the Father. Jesus replies by urging them to 'hear' the hidden meaning of his words. They already possess spiritual illumination within themselves, for they have spiritual 'eyes' (Saying 23). Thomas paraphrases a saying of Jesus about the eye in Matthew 6:22-23; Luke 11:34-36. For the 'luminous' body of the gospels he substitutes the Gnostic conception of the 'luminous-man' (Pistis Sophia, chapter 125). Their light illuminates the whole world because they are 'the light of the world' (Matthew 5.14; another quotation of this verse is in Saying 33)."

(The Secret Sayings of Jesus, pp. 145-146)

Jean Doresse writes:

"Or better, 'the place where thou art' may be intended to refer to God Himself; in Hebrew God is often referred to by the paraphrase Maqom, which means 'the Place'. In this case, the disciples will be asking him how close he is to the Godhead, and Jesus replies, alluding to himself, that the light which he sends into the world is the proof that the divine Light is present in him."

(The Secret Books of the Egyptian Gnostics, p. 373)

Joachim Jeremias writes:

"Concerning the idea of the 'inner light' which shines from within a man, cf. Gospel of Thomas 24: 'Within a man of light there is light and it [or: he] lights the whole world.' Incidentally, the same idea is behind the rabbinical rule not to look at the priests while they pronounced the priestly blessing; in doing so they had to hold their hands before their eyes with the fingers spread out like a screen, because, as it was said, the divine glory 'glanced through the lattice [Cant. 2.9]'."

(The Parables of Jesus, p. 163)

Gerd Ludemann writes:

"The disciples do not need to look outside themselves, but as people of light they have light in themselves just as much as the light figure Jesus (cf. 77.1). Indeed, without this particle of light there would be darkness in the world. This statement seems to contain an indirect command to engage in mission in the world (cf. 33.1-3)."

(Jesus After 2000 Years, p. 602)

Funk and Hoover write:

"The concept of a person bearing a spark of light that recalls one's origin and determines one's nature is a gnostic commonplace. While reminsicent of other sayings about light, especially in the Gospel of John, it is here clearly a gnostic formulation."

(The Five Gospels, p. 487)

Stevan Davies writes:

"According to saying 24 people may actualize the light within them and thus see the world and themselves in terms of the light of creation. They will see the world in reference to its beginning perfection, stand at the beginning (saying 18), and need no future attainment. They will know themselves to be sons of the living Father (saying 3) -- that is, the image of God, no longer male or female and having made the male and female into a single one, they will enter the kingdom of heaven (saying 22)."

(http://www.misericordia.edu/users/davies/thomas/jblprot.htm)

Stevan Davies writes:

"According to Gos. Thom. 24 one learns that those seeking the place where Jesus is ought not seek Jesus himself, but will find what they seek within themselves, the primordial light which, when actualized, illuminates the world."

(http://www.misericordia.edu/users/davies/thomas/jblprot.htm)

J. D. Crossan writes:

"The six uses [of 'let him hear'] in Thomas have the double 'hear' in Gos. Thom. 8, 21 (as in Mark and Luke), but the single 'hear' in 24, 63, 65, 96 (as in Matthew). It is used mostly to conclude parables (8, 21, 63, 65, 96), but once to introduce an aphorism (24). Since Coptic has no participle, the opening is the equivalent of the Greek relatival format."

(In Fragments, p. 70)

 

Visitor Comments

One who understands the message of Jesus has a responsibility to witness as to his knowledge and understanding when it is requested. The light is given, not thrust upon others. The time is made clear.
- active-mystic

His disciples said, "Show us the place where you are, for we must seek it." He said to them, "Whoever has ears should hear. There is life within a person of life, and it creates the whole world." (Note: An interestingly similar notion, respectably modeled so as to be accessible to students of science, lies at the heart of quantum physics. I allude to the notion of "the realization of a particular quantum state" in the presence of "the observer".)
- Simon Magus

The two ears refers to the two functions of the different sides of the brain. By integrating these functions one becomes aware of the innate repair process which illuminates the entire mind.
- Rodney

This is a simple statement, no hidden meanings--You have ears (dummy!) If you don't get it then you're not listening to the message. You have to have light to understand--If you have the understanding and don't try to enlighten those that don't understand then you may as well be the devil.
- Holly

cf the Koranic "Light within a Niche" --- sezammy@hotmail.com
- Thief37

The translations are incorrect. "The light of the body is in the eye. When the eye is single, the whole body shall be full of light. If the eye of the body is in darkness, how great the dakness!" The third eye "sees" light, that is when you are spiritually developed enough along the Path, with the assistance and guidance of a living Master (Jesus). Likewise hearing the sound (unsung melody=Holy Ghost) through the inner ear(s) is only possible after spiritual development. Both occur together. Thomas "saw" and heard both.
- Petrus

I am often surprised at how rarely mention is made of the northern Indian mystical tradition of a self-luminous inner light, which proceeds from a primordial Sound or Word (see Sant Mat or Sikh writings) 'projected' into every living thing, but most actualized in humanity. This light is manifested at the pineal gland locus, called the Third or Single Eye, hence references to "If thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light." Those interested in pursuing some very provocative explanations on the true role of Light in mystical teachings both east and west would do well to spend some time researching the above spiritual practices...a lot will become clearer.
- Thomas of Edison

There is consciousness in every being and it defines the perspective that makes seeing possible. The world exists only as a materialisation of that consciousness. Differentiation between the self and the other is blindness with respect to the essence of the world. To see the same consciousness in oneself and in the outside world is to see the light.
- Z