Gospel of Thomas Commentary

174,747 words

This compilation explores modern interpretations of the Gospel according to Thomas, an ancient text preserved in a Coptic translation at Nag Hammadi and Greek fragments at Oxyrhynchus. With no particular slant, this commentary gathers together quotations from various scholars in order to elucidate the meaning of the sayings, many of which are right...

Saying 94 - Seekers Will Enter

Nag Hammadi Coptic Text

BLATZ

(94) Jesus [said:] He who seeks will find, [and he who knocks], to him will be opened.

LAYTON

(94) Jesus [said], "One who seeks will find. The door will be opened to one [who knocks]."

DORESSE

98 [94]. Jesus [says:] "He who seeks will find, [and to whomever wishes to enter (?)] it will be opened."

 

Funk's Parallels

POxy654 2
[Jesus says], "Let one who [seeks] not stop [seeking until] one finds. When one finds, [one will be astounded, and having been] astounded, one will reign, and [having reigned], one will [rest]."

GThom 2
Jesus said, "Let one who seeks not stop seeking until one finds. When one finds, one will be disturbed. When one is disturbed, one will marvel, and will reign over all."

GThom 92:1
Jesus said, "Seek and you will find..."

Luke 11:9-13
And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

Matt 7:7-11
Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?

Matt 21:18-22
Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he hungered. And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away. And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away! Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done. And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.

John 15:16-17
Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. These things I command you, that ye love one another.

John 14:12-14
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.

John 16:20-28
Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy. A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world. And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you. And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full. These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs: but the time cometh, when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, but I shall shew you plainly of the Father. At that day ye shall ask in my name: and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you: For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God. I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father.

Mark 11:20-25
And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto him, Master, behold, the fig tree which thou cursedst is withered away. And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.

GHeb 4b
He that marvels shall reign, and he that has reigned shall rest.

DialSav 9-12
His [disciples said, "Lord], who is it who seeks, and [...] reveals?" [The Lord said to them], "He who seeks [...] reveals ... [...]." [Matthew said, "Lord, when] I [...] and [when] I speak, who is it who ... [...] ... who listens?" [The Lord] said, "It is the one who speaks who also [listens], and it is the one who can see who also reveals."

DialSav 20
The Lord [said], "[... stronger] than ... [...] ... you ... [...] ... [...] ... to follow [you] and all the works [...] your hearts. For just as your hearts [...], so [...] the means to overcome the powers [above] as well as those below [...]. I say to you, let him [who possesses] power renounce [it and repent]. And [let] him who [...] seek and find and [rejoice]."

 

Scholarly Quotes

J. D. Crossan writes:

"There is a lacuna in this text because the left bottom center of the manuscript page is missing. But the restoration is probably as certain as such things can be. The restored '[he who knocks]' presumes the Coptic [pettohm e]hun (literally, 'knocks inward,' see Crum: 458b), and this is still residually visible in the final tip of the -h- and the complete -un. And 'will be let in' is, literally, 'they will open to him,' which is normal circumlocation for Coptic's absent passive voice (see Guillaumont, 1959:49; Wilson, 1973:520)."

(In Fragments, p. 100)

 

Visitor Comments

I'm a witness to this ... But notice it does not say "immediately", and notice that it requires an outlay of personal "energy" on our part ... That of "seeking" and "knocking" ... For those of us who sought and found Christ as our answer know that the "knocking" on of doors is an endless succession for as long as we are on this earth. Those of us who are given much (spiritually) have raw knuckles from knocking on doors that open to illumination.
- 1of2

True teachers often say things for the purpose of evoking contradiction. It is unfortunate that so often such get recorded and then quoted. Knock & it will be opened to you? Since when was it ever locked.....
- Thief37

Also implies that most of us really don't seek (or knock). If we did, we would have "it." The ego-consciousness pretends to itself that it does (knock, ie., seek Truth), but in reality, it doesn't; it wants to "have it's cake and eat it too." It pretends it's seeking Truth, but it's really just revelling in itself. It wants that which is beyond itself, while maintaining itself. Thus, it never really ever knocks. At the moment of Truth, one realizes this.
- E. Grove

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