Date of composition

• 150 - 300.
• It was included in the Nag Hammadi Gnostic collection of the 300s.

Biography of Jesus?

• No. A conversation between Jesus and Thomas before Jesus's ascension. Jesus warned against involving oneself in worldly matters and described the punishment for those who do.

Type of Apocrypha (heretical or in error (made up))

• Heretical and error. Contains Gnostic teachings.

Length

• 12 double-spaced pages. We have the complete writing.

Summary

• See "Biography of Jesus?" above.

Noteworthy from the book

1. Thomas asks to know about "hidden things." Jesus also speaks much about the importance of knowledge. These references point to Gnostic ideas about a "secret knowledge."
2. The book is strongly dualistic, meaning that everything spiritual is good and everything physical is bad. [In Genesis, God said the creation was good.]
3. Thomas is described as being the closest to Jesus ("some say that you are my twin").
4. The first sentence states that Matthias recorded the conversation; he took Judas's place as an Apostle. Awkwardly, Matthias noted that these were secret words Jesus spoke to Thomas and that Matthias overheard.