Great Power Gospel of Thomas Saying 85

 Saying 85

(85) Adam came into being out of a great power and a great wealth, and he was not worthy of you; for if he had been worthy, [he would] not [have tasted] of death.

Many have mistakenly said this passage is referring to us getting back the image of God. Yet, this passage is clearly speaking of a MAN that fell from grace. Adam was certainly one who fell from grace. He was the Son of God, yet his fateful decision shook the earth and brought humanity down to the grave (Sheol, pit, hell, Hades).

“Adam came from great power and great wealth“. the great power and the great wealth is the Spirit of God: Heb "ruach Elohim": "The spirit (wealth) of the Powers". "Spirit" = the "wisdom" of Pro 8:22-26. Was Hovering: "Moved" (AV). Like a mother bird brooding over her young: Deu 32:11 (cp Exo 19:4 the Spirit is described as a dove in Matt. 3:16). The words portray the energy-giving presence of God -- wrapping, protecting, and caressing the chaos of the unfinished earth as He prepared to complete His creation. (Gen 1:2).

Powers said (The Elohim), "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the living creatures." Gen 1:26,27 So Powers (the Elohim) created man in His image; male and female created He them.

Now from the consideration adduced, it is evident that the phrases, "and God said," and "God made," and "God created," occurrent in the first chapter, are equivalent to "Lord God"; or more properly, Elohim said, created, and made, are equivalent to Yahweh Elohim doing thus, as brought out in the second chapter-- "One Spirit in a plurality of Agents": not a single one in three, but One in hosts: and hence the title so frequently in Scripture, "Yahweh of Hosts" -- the Yahweh-Spirit in multitudinous manifestation.

The plurality of Elohim in the work of creation is manifest from Gen. 1:26 -- "Let Us make man in 'Our' image after our likeness." If the Yahweh-spirit had been solitary in the work, He would rather have said, if He said anything: "I will make man in my image, after my likeness." What was said is recorded to reveal to the reader the true relation of things. The mandate issued from Yahweh that man be made in the Spirit-type, and so constituted, that divine intelligence and power should be displayed through his organism.

That spirit-type was the angel Elohim after whom Adam and Eve were made. In form and likeness the same, only in nature of inferior quality. This was Yahweh's pleasure, and it was done by the fingers of His power. In reference to this, we read in Psalm 8:3, "When I consider the heavens, the work of Thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; what is man that thou art mindful of him? and the Son of Man that Thou visitest him? For Thou hast made him a little lower than the Elohim,"* etc. Quoted in the New Testament by Paul, the word mai-Elohim is rendered by "than angels," (Heb. 2:9); because Elohim are the agents or executive fingers of the Spirit. "The Spirit of God" and "the fingers of God" are synonymous, as appears from Matt. 12:28; Luke 11:20; and Elohim are spirit, being out of Ail. What the fingers of the hand are to the brain, such are the hosts of Elohim to Ail; they are "Unity of Spirit," which is "God."
“and he did not become worthy of you. For, had he been worthy he would not have tasted death."

Adam was found unworthy? Funk and Hoover write: "In developing the significance of Jesus, early Christians often used the mythic figure of Adam as a point of comparison. One finds this especially in Paul (Rom 5:12-15,17,19; [cp. Job 31:33; Pr 28:13; Ho 6:7;] 1 Cor 15:21-22, 42-50; 1Ti 2:14 ): in contrast to Adam, whose sin led to death, stands Jesus, whose obedience leads to life. The fate of Adam, according to Thom 85:2, was death; the fate of those who find the meaning of Jesus' words will be not to taste death, according to Thomas 1 The phrase 'not taste death' is a favourite of Thomas (Thom 1; 18:3; 19:4; 111:2), although it was also known to the Gospel of John (8:51-52)." (The Five Gospels, p. 518)

85) Jesus said, "Adam [and all of his sons in the flesh] came into being from a great power [we are all formed in the womb by God] and a great wealth [higher/inward (spiritual) knowledge which we are all born with the potential to harness for "He enlightens everyone who comes into the world"], but he did not become worthy [because he fell prey to his fleshly desires in Eve] of you [who have been given the "Keys of Knowledge" and are entrusted with the Word of Truth]. For had he been worthy [to have the mystery revealed to him (eat from the Tree of Life)], [he would] not [have experienced] death [would not have been separated from the Father - i.e. recreated in the image of an image]."