The Deity of Jesus in the Gospel of Thomas
The Gospel of Thomas presents a profound and complex understanding of Jesus, one that does not rely on later theological constructions but instead expresses his identity through sayings, paradoxes, and mystical insight. Within this text, Jesus is not described through a doctrine of three persons, nor is he portrayed as eternally pre-existent in a philosophical sense. Rather, he is revealed as one who has been given authority, one who proceeds from the Father—the Undivided One—and one who, through obedience and unity, embodies divine fullness. This reflects an adoptionist framework in which Jesus becomes the Son through what he receives and manifests.
A key passage illustrating this is Saying 61:
“Jesus said: Two will recline on a couch.
One will die, the other will live.Salome asked: Who are you?
You have taken a place on my couch as a stranger
and have eaten at my table.Jesus said to Salome: I am he who comes
from the Undivided One.
I have been given that which belongs to my Father.Salome replied: I am your student!
Jesus told her: That is why I say,
when you are unified, you are full of light.
When you are divided you are full of darkness.”
Here, Jesus identifies himself not as the Undivided One, but as one who “comes from” the Undivided One. This distinction is crucial. The Father is described as the source—undivided, singular, and absolute. Jesus, by contrast, is the one who has received “that which belongs to my Father.” His authority, power, and status are granted. This aligns with the idea of adoption: Jesus is elevated, chosen, and filled with what belongs to the Deity.
The emphasis on unity further clarifies this relationship. Jesus teaches that being “unified” results in light, while division results in darkness. This reflects not only a moral teaching but also an ontological one: unity with the Father brings participation in divine life. Jesus himself embodies this unity, and therefore becomes the bearer of light.
This same theme appears in Saying 101:
“Jesus said, ‘Those who do not hate their [father] and their mother as I do cannot be [disciples] of me. And those who [do not] love their [father and] their mother as I do cannot be [disciples of] me. For my mother [. gave me death] but my true [mother] gave me life.’”
This passage distinguishes between two kinds of origin: one that gives death and one that gives life. Jesus acknowledges a natural, earthly source—his mother who “gave me death”—and a higher source, his “true mother,” who gave him life. This reflects the transformation from natural existence to divine life. Jesus is not inherently immortal; he receives life from a higher source. Again, this supports the understanding that his status is granted rather than inherent.
The Gospel of Thomas also presents a striking vision of Jesus’ presence within the world. Saying 30 declares:
“[Jesus says], ‘Where there are three gods, they are gods. And when one is all alone to himself, I am with him. Take up the stone, and there you will find me; split the wood, and I am there.’”
And similarly, Saying 77 states:
“Jesus said, ‘I am the light that is over all things. I am all: from me all came forth, and to me all attained. Split a piece of wood; I am there. Lift up the stone, and you will find me there.’”
These sayings express a form of divine presence that permeates the Natural World. Jesus is described as being present in wood, stone, and all things. However, this does not require that he is the original source of all existence in an absolute sense. Instead, it reflects his exalted state after being filled with the Father’s power. He becomes the medium through which the Deity’s presence is experienced.
This idea resonates with the statement:
“He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.”
The pattern is clear: descent, obedience, exaltation, and then fullness. Jesus descends into human existence, is given what belongs to the Father, and then ascends to a position where he “fills” all things. His omnipresence is not innate but achieved through this process. He becomes the vessel of divine fullness.
Saying 77 can also be understood in an interpretive, revelatory sense:
“It is I [the Word of God] who am the light [the Truth] which is above them all [the world’s luminaries]. It is I who am the All… From Me did the All come forth… Split a piece of wood, and I am there. Lift up the stone, and you will find Me there.”
This expands the meaning of Jesus’ presence. He is not merely physically present in objects but is revealed through understanding, interpretation, and insight. The references to wood and stone can be seen as symbols of written teachings—the New and Old Testaments—through which the Word is discerned. Jesus becomes the interpretive key, the one through whom all things are understood.
Thus, the “deity” of Jesus in the Gospel of Thomas is not based on an equality of essence with the Father, nor on a division of persons within a single being. Instead, it is based on participation, reception, and unity. The Father remains the Undivided One—the ultimate source. Jesus is the one who comes from that source, receives its fullness, and manifests it completely.
The consistent pattern across these sayings is clear:
Jesus comes from the Undivided One.
He is given what belongs to the Father.
He embodies light through unity.
He fills all things after receiving authority.
This understanding preserves the supremacy of the Deity as the source of all, while recognizing Jesus as the one who has been chosen, filled, and exalted. His identity is not that of the Undivided One Himself, but of the one who perfectly reflects Him.
This framework preserves the supremacy of the Father while explaining the exalted status of Jesus. He is divine not because he is the same being as the Father, but because he perfectly embodies what the Father has given him. His light is the Father’s light; his authority is the Father’s authority.
The sayings repeatedly emphasize transformation: from division to unity, from darkness to light, from death to life. Jesus is both the example and the means of this transformation. As he has received life from the “true mother,” so too his followers are called to receive life by becoming unified.
In this sense, the Gospel of Thomas presents a deeply relational and dynamic understanding of divine identity. Jesus becomes the Son through what he receives and manifests. His deity is functional, participatory, and revealed through unity with the Father.
The result is a vision of Jesus who permeates all things, not as an abstract metaphysical principle, but as one who has been exalted to fill all things. He is found in wood and stone, in teaching and understanding, in unity and light. And yet, above him remains the Undivided One—the source from whom all things, including Jesus himself, ultimately come.
30) [Jesus sa]ys, "[Wh]ere there are three gods, they are gods. And when one is all alone to himself, I am with him. Take up the stone, and there you will find me; split the wood, and I am there."
Hebrews 10 He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.)
Jesus now permeates all things, such as pieces of wood and stones and animals, even the most insignificant.
Saying 30 to indicate that Jesus is present with his disciples, or with one disciple. The meaning is approximately the same: Jesus is everywhere."
77) Yahushua said, "It is I [the Word of God] who am the light [the Truth] which is above them all [the worlds luminaries]. It is I who am the All [for nothing came into being until the Word came forth in the beginning - "Let there be light"]. From Me [the Word, the light] did [knowledge of the] the All come forth [His Word passed through His prophets since the first Adam until Messiah (the Old Testament - stone tablets)], and unto Me did the All extend [through the New Testament (parchments)]. Split [discern both the lower/outward (fleshly) meaning and the upward/inward (spiritual) meaning] a piece of wood [the New Testament], and I am there. Lift up [examine, elevate, accept, proclaim how it points to the advent of Messiah] the stone [the Old Testament], and you will find Me there [for "In the beginning was the Word"]."
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