The Gospel of Thomas was discovered in Egypt in 1945 and was written in the Coptic language. The specific date of the writing is unknown, but many scholars believe it was written anywhere between 50-140 AD. It contains 114 sayings that it claims Jesus Christ said that were supposedly written down by Thomas Didymus, but most scholars now believe Thomas had nothing to do with its authorship.

When the Bible was being compiled with the 66 books appearing in it today, four things were considered: “1) Was the author an apostle or have a close connection with an apostle? 2) Was the book being accepted by the Body of Christ at large? 3) Did the book contain consistency of doctrine and orthodox teaching? 4) Did the book bear evidence of high moral and spiritual values that would reflect a work of the Holy Spirit?” The Gospel of Thomas failed to meet these criteria and its doctrines promote gnosticism even though some of the sayings mimic what we find in the true gospels.

Among the false teachings and nonsense found in this gnostic gospel are the following:

♦ The Gospel of Thomas opens with the claim that it is the “secret sayings” that Jesus spoke. This contradicts what Jesus said in John 18:20, “Jesus answered him, I spake openly to the world; I ever taught in the synagogue, and in the temple, whither the Jews always resort; and in secret have I said nothing.”

♦ In v. 4 of that “gospel,” its version of Jesus says that an old person will live if they ask a 7-day-old child “about the place of life.” That’s complete nonsense since a 7-day-old child doesn’t have a brain developed enough to understand anyone, let alone answer them or give them life. The real Jesus said eternal life comes to a person of any age when they believe in him (John 3:14-16; 6:40).

♦ According to the Jesus in the Gospel of Thomas (v. 7), “Lucky is the lion that the human will eat, so that the lion becomes human. And foul is the human that the lion will eat, and the lion still will become human.” This makes no sense literally or figuratively and does not provide any keys in the context to discern its meaning. The true gospels, in contrast, provide context to discern meanings of proverbs and parables.

♦ In v. 12, “Jesus” says, “No matter where you are you are to go to James the Just, for whose sake heaven and earth came into being.” The Bible tells us that heaven and earth did not come into being for any person’s sake, including “James the Just” (whoever that was). God created all things for his own righteous pleasure (Revelation 4:11).

♦ In v. 13, “Jesus” takes “Thomas” aside and tells him three things. When Thomas returns to the other disciples, they ask him what Jesus told him. He responds by saying they would stone him if he told them what Jesus said and then the stones would shoot out fire to destroy them. In the true gospels, the disciples would not have stoned a fellow disciple over what Jesus said to any of them.

♦ The “Jesus” of the Gospel of Thomas in v. 102 exclaims, “Damn the Pharisees!” The real Jesus in the true gospels, who practiced what he preached, taught us not to curse our enemies, but bless them (Matthew 5:44) and also said, “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved,” John 3:17.

♦ Finally, the pièce de résistance in the Gospel of Thomas is v. 114–‘Simon Peter said to them, “Make Mary leave us, for females don’t deserve life.” Jesus said, “Look, I will guide her to make her male, so that she too may become a living spirit resembling you males. For every female who makes herself male will enter the kingdom of Heaven.”‘ The true Jesus of the true gospels was not misogynistic and welcomed women in his ministry (Luke 8:1-3). They were the first ones to see and proclaim the resurrected Jesus (Luke 24:10). Then his apostles acknowledged the importance of women in the kingdom (Galatians 3:28). While “Thomas” promotes transsexualism, the word of God condemns it and is pleased with the existence of two separate genders (Deuteronomy 22:5, Matthew 19:4).