IV: Canonical Comparisons of Thomas Sayings  

     I have grouped the sayings in the Gospel of Thomas into 5 categories. Sayings that are variants of or close parallels to canonical passages (22 of these), sayings that appear more remotely parallel or similar in some way (28), sayings which contain parts parallel to several unconnected passages (13), sayings parallel to non-canonical traditions of Jesus (only 1 of these), and those with no apparent parallels (50!!).      Due to space limitations, I have decided only to cite passages, and you can go through and compare them using any Bible. I haven't attempted to make any comparisons to the various Apocryphal or other Christian and Gnostic texts.    

 A: Variants/Close Parallels

9: Mt13:3-8, Mk4:3-8, Lk8:5-8 10: Lk12:49 16: Mt10:34-36, Lk12:51-53 20: Mt13:31-32, Mk4:30-32, Lk13:18-19 26: Mt7:3-5, Lk6:41-42 34: Mt15:14, Lk6:39 35: Mt12:29, Mk3:27, Lk11:21-22 41: Mt25:29, Lk19:26 45: Mt7:16-20, Lk6:43-46 46: Mt11:11, Lk7:28 54: Mt5:3, Lk6:20 64: Mt22:3-9, Lk14:16-24 65: Mt21:33-39, Mk12:1-8, Lk20:9-15 66: Mt21:42, Mk12:10, Lk20:17; Psalm118:22 73: Mt9:37-38, Lk10:2 86: Mt8:20, Lk9:58 89: Lk11:39-40 93: Mt7:6 94: Mt7:7-8, Lk11:9-10 100: Mk12:13-17, Lk20:22-25 103: Mt24:43, Lk12:39 107: Mt18:12-13, Lk15:3-7  

 B: Remote Parallels

1: Jn8:51 3: Lk17:21 5: Mt10:26, Lk10:2 8: Mt13:47-48 17: 1Cor2:9; Isiah64:4 30: Mt18:20 31: Mk6:4, Lk4:23-24, Jn4:44 32: Mt5:14 36: Mt6:25, Lk12:22 40: Mt15:13 44: Mt12:32, Mk3:28-29, Lk12:10 48: Mt18:19, Mk11:23-24 57: Mt13:24-30 58: Mt11:28 59: Jn7:34, Jn13:33 63: Lk12:16-21 68: Mt5:11, Lk6:22 71: Mk14:58 72: Lk12:13-15 75: Mt22:14 78: Mt11:7-9, Lk7:24-26 90: Mt11:28-30 95: Lk6:34-35, Lk14:12-14 96: Mt13:33, Lk13:20-21 99: Mt12:46-50, Mk3:31-35 101: Mt10:37, Lk14:26 109: Mt13:44 113: Lk17:20-21  

 C: Multiple Parallels

14a: no parallels 14b: Lk10:8-9 14c: Mt15:11, Mk7:15 21a: no parallels 21b: Mt24:43, Lk12:39 21c: Mk4:26-29 22a: Mt18:3, Lk18:17 22b: Mt5:29-30, Mk9:43-48 24a: Jn13:36 24b: Mt6:22-23, Lk11:34-36 33a: Mt10:27 33b: Mt5:15, Mk4:21, Lk8:16, Lk11:33 39a: Lk11:52 39b: Mt10:16 43a: Jn8:25 43b: Mt7:16-20, Lk6:43-46(?) 55a: Lk14:26 55b: Mt10:37 62a: Mt13:11, Mk4:11, Lk8:10 62b: Mt6:3 69a: Mt5:8 (cf. Thomas saying 68) 69b: Mt5:6, Lk6:21 76a: Mt13:45-46 76b: Mt6:20, Lk12:33 79a: Lk11:27-28 79b: Lk23:29 91a: Jn9:36 91b: Lk12:54-56 

 D: Non-Canonical Parallels

42: Some stands of Islamic tradition attribute this saying to Jesus.  

 E: No Parallels

All the following sayings have no parallels in the Bible or other non-Gnostic traditions: 2       23       51       77       98               4       25       52       80       102               6       27       53       81       104               7       28       56       82       105               11      29       60       84       106               12      37       61       85       108               13      38       67       87       110               15      47       70       88       111               18      49       73       92       112               19      50       74       97       114