Savoring Life with an Unsympathetic World View
Sabbath as Rest and Contemplation in Gospel of Thomas Logion 27
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This article discusses the enigmatic logion 27 in the Gospel of Thomas. It argues that preconceived notions of the text being “Gnostic” have affected previous interpretations of how the Sabbath is portrayed in logion 27. A discussion follows concerning the many different interpretations of the elusive second part of the logion and the phrase σαββατίσητε τὸ σάββατον/ⲉⲓⲣⲉ ⲙ̄ⲡⲥⲁⲙⲃⲁⲧⲟⲛ ⲛ̄ⲥⲁⲃⲃⲁⲧⲟⲛ. This has most often been interpreted as an admonition to reject the world. Instead, it is argued that the phrase should be understood as an admonition to “rest on the Sabbath,” with the intention of contemplating higher truths while lingering in corporeality.
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3
In her work of 2008, April DeConick also questions Baarda’s reading of the Sabbath. While DeConick’s comments are more superficial, I give a thorough argument below.
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21
See Sturcke 2005: 307 for further details and the renderings in Hebrew.
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26
For Marjanen’s arguments, see Uro 1998: 175–182. Ancient portrayals of Sabbath observance are very diverse, and there is continuous debate concerning how to interpret the Sabbath command, which activities were deemed forbidden, and what was permissible and encouraged (McKay 1994: 3). But to reduce the Sabbath command and celebration to inactivity is somewhat inaccurate. Philo is one Jewish writer who makes a point of this (On the Cherubim 25; Colson and Whitaker 1929).
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29
See Patterson 2013, chapter 2, which discusses the concept of knowledge as a means of self-transcendence. Patterson reads the Gospel of Thomas in light of the philosophical context and discusses Stoics like Cicero and Epictetus, and Middle Platonists like Posidonius, as well as Plato and Philo.
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32
See also DeConick 1996, chapters 3 and 7 for more on the light symbolism and the motif of returning to something primordial in the Gospel of Thomas.
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Savoring Life with an Unsympathetic World View
Sabbath as Rest and Contemplation in Gospel of Thomas Logion 27
In: NumenSearch for other papers by Paul Linjamaa in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
This article discusses the enigmatic logion 27 in the Gospel of Thomas. It argues that preconceived notions of the text being “Gnostic” have affected previous interpretations of how the Sabbath is portrayed in logion 27. A discussion follows concerning the many different interpretations of the elusive second part of the logion and the phrase σαββατίσητε τὸ σάββατον/ⲉⲓⲣⲉ ⲙ̄ⲡⲥⲁⲙⲃⲁⲧⲟⲛ ⲛ̄ⲥⲁⲃⲃⲁⲧⲟⲛ. This has most often been interpreted as an admonition to reject the world. Instead, it is argued that the phrase should be understood as an admonition to “rest on the Sabbath,” with the intention of contemplating higher truths while lingering in corporeality.
| All Time | Past 365 days | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 279 | 43 | 10 |
| Full Text Views | 172 | 2 | 1 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 55 | 11 | 4 |