Title
Children and the Kingdom of God: A Comparison of the Gospel of Luke and the Gospel of Thomas
Description
Abstract Only
Abstract
Both the Gospel of Luke and the noncanonical Gospel of Thomas depict Jesus teaching about children/infants entering the kingdom. My paper compares Luke 18:15-17 to logion 22 from the Gospel of Thomas. While the language in both of the texts appears to express the same ideas, my analysis demonstrates that the historical context of these passages reveal two very different meanings. I argue that the Gospel of Thomas is meant to show that people need to be transformed into a “single one,” whereas the Gospel of Luke is aimed at teaching people how to act so that they can be in communion with God and enter the kingdom.
