A Lesson Plan for Gainesville

Gang, I'm departing from the usual format and
imposing upon your generosity with this post:

Ellie and I lead a Thomas class at our monthly
meeting; it meets this first day. They have had
something near an equal exposure to Thomas. Ellie
came up with what seems to me like a smashing
plan. It will likely be the end of our study of
that book-- at Gainesville:

She sees Thomas' way as a six stage journey:

1. There is hidden truth. (Sayings 3 and 5)

2. We learn to see things differently. (Sayings
4, 17, and 51)

3. Reconciling two worlds (Sayings 22 and 29)

4. Becoming One (50,70)

5. Manifesting the openness (24, 49, 83, 106)

6. Inner awareness: living each moment by
self-knowledge (77, 91, 111)

If you feel led, I would appreciate input here;
otherwise I will come forth with another post.
(Of course some may have copies of Thomas with
different numbering. (The links access the
appropriate saying below.)

Blessings to all.

Here are the sayings:


(3) Jesus said: If those who lead you say unto
you: Behold, the Kingdom is in heaven, then the
birds of the heaven will be before you. If they
say unto you: It is in the sea, then the fish will
be before you. But the Kingdom is within you, and
it is outside of you. When you know yourselves,
then shall you be known, and you shall know that
you are the sons of the living Father. But if ye
do not know yourselves, then you are in poverty,
and you are poverty.


(4) Jesus said: The man aged in
his days will not hesitate ask a little child of
seven days about the place of life, and he shall
live. For there are many first who shall be last,
and they shall become a single one.


(5) Jesus said: Know what is before thy face, and
what is hidden from thee shall be revealed unto
thee; for there is nothing hidden which shall not
be made manifest.


(17) Jesus said: I will give you that which eye
has not seen, an ear has not heard, and hand has
not touched, and which has not entered into the
heart of man.


22) Jesus saw some infants at the breast. He said
to his disciples: These little ones at the breast
are like those who enter into the kingdom. They
said to him: If we then be children, shall we
enter the kingdom? Jesus said to them: When you
make the two one , and when you make the inside as
the outside, and the outside as the inside, and
the upper side as the lower; and when you make the
male and the female into a single one , that the
male be not male and the female female; when you
make eyes in the place of an eye, and a hand in
place of a hand, and a foot in place of a foot, an
image in place of an image, then shall you enter
[the kingdom].


(24) His disciples said: Teach us concerning the
place where thou art, for it is necessary for us
to seek after it. He said to them: He that hath
ears, let him hear. There is a light within a man
of light, and it gives light to the whole
world. If it does not give light, there is
darkness.


(29) Jesus said: If the flesh has come into being
because of the spirit, it is a marvel; but if the
spirit (has come into being) because of the body,
it is a marvel of marvels. But as for me, I marvel
at this, how this great wealth has settled in this
poverty.


(49) Jesus said: Blessed are the solitary and the
elect, for you shall find the kingdom; for you
came forth thence, and shall go there again.


(50) Jesus said: If they say to you: Whence have
you come?, tell them: We have come from the light,
the place where the light came into being through
itself alone. It [stood], and it re- vealed itself
in their image. If they say to you: Who are you?,
say: We are his sons, and we are the elect of the
living Father. If they ask you: What is the sign
of your Father in you?, tell them: It is a
movement and a rest.


(51) His disciples said to him: On what day will
the rest of the dead come into being? And on what
day will the new world come? He said to them: That
which ye await has come, but ye know it not.


(70) Jesus said: When you bring forth that in
yourselves, that which you have will save you. If
you do not have that in yourselves, that which you
do not have in you will kill you.


(77) Jesus said: I am the light that is over them
all. I am the All; the All has come forth from me,
and the All has attained unto me. Cleave a (piece
of) wood: I am there. Raise up the stone, an ye
shall find me there.


(83)Jesus said: The images are revealed to the
man, and the light which is in them is hidden in
the image of the light of the Father. He shall be
revealed, and his image is hidden by his light.


(91) They said to him: Tell us who thou art, that
we may believe in thee. He said to them: You test
the face of the heaven and the earth, and him who
is before you you do not know, and you know not to
test this moment.


(106) Jesus said: When you make the two one, you
shall become sons of man, and when you say:
Mountain, be moved, it shall be moved.


(111) Jesus said: The heavens shall be rolled up
and the earth before your face, and he who lives
in the living One shall neither see death nor
(fear); because Jesus says: He who shall find
himself, of him the world is not worthy.