Gospel of Thomas - Class notes on sensus plenior

[goatguy-too]

Arrgh! I was on a roll. Sorry.

Some keys to consider,

• Israel started with Jacob.
• Prophets in Judah probably don't count as prophets in Israel, since the nation was split.
• Many prophets were mentioned, but we don't know what they said, therefore they didn't 'speak'.
• There are a couple possibilities for the one who is alive. It could be John, who is an Old Testament prophet, was alive, and by that time Judah was known as Israel again. The other would be Jesus.
• 24 is two 12's which could be patriarch's and disciples. Probably not since they weren't dead yet.

Help me.... ;-)

OK. I had to do some research on this one. It is a reference to the Jewish canon.

 

On Tenach:

Bible: the written Torah. The Bible comprises twenty-four books, divided into three sections: (1) the Torah ("teaching"), comprising the five books of Moses; (2) the eight books of the Prophets (Nevi'im, the first and second books of Samuel and Kings are considered one book, as are the twelve "minor" prophets); (3) the eleven books of the Writings (Ketuvim, the books of Ezra and Nehemiah are considered one book, as are the two books of Chronicles). The Bible is therefore known in Hebrew as the Tanach, the abbreviation formed by the first letters of the names of these three sections. -- http://www.inner.org/glossary/gloss_t.htm#Tanach

 

The riddle refers to the books of the tenach as prophets and it's solution is significant since Thomas is an early source, it adds weight to the idea that the canonization of the Jewish Bible took place early, and endorses the canon as being accepted by Jesus, and therefore pushes the date of canonization to a very early date.

 

From wikipedia:

 

Rabbinic Judaism (Hebrew: יהדות רבנית) recognizes the twenty-four books of the Masoretic Text, commonly called the Tanakh (Hebrew: תַּנַ"ךְ) or Hebrew Bible. Evidence suggests that the process of canonization occurred between 200 BC and 200 AD, and a popular position is that the Torah was canonized c. 400 BC, the Prophets c. 200 BC, and the Writings c. 100 AD^[5] perhaps at a hypothetical Council of Jamnia—however, this position is increasingly criticised by modern scholars. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biblical_canon#Rabbinic_Judaism

 

This is a good time to mention the nature of riddle; A riddle cannot be solved using the contents of the riddle itself. Other information must be available. This is why riddles are used to hide things. The thing must already be known. Christ can effectively be hidden in the OT by using riddles because no one knew of him. The New Testament is a record of his life and death, and once that is known, the riddles of the OT can be understood.

 

Since my Bible is divided differently than the Tenach, there is no way I should be able to solve this riddle without the additional information onhow the Jewish Bible is divided.

 

In this case the living prophet would have been Jesus himself. The riddle says that Jesus was the voice behind all the dead prophets.

[goatguy-too]

I appreciate being able to share here. Doing so has given me an idea on how to teach others to see it. I am just messing around, but if you'd like to try 'Riddles you can solve' I am working here http://sensusplenior.net/wiki/Riddles_you_can_solve.

[goatguy-too]

(57) Jesus said, "The kingdom of the father is like a man who had good seed. His enemy came by night and sowed weeds among the good seed. The man did not allow them to pull up the weeds; he said to them, 'I am afraid that you will go intending to pull up the weeds and pull up the wheat along with them.' For on the day of the harvest the weeds will be plainly visible, and they will be pulled up and burned."

 

 

 

Mt 13:24 ¶ Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:

Mt 13:25 But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.

Mt 13:26 But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.

Mt 13:27 So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares?

Mt 13:28 He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?

Mt 13:29 But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.

Mt 13:30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.

 

 

The kingdom of our Father refers to the kingdom of David in Mt 10:11. Thomas is equating the prophecy concerning the Kingdom of David with that of the Kingdom of Heaven/God. He is saying that David's kingdom is a type of the Kingdom of Heaven.

 

The seed of the woman is Christ when interpreted singularly, and the church when interpreted as being plural. The enemy is that old liar, the serpent.

 

We are reading the English text of a Greek manuscript written of a teaching that was done in Hebrew. We pull in the Hebrew words for the original weeds in Ge 3:18 קוץ thorns and דרדר thistles.

 

The sub-root of קוץ means to irritate. It is used in words like abomination, wrath, impatient and awake. It is a fun riddle.

 

In Ge 38, Judah (a shadow of God) has three sons: Er, Onan and Shelah representing Adam, Israel (the nation) and Joseph, the husband of Mary. The story which follows is a shadow of the birth of Christ.

 

Er means awake and the verse says he was called Er or called awake. Awake is the opposite of asleep. Asleep is used to say that someone is dead. And when you are dead you return to the dust. So Er was called Awake, or he was 'called alive from the dust' confirming that he represents Adam. The story goes on to say that he was killed because of sin, as was Adam.

 

In the story, he was made to be flesh from the dust. Paul further clarifies the riddle saying that he had a thorn in the flesh (2Co 12:7), confirming that the flesh itself is the thorn and Paul cried out...

 

Ro 7:24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

 

The second word from Ge 3 is דרדר whose root is דר meaning generation. Since it is repeated the weed is a generation in the flesh and the spirit. Therefor in the parable we have that the weeds are the flesh and a wicked generation. These are the things which opposed Christ. (Mt 16:4)

 

The enemy sowed at night which, as before, is a time of grace. Though there was wickedness and sin, God did not destroy them. He allowed, within each person, a sinful flesh to grow with a faithful spirit, in the same manner that we each are goat and sheep, and old man and a new man. He also let the wicked generation grow with the faithful generation.

 

The final lesson is that we are not to be the judges. On may look like a goat, but in the end God has purified the sheep. One may look like he is part of the wicked generation, as did the thief on the cross who mocked Jesus, but while he hung there repented and acknowledged Jesus as he asked Jesus to remember him when he came into his kingdom. (Lu 23:42)

[goatguy-too]

(58) Jesus said, "Blessed is the man who has suffered and found life."

 

Although this is similar to other teachings such as suffering for Christ's sake, secret sayings usually involve a riddle, word play, a pun or other such device.

 

חול chul means both travail and sand which is how the second set of the children of Abraham are described.

 

He has children like dust; i.e. without water/the word.

He has children like sand of the sea shore; i.e. washed by the word/water

And Children like stars; these are those who are shining in Christ/the firmament.

 

I am not fully satisfied with this solution, though it gives a hint on how to use the multiple meanings of words in discerning sensus plenior.

 

The simple meaning is that the one who suffered was Jesus who found life in resurrection. There just isn't any word play that I have found in that yet.

[goatguy-too]

• (59) Jesus said, "Take heed of the living one while you are alive, lest you die and seek to see him and be unable to do so."

   

This seems to be another simple teaching where the only hidden meaning seems to be that Jesus while alive, was suggesting that he was the eternally living one who should be sought even after the cross.

[goatguy-too]

(60) <They saw> a Samaritan carrying a lamb on his way to Judea. He said to his disciples, "That man is round about the lamb."

They said to him, "So that he may kill it and eat it."

He said to them, "While it is alive, he will not eat it, but only when he has killed it and it has become a corpse."

They said to him, "He cannot do so otherwise."

He said to them, "You too, look for a place for yourself within repose, lest you become a corpse and be eaten."

 

The Samaritan is a watcher, one who is waiting for the fulfillment of prophecy.

 

Jesus takes note of him because he is carrying the lamb to guard it against blemish, rather than lead it like other cattle. The picture is that Christ the Lamb of God must be killed in order for his body to be eaten... "This is my body given for you..."

 

The disciple must enter into Christ's rest, or they will die and be judged. From the previous saying we know that Jesus is the lion of Judah who 'devours' men.

[goatguy-too]

(61) Jesus said, "Two will rest on a bed: the one will die, and the other will live."

Salome said, "Who are you, man, that you ... have come up on my couch and eaten from my table?"

Jesus said to her, "I am he who exists from the undivided. I was given some of the things of my father."

<...> "I am your disciple."

<...> "Therefore I say, if he is destroyed, he will be filled with light, but if he is divided, he will be filled with darkness."

 

Lu 17:34 I tell you, in that night there shall be two [men] in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left.

 

When there are two things they are two sides of the same thing. There will be one in bed, his spirit will live and his body will die.

 

The undivided The word ברא in hieroglyphics is 'the son who created the heavens and the earth. The א alef is the silent letter which represents God creating the heavens and earth in silence. Jesus existed before the alef.

 

Though the Son was fully God, and Jesus was fully God in the flesh, he had emptied himself of the properties of deity choosing not to be omnipresent. omniscient, omnipotent, etc. Yet he retained the personal characteristics of the father which are a part of personality.

 

Light is Holiness which destroys, and darkness is Grace. If Jesus's body was destroyed in the grave, he still would be God and he would still have been holy. But he was divided, or separated from the Father on the cross in order to give grace.

[goatguy-too]

62) Jesus said, "It is to those who are worthy of my mysteries that I tell my mysteries. Do not let your left (hand) know what your right (hand) is doing."

 

Jesus told his disciples that they had been chosen to understand his mysteries. (Mt 13:11, Mr 4:11 )

 

This saying is a warning. Goats are on the left and they represent the flesh, sheep are on the right representing the spirit. They have been given knowledge of the mystery and are warned not to let their flesh get in the way and puff them up with pride.

 

The same temptation faces those today who understand the mysteries.

 

1Co 8:1 ... Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth.

[dawei]

This is really great stuff.

 

For too many years, I read the OT and NT with a zeal... and everyone in-between, for better or worse (Augustine, Luther, Calvin, John Bunyan, Wesley, Whitefield, Watchman Nee, Francis Schaeffer, John MacArthur, C.S. Lewis, Charles Colson... the reformed theologians captivated me (Louis Berkhof, B.B. Warfield, Charles Spurgeon, A.W. Pink)...

 

But in the end, what opened my eyes the most were those in the "Jews for Jesus" movement. I read everything I could from them and realized much of what your sharing here. I had never heard of 'sensus plenior' till this thread but that was what really grabbed me... and the lack of understanding this by the masses eventually lead me to walk away from it all.

[goatguy-too]

Thanks dawei. It's hard to sit through the fifth sermon in a row on tithing, or one based on the latestest self-help book. As Jesus said,

 

Mt 7:14 ...strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

[deci belle]

goatguy splits the bones and gets the marrow.❤

 

The riddling is for the sake of the words' meanings~ using words to get beyond even their meanings.

 

This is a wonderful thing to lay out for us (even as an example.) Approaching the authentic mystery teachings effectively requires no less dedication to the spirit of sleuthing that actively courts the Mystery.

 

 

 

 

ed note: add text below first line

Edited November 22, 2013 by deci belle

[goatguy-too]

(63) Jesus said, "There was a rich man who had much money. He said, 'I shall put my money to use so that I may sow, reap, plant, and fill my storehouse with produce, with the result that I shall lack nothing.' Such were his intentions, but that same night he died. Let him who has ears hear."

 

The word כסף money also means desire, yearn.

 

His desires were spent upon himself. The church; those who are called out are called the bride of Christ. Her desire is to be for her husband:

 

Ge 3:16 ¶ Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire [shall be] to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.

 

The purpose of Thomas's riddle is to teach the method of riddling. Here though the hebrew words for desire are different, that is the one used in Genesis is not the one that means money, the method being displayed is another kind of riddle in scripture. Exegesis of sensus plenior is not just a practice of decryption. Riddles play with ideas. One symbol leads you into an idea which can be expressed with other symbols.

 

The split rock is one symbol which expresses the idea of the separation of the Father and Son at the cross. That same idea is expressed by the parted water and torn veil. That isn't the best example... Jesus put off the desire of the flesh not to die.. he made his flesh limp... which is also expressed by the bruised heel of the seed of the woman and Jacob's withered thigh.

Edited November 22, 2013 by goatguy

[goatguy-too]

(64) Jesus said, "A man had received visitors. And when he had prepared the dinner, he sent his servant to invite the guests.

He went to the first one and said to him, 'My master invites you.' He said, 'I have claims against some merchants. They are coming to me this evening. I must go and give them my orders. I ask to be excused from the dinner.'

He went to another and said to him, 'My master has invited you.' He said to him, 'I have just bought a house and am required for the day. I shall not have any spare time.'

He went to another and said to him, 'My master invites you.' He said to him, 'My friend is going to get married, and I am to prepare the banquet. I shall not be able to come. I ask to be excused from the dinner.'

He went to another and said to him, 'My master invites you.' He said to him, 'I have just bought a farm, and I am on my way to collect the rent. I shall not be able to come. I ask to be excused.'

The servant returned and said to his master, 'Those whom you invited to the dinner have asked to be excused.' The master said to his servant, 'Go outside to the streets and bring back those whom you happen to meet, so that they may dine.' Businessmen and merchants will not enter the places of my father."

 

 

visitors

The word עלה 'aleh' or visit, also means leaf, branch, ascend, burnt offering.

 

One of the many doctrinal divisions among Christians is the question of whether Christ died for everyone or just for the elect. The systemic exegetical problem for the church was the introduction of Greek logic to a Hebrew system of thought. Socrates would present a problem as a dilemma and by showing one proposition to be false, conclude the other was true. The problem with this method is what I call universal ignorance. You do not know that which you do not know. Although it sounds like a platitude, it is a critical piece of information when setting up a Socratic dilemma.

 

For a dilemma to be a true dilemma, there must be two and only two possibilities AND only one of them can be true at a time. This is where universal ignorance comes to play. Though you only know of two possibilities, and it seems apparent to all that there are only two possibilities, no one can know for sure that there is not a third which lurks in the shadows, hidden from all.

 

Is the sky blue or is it not blue. This is a simple question and Socrates would taunt you if you hesitated to answer quickly. (No I am not so old that I remember him doing so... ) But yesterday the sky was red, and we know that if we capture the sky in a jar that it has no color at all. It is a false dilemma used to set up an argument using sophistry. Socrates did it intentionally. We usually do it unwittingly.

 

So the doctrinal division is proposed as a dilemma, but it is a false dilemma. "Did Jesus die for all men or just for the elect?" ... and Socrates taunts you for a quick choice.

 

The problem lies in the unstated presumptions about salvation. It is presumed that if your sins are forgiven that you are 'saved'. Is it possible that some people who are forgiven are not saved? Because this option is not presented within the false dilemma, it is impossible for any of them to arrive at that conclusion.

 

I apologize for the lengthy background, but to show that Thomas is consistent with the New Testament writers, we need take care to not be funneled into a false dilemma.

 

Mt 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

 

The word 'know' is used of the intimate relation between a man and wife. Since the church is the virgin bride of Christ, the bride is 'fruitful and multiplying' in the spirit not in the flesh. Jesus said, "I never produced life in you". On the other side, we love him because he first loved us. (1Jo 4:19 ).

 

So he first forgave our sins... everybody's. I can declare without hesitation that your sins are forgiven. But the question is that when he first loved you, did you love him back? Did you choose to respond to his invitation to become the bride? To some he said, "Depart from me.... you were never my bride."

 

Now we can look at the 'visitors' in Thomas's saying. They are branches who have already been received, yet they did not respond to the invitation to dinner.

 

Making it brief, what do we eat? The body of Christ... They refused to meditate, and ruminate on his truth. Even though they have been received, they refused to enter in. The exclusivity of Christianity is an offense to many. But the forgiveness of Christ is for all, as is the invitation to become his bride. It is not that Christ casts anyone out, but that they have refused to enter into the marriage. In response to his love, they do not love in return.

 

Those who rejected Christ's invitation in this saying did not do so out of necessity, but because other things were more important to them. One bought a house... but Jesus prepared a mansion for him.

 

One went to another wedding... and missed his own.

 

Another bought a farm, but not to work it. He was renting it out. His needs were already met in the company of the one who had received him but he wanted more.

 

 

[goatguy-too]

(65) He said, "There was a good man who owned a vineyard. He leased it to tenant farmers so that they might work it and he might collect the produce from them. He sent his servant so that the tenants might give him the produce of the vineyard. They seized his servant and beat him, all but killing him. The servant went back and told his master. The master said, 'Perhaps he did not recognize them.' He sent another servant. The tenants beat this one as well. Then the owner sent his son and said, 'Perhaps they will show respect to my son.' Because the tenants knew that it was he who was the heir to the vineyard, they seized him and killed him. Let him who has ears hear."

 

 

Mt 21:35 And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another.

Mt 21:36 Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise.

 

It is easy to see that Jesus is the Son in the story and he was speaking of the Jews. What is important is to see the difference between Matthew's account and Thomas's. I have suggested previously that Thomas was recording hints on how to read the mystery in the scriptures. We expect that Matthew's account is the one Jesus actually said, and Thomas recorded notes to help him remember how to read the scriptures.

 

Thomas records that there were only two servants and the son, whereas Matthew records there were many servants referring to the prophets, judges, priests and kings of the Old Testament.

 

The two servants which were 'beaten' were Jesus as well as the Son. The word נכה 'beat' also means lame.

 

The riddle is "In what two ways was Jesus lame?"

 

The first is that he was the legitimate king of Israel through the genealogy of Joseph. But he was a 'lame' king. Unable to perform as king in the flesh.

 

The second is that he was a lame priest. Since he was not of the tribe of Levi he could not be a priest while alive. Only in resurrection could he become a priest like Melchizedek. So while in the flesh, he was a 'lame' priest.

 

These are the two servants who took the beatings before the crucifixion.

[goatguy-too]

(66) Jesus said, "Show me the stone which the builders have rejected. That one is the cornerstone."

 

The word אבן stone consists of אב father and בן son.

 

There is a bigger mystery. When Joseph had his dream (Ge 37:9 ), there were eleven stars which bowed down to him. He was the twelfth son. The twelve disciples were never meant to be counted as twelve in the mystery. Jesus was the twelfth son. Of the twelve stones on the breastplate of the priest, Jesus was the cornerstone. He was rejected by his brethren just as Joseph was.

 

The word בנא build is the word בנ son followed by the aleph א representing separation. The builders were the sons who were separated from God. They rejected Christ.

[deci belle]

sigh…❤

[goatguy-too]

• (67) Jesus said, "If one who knows the all still feels a personal deficiency, he is completely deficient."

   

The all is God. If you know God and are not filled by his Spirit, the alternative is none to pleasant.

 

'The all' is כל this is in contrast to 'the perfect' כלל. The double ל implies 'spiritual and fleshly'. Those who know God only as the all only know him as the flesh can know him. Those who know him as the perfect, know him in flesh and spirit.

[goatguy-too]

(68) Jesus said, "Blessed are you when you are hated and persecuted. Wherever you have been persecuted they will find no place."

 

Mt 5:10 Blessed [are] they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Mt 5:11 Blessed are ye, when [men] shall revile you, and persecute [you], and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Mt 5:12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great [is] your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

 

In Matthew those who are hated and persecuted receive the Kingdom of Heaven. The Kingdom of Heaven is the New Teaching of Peace which is Love. When someone is persecuted and they turn the other cheek (Mt 5:39) they are demonstrating the Kingdom of Heaven. This riddle is telling us that the Kingdom of Heaven is not a place, it is love.

[goatguy-too]

(69) Jesus said, "Blessed are they who have been persecuted within themselves. It is they who have truly come to know the father. Blessed are the hungry, for the belly of him who desires will be filled."

 

While being introspective we should see our fault and sin and own up to it. Only when we have acknowledged God as God, are we able to put our own deity envying ego to death.

 

Here again food is a metaphor for the wisdom of God, so this saying is the same as:

 

Jas 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all [men] liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

[goatguy-too]

(70) Jesus said, "That which you have will save you if you bring it forth from yourselves. That which you do not have within you will kill you if you do not have it within you."

This is a commentary on Mt 25:15

Mt 25:15 And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey.

Mt 25:16 Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made [them] other five talents.

Mt 25:17 And likewise he that [had received] two, he also gained other two.

Mt 25:18 But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord’s money.

Mt 25:19 After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them.

Mt 25:20 And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more.

Mt 25:21 His lord said unto him, Well done, [thou] good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

Mt 25:22 He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them.

Mt 25:23 His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

Mt 25:24 Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed:

Mt 25:25 And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, [there] thou hast [that is] thine.

Mt 25:26 His lord answered and said unto him, [Thou] wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed:

Mt 25:27 Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and [then] at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.

Mt 25:28 Take therefore the talent from him, and give [it] unto him which hath ten talents.

Mt 25:29 For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.

Mt 25:30 And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

The riddle is to discern what the servants had within them.

 

It helps to know that a talent wages for a servant for about a year. Normally the master cares for the servants, but since he would be away he gave them sufficient to care for themselves while still serving him in whatever capacity they were able. Had he not provided for them, they would have had to work for someone else.

 

Jesus is the master who would be leaving for a while. He provided sufficient resources for his servants to care or themselves and still serve him. That's the hint. What does Christ provide for his servants so they can still serve him while he is away? He gives his indwelling Spirit. The last servant did not continue serving Christ. He did not 'let his light shine'. When Christ gives a new life within you, he intends for that life to be fruitful and multiplying. This servant forfeited life by not living it.

 

The reason that other servants were given more is that should the master be away longer than he had anticipated, the servants with much were trusted to care for the servants with little.

Edited November 28, 2013 by goatguy

[goatguy-too]

(71) Jesus said, "I shall destroy this house, and no one will be able to build it [...]."

 

Mt 26:61 And said, This [fellow] said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days.

 

The house he spoke of was his own body as the actual temple of God. Only God can build his own house.

 

Ps 127:1 ¶ « A Song of degrees for Solomon. » Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh [but] in vain.

 

 

 

[deci belle]

Dude of the realm is at the helm!! hahaha!!❤❤❤

[goatguy-too]

(72) A man said to him, "Tell my brothers to divide my father's possessions with me."

He said to him, "O man, who has made me a divider?"

He turned to his disciples and said to them, "I am not a divider, am I?"

 

This saying, if it a true saying of Jesus and not merely 'class notes' then it shows a playfulness in the personality of Jesus.

 

The word בדל means a separated portion and is used in Amos for a separated ear.

 

A man says "Tell my brothers to separate my father's possessions" and Jesus picks up on the pun and says, "Who has made me a separated ear?" Though it is a very silly pun, it means that he only listens to the Father for instruction.

 

There is a parallel teaching when the mother of a couple disciples asks Jesus to let them sit on his left and right side. Jesus responded that the choice was that of his Father.

 

Edited November 28, 2013 by goatguy

[goatguy-too]

(73) Jesus said, "The harvest is great but the laborers are few. Beseech the Lord, therefore, to send out laborers to the harvest."

 

Lu 10:2 Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly [is] great, but the labourers [are] few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.

 

These are identical teachings. We cannot conclude that one is Gnostic and the other is not. Here Jesus is expressing the solitude of his own mission and praying for companions. The very next saying, perhaps belongs with this one:

 

(74) He said, "O Lord, there are many around the drinking trough, but there is nothing in the cistern."

 

The topic is the living water. There are many who were thirsty for it as they clamored around Jesus, but the Living water sprung from his grave, and he had not yet died. Coupled with the previous saying it is an expression of his willingness to face the cross.

[goatguy-too]

(75) Jesus said, "Many are standing at the door, but it is the solitary who will enter the bridal chamber."

 

 

 

It is a warning that there are many false Christ's standing at the door and only the one who died alone is the real one (Christ himself):

 

Mt 24:24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if [it were] possible, they shall deceive the very elect.

Re 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.