Book of Thomas the Contender 4

1Then the Savior continued: “O unfathomable love of the light! O the bitterness of the fire burning in the bodies and marrow of humans, that by night and day is set ablaze in them, and that scorches the limbs of humans and [causes] their minds to become intoxicated and their souls to become insane [. . .] them in (both) males and females [. . .] night, and they perform movements, [. . .] in secret and in sight, because the males [perform movements . . . on the females] and the females on [the males]. [Accordingly, it is] [] said: ‘All those who look for the truth from true wisdom will grow wings for flying, escaping the lust that scorches human spirits, and will grow wings to escape any (evil) spirit they see.’”

2And Thomas responded: “Lord, this is precisely what I ask you about, because I have comprehended that, as you say, you are our benefactor.”

3The Savior answered again: “This is why we must speak to you, because this is the teaching for the mature. If you now want to become mature, you will fulfill these things. If you do not, your name is ‘Ignoramus,’ because whoever is intelligent cannot live with a fool, since whoever is intelligent is mature in all wisdom. Whoever is wise, in fact, will be nurtured by the truth and ‘will be like a tree growing by the winding stream.’ (Psalm 1:3) To the fool, though, good and evil are the same, considering that even though some possess wings, they nevertheless run to visible things that are distant from truth. The reason is the fire that guides them creates for them an illusion of truth, [and] it illuminates them with a [perishable] beauty, and it confines them in a sweet gloom and enchants them with aromatic indulgence.

4“And it will blind them with an unquenchable lust, scorch their souls, and turn into something for them like a pole pounded into their heart that they will never be able to remove. And however it wishes, it drives them around like a bit in the mouth. And with the bitterness of the captivity of lust for visible things that on impulse degenerate, change, and deviate, it has bound them with its chains and fettered their every limb. They are ever being drawn downwards. When they are killed, they are digested by all the animals of the perishable realm.”

5Thomas responded: “It is clear, even as it has been said, [‘Many are . . . those who know not] [. . .] soul.’”

6And [the Savior] answered: [“Blessed is] the one who is wise, who [looked for the truth, and] when finding it, [] reposed on it forever and had no fear of those who sought to disturb him.”

7Thomas responded: “Is it good for us, Lord, to repose among what pertains to us?”

8The Savior said: “Yes, it is helpful, and it is good for you, because things that are visible among humans will vanish, since their fleshly vessel will vanish, and when it is reduced to nothing, it will come to exist among visible things, among things that can be seen. And then the fire they see will cause them pain because of their former love for the faith. They will be regathered to what is visible. Furthermore, those who can see among invisible things, not possessing the greatest love, they will perish in their preoccupation over this life and the scorching of the fire. After but a little while, what is visible will vanish. Then formless shadows will come out, and among the graves they will linger forever on the corpses, suffering, and their soul in decay.”