Gospel of Thomas Saying 95
BLATZ
(95) [Jesus said:] If you have money, (p. 49) do not lend at interest, but give [ . . . ] to him from whom you will not receive it back.
LAYTON
(95) [Jesus said], “If you (plur.) have money, do not lend it out at interest. Rather, give [it] to one from whom you will not get it back.”
DORESSE
99 [95]. [Jesus says: "If (?)] you have money, do not lend it at interest, but [. . .] who (?) will not take them from him.”
Scholarly Quotes |
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Gerd Ludemann writes: “the logion has a parallel in content in Matt. 5.42b/Luke 6.30. But the theme of interest recalls the antipathy of Thomas to merchants (cf. 64.12). However, this does not exclude the possibility that it was already contained in the tradition that Thomas is using.” (Jesus After 2000 Years, p. 636) Comparing Thomas to Matthew and Luke, Koester finds that the Thomas form is more original: “The ending of Luke 6:34 (’Even sinners lend to sinners . . .’) is a secondary addition in analogy to the ending of the preceding saying Luke 6:33 (’Even sinners do that’). Matt 5:42 reads, ‘Give to the one who asks you, and do not refuse one who wants to borrow from you.’ This may have preserved the wording of the original saying better than Luke 6:34, and Thomas’s version can be best explained as a development of this form.” (Ancient Christian Gospels, p. 90) Funk and Hoover write: “Thomas records a saying that is parallel to Matt 5:42b: ‘Don’t turn away the one who triest to borrow from you.’ Thomas’ version may well be the earlier version since it is absolute: lend to those from whom you can’t expect to get your capital back.” (The Five Gospels, p. 522) |
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