Every so often a discovery is made that shifts our collective understanding of a given topic. Recently, such a discovery was published in the most recent volume of the Oxyrhynchus collection of papyri. The small fragment, P.Oxy 5575, contains within it the earliest quotations from both the Sermon on the Mount and the Gospel of Thomas, and is dated to the second or early third century.
This fragment will likely open up a new lane of discussion around the composition, publication, and dissemination of the canonical (and non-canonical) Gospels. If you consider the translated and reconstructed text below, you will see that it corresponds with parallels in Matthew, Luke and Thomas. This type of literary relationship begs the question of which text proceeded which. There are essentially three options. The first is that P.Oxy 5575 predated the other texts, which seems unlike to me, given its harmonizing tendency. Second, P.Oxy 5575 postdates the other texts and quotes from them. The third is that P.Oxy 5575 is quoting from some other collection of sayings. The most likely option seems to be the second, that P.Oxy 5575 is quoting from canonical Mattthew and Luke and Greek Thomas. The possibilities regarding Thomas are particularly intriguing, as this pushes Thomas back earlier, at least in its Greek form, as Thomas 27 is found in the Greek Oxyrhynchus fragments. The first line only has a few letters and the text below relies on reconstruction. However, if it corresponds to Coptic Thomas 63, this would suggest that there were more Greek sayings in Thomas that have not been found (yet).
The structure of this fragment is interesting because it is essentially a collection of sayings around a common theme. To quote from Candida Moss’s Daily Beast article on the fragments:
What is certain is that this text was at least partly concerned with the problem of worries of the world, or as ancient philosophers would put it, the care of the soul. The contents parallel passages of both canonical and non-canonical Gospels around this theme: specifically, an instruction not to worry about your life, food, or clothing (Matthew 6:25; Luke 12:22; Gospel of Thomas 27; 36); to emulate birds and their lack of cares (portions of Matt. 6:26–33; Luke 12:24–29); and a saying in the Gospel of Thomas that cautions people that even a rich man who amassed wealth still met death (saying 63). You cannot plan your way out of mortality. All life, like grass “is dried up and thrown in the oven” in the end.
It seems that early Christians had a more fluid understanding of the “Gospel” text and used Jesus’ sayings more freely than we do now. This observation was made by John Horman in A Common Written Greek Source for Mark and Thomas, several years ago.
I invite you to consider the text for yourself below.
| P.Oxy 5575 | Canonical Text |
| ‘. . . he died (?). you: [do not] worry [about your life,] what you will eat, [or] about yourbody, what [you will wear.] For I tell you: [unless] you fast [from the world,] you will never end [theKingdom,] and unless you . . . the world, you [will never . . .] the Father . . . the birds, how . . . and [your(?)] heavenly Father [feeds them (?).] You [also] therefore . . . [Consider the lilies,] how they grow . . .Solomon . . . in [his] glory . . . [if ] the Father [clothes] grass which dries up and is thrown into the oven,[he will clothe (?)] you . . . You [also (?)] therefore . . . for [your] Father [knows] . . . you need. [Instead(?)] seek [his kingdom (?), and all these things (?)] will be given [to you (?)] as well.’ | Thomas 63 (Coptic)Jesus said, “There was a rich man who had considerable wealth. He said, ‘I shall invest my wealth so as to sow, reap, plant, and fill my barns with crops, lest I run short of something.’ These things are what he was thinking in his heart, and that very night the man died. Whoever has ears should listen!” Luke 12:22; c.f. Matt 6:23He said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear. Thomas 27 (Greek)Jesus said, “If you do not fast as regards the world, you will not find the kingdom of God. If you do not observe the Sabbath as a Sabbath, you will not see the father.” Matthew 6:26-31Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by worrying can add a single hour to your span of life?[l] 28 And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ Matthew 6:32–3; Luke 12:30–3132 For it is the gentiles who seek all these things, and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God[m] and his[n] righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. |
This small fragment makes me think of the other important fragments found at Oxyrhynchus such as P.Oxy 1224, P.Oxy 1786, P.Oxy 840 and the Egerton fragments (found elsewhere), as well as the Fayyum fragment. P.Oxy 1224 and P.Oxy 844 both seem to be fragments of lost gospels, with some canonical parallels. Perhaps the earliest is the following fragment, which shares some parallels with Q, but which seems to be independent.
P.Oxy 1224
It weighed me down. Then Jesus approached in a vision and said, “Why are you discouraged? For not . . . you, but the . . . “
. . . “you said, although you are not answering. What then did you renounce? What is the new doctrine that they say you teach, or what is the new baptism that you proclaim? Answer and . . . “
When the scribes and Pharisees and priests saw him, they were angry that he was reclining in the midst of sinners. But when Jesus heard, he said, “Those who are healthy have no need of a physician . . . “
” . . . and pray for your enemies. For the one who is not against you is for you. The one who is far away today, tomorrow will be near you and in . . . the adversary . . .
Or take P.Oxy 840, perhaps an early amulet, which shares parallels with Matt 15:1-20 and Mark 7:1-23.
P.Oxy 840
. . .before he does wrong makes all manner of subtle excuse. But give heed lest ye also suffer the same things as they; for the evil-doers among men receive their reward not among the living only, but also await punishment and much torment. And he took them and brought them into the very place of purification, and was walking in the temple. And a certain Pharisee, a chief priest, whose name was Levi, met them and said to the Saviour, Who gave thee leave to walk in this place of purification and to see these holy vessels, when thou hast not washed nor yet have thy disciples bathed their feet? But defiled thou hast walked in this temple, which is a pure place, wherein no other man walks except he has washed himself and changed his garments, neither does he venture to see these holy vessels. And the Saviour straightaway stood still with his disciples and answered him, Art thou then, being here in the temple, clean? He saith unto him, I am clean; for I wasked in the pool of David, and having descended by one staircase I ascended by another, and I put on white and clean garments, and then I came and looked upon these holy vessels. The Saviour answered and said unto him, Woe ye blind, who see not. Thou hast washed in these running waters wherein dogs and swine have been cast night and day, and hast cleansed and wiped the outside skin which also the harlots and flute-girls anoint and wash and wipe and beautify for the lust of men; but within they are full of scorpions and all wickedness. But I and my disciples, who thou sayest have not bathed, have been dipped in the waters of eternal life which come from . . . But woe unto the . . .
P.Oxy 1786 contains a fragment of an early Christian hymn, perhaps even more revealing than the Gospels in that it shows the worship of Christ by this time and the Trinitarian formula.
- . . . together all the eminent ones of God. . .
- . . . night] nor day (?) Let it/them be silent. Let the luminous stars not [. . .],
- . . . [Let the rushings of winds, the sources] of all surging rivers [cease]. While we hymn
- Father and Son and Holy Spirit, let all the powers answer, “Amen, amen, Strength, praise,
- [and glory forever to God], the sole giver of all good things. Amen, amen.”
In other parts of the world, other fragments have been found. The Fayyum fragment, or the Rainer Gospel Fragment, appears to be a harmonization of the various accounts of Jesus’ death, here focused on the denial of Peter.
The Fayyum fragment; c.f. Mt 26:30-35 = Mk 14:26-31
As he led them out, he said, “You will all fall away tonight according to the scripture: ‘I will strike the shepherd and the sheep will be scattered.'”
Then Peter said, “Even if everyone else denies you, I won’t.”
Jesus said, “Before the cock crows twice, you will deny me three times today.”
The Egerton Gospel fragments also provide an interesting harmonization of various passages from John and the Synoptics, but with some original material. The text is a bit too long to include here. However, all point to a much more complicated Synoptic Problem than current research has taken into consideration. There is an intriguing possibility that there was a much more fluid situation vis-a-vis the compilation and spread of Christian text that must be taken into account, even if the evidence is only contained in scraps of fragments.
A Jewish View 