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Gospel of Thomas · 14 of 114 · tr. Thomas O. Lambdin

Logion 14

Jesus said to them, "If you fast, you will give rise to sin for yourselves; and if you pray, you will be condemned; and if you give alms, you will do harm to your spirits. When you go into any land and walk about in the districts, if they receive you, eat what they will set before you, and heal the sick among them. For what goes into your mouth will not defile you, but that which issues from your mouth - it is that which will defile you."
Themes
Self Knowledgesoteriology

The recognition of one's own true divine nature as the primary path to liberation; 'know thyself' as soteriology.

The focus on internal defilement ('what issues from the mouth') emphasizes introspection and self-awareness as pathways to purity.

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Fasting And Prayerpraxis

Ascetic disciplines that prepare the body and mind for spiritual receptivity or purification.

[auto] The text explicitly discusses these ascetic practices, albeit to warn against their potential spiritual harm.

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Gnosis Direct Knowledgesoteriology

Salvation through direct experiential knowledge of the divine nature, not through faith, ritual, or moral works alone.

[auto] Salvation is framed through understanding the true source of defilement rather than adherence to ritual or moral works.

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Love Of Neighbourethics

Active compassionate care for others as a central spiritual obligation or expression of divine love.

[auto] Disciples are instructed to heal the sick among those who receive them, demonstrating active care.

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Paradox As Teachingethics

Using apparent contradiction, reversal, or riddle to destabilise ordinary understanding and induce insight.

[auto] The claim that fasting gives rise to sin presents a counter-intuitive reversal of standard religious expectations.

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Rejection Of Hypocrisyethics

Critique of outward religious observance that lacks inner transformation; form without substance.

[auto] Jesus critiques standard pious acts like fasting and prayer as potentially sinful if performed without inner truth.

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Ritual Puritypraxis

The maintenance of a state of cleanliness—physical, moral, or spiritual—required for encounter with the divine.

[auto] The passage centrally redefines defilement from external food intake to internal speech, challenging traditional purity laws.

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