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Gospel of Thomas · 111 of 114 · tr. Thomas O. Lambdin

Logion 111

Jesus said, "The heavens and the earth will be rolled up in your presence. And the one who lives from the living one will not see death." Does not Jesus say, "Whoever finds himself is superior to the world?"
Themes
Divine Sparkscosmology

Fragments of divine light or spirit trapped inside material bodies, awaiting liberation and return to their source.

The idea that one lives from the living one suggests a fragment of divine life animating the human.

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Inner Lightanthropology

The divine spark or luminous quality residing within the human person, potentially recognisable through introspection.

Finding oneself implies recognizing a luminous or divine quality residing within the human person.

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Return To Sourcesoteriology

The soul's journey back to its divine origin, reversing the fall into matter through stages of purification or illumination.

Living from the living one suggests a reconnection with the divine origin that transcends death.

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Cosmic Dualismtheology

Ontological opposition between two primal principles (light/darkness, truth/lie, spirit/matter) as the fundamental structure of reality.

[auto] A clear contrast is drawn between the perishable material world (heavens and earth) and the eternal divine life found within.

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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 the act of finding oneself rather than through external faith or ritual observance.

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Kingdom Withinanthropology

The claim that the divine realm is present inside the individual, accessible without external mediation.

[auto] Superiority over the world is achieved through internal discovery ('finds himself'), aligning with the concept of the divine realm residing inside.

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Living Godtheology

The divine conceived as active, present, and dynamic—not an abstract principle but a personal responsive reality.

[auto] The text explicitly references 'the living one' as the source of life that grants immunity from death.

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Mystical Unionsoteriology

The merging of the individual soul or self with the divine, transcending personal identity.

[auto] The phrase 'lives from the living one' implies a participatory union or derivation of life from the divine source.

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Paradox As Teachingethics

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

[auto] The claim that cosmic dissolution happens 'in your presence' and self-knowledge grants world superiority uses reversal to induce insight.

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Self Knowledgesoteriology

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

[auto] The passage culminates in the assertion that finding oneself makes one superior to the world, making self-discovery the central soteriological mechanism.

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Related passages · 1 parallel
taoism|Tao Te Ching|Chapter 33
He who knows other men is discerning; he who knows himself is intelligent. He who overcomes others is strong; he who overcomes himself is mighty. He who is satisfied with his lot is rich; he who goes on acting with energy has a (firm) will.…”
Both passages emphasize the importance of self-knowledge and inner transformation. The Gospel of Thomas highlights finding oneself as superior to the world, while the Tao Te Ching speaks of knowing oneself as a sign of intelligence and overcoming oneself as a sign of might.