Early Christian Writings Gospel of Thomas Saying 26 Previous - Gospel of Thomas Home - Next

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Nag Hammadi Coptic Text Funk's Parallels
POxy1 26, Luke 6:37-42,
Matt 7:1-5.

BLATZ LAYTON DORESSE

(26) Jesus said: You see the
mote which is in your
brother's eye; but you do
not see the beam which is in
your own eye. When you
cast out the beam from your
own eye, then you will see
(clearly) to cast out the
mote from your brother's
eye.
Oxyrhynchus Greek Fragment
(26) Jesus said, "You (sing.)
see the speck in your
sibling's eye, but you do not
see the beam in your own
eye. When you expel the
beam from your own eye
then you will be able to see
to expel the speck from the
eye of your sibling."
31 [26]. Jesus says: "The
straw that is in thy brother's
eye, though seest; but the
beam that is in thine own
eye, thou seest not! When
thou hast cast out the beam
that is in thine own eye,
then thou wilt see to cast
out the straw from thy
brother's eye."

DORESSE - Oxyrhynchus ATTRIDGE - Oxyrhynchus

[". . .] then thou wilt see to cast out the (26) [. . .] and then you (sg.) will see
straw that is thy brother's eye." clearly to cast the mote from your (sg.)
brother's eye.

Visitor Comments Scholarly Quotes

You must practice before you
may rightly preach.
- Martin
Once one has discoverd how
to integrate one's innate adult
and child selves, then one
can teach others how to do
so.
- Rodney
He is saying--you see the
faults in others, but you do
not judge yourself. Once you
realize your own faults, and
correct them, then you can
Marvin Meyer quotes 'Arakin 16b in the Babylonian Talmud for a comparable story:
"It was taught: Rabbi Tarfon said, 'I wonder whether there is a person of this
generation who accepts admonition? If someone says to him, "Remove the chip from
between your eyes (or, eye teeth)," he would say to him, "Remove the beam from
between your eyes (or, eye teeth)."'" (The Gospel of Thomas: The Hidden Sayings of
Jesus, p. 81)
Robert M. Grant and David Noel Freedman write: "The saying is very slightly
modified from a saying related in Matthew 7:3, 5 and in Luke 6:41-42. In the Coptic
version it leads without a break into Saying 28, and thus seems to imply that the
beam in the Gnostic's eye is his absolute rejection of fasting and Sabbath observance.
He ought to explain the spiritual meaning of these actions to his Jewish, or Jewish-
Christian, brothers, or potential brothers." (The Secret Sayings of Jesus, p. 146)
R. McL. Wilson writes: "Fitzmyer notes some differences between the Greek and the
Coptic, but thinks what is preserved of the Greek is nearer Luke (vi. 42) than
judge others fairly as well.
- Holly
Attend to your own defects.
Criticism of those in others
is not productive. An
essential technical
exhortation
- Thief37
See saying 5: recognize what
is in front of you = remove
the beam from your eye. You
have to be able to see what is
hidden before you can help
other people do so (remove
the splinter from your
brother's eye).
- stef
If you do not take care of
yourself (in every sense),
you will not be fit to take
care of others.
- pm
26
Alias:
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Matthew. This passage poses a somewhat delicate problem for the investigator: Is
this merely an abbreviation of the Synoptic saying or has elaboration taken place in
the Synoptic tradition as early as the hypothetical Q? Both Matthew and Luke put the
first sentence in the form of a question, and both add a further question before the
final 'Thou hypocrite! first cast out the beam. . . .' The Coptic here has a temporal
clause instead of the imperative, but as Fitzmyer notes the Greek appears to have
corresponded to that of the canonical Gospels. This raises once against the question
of the relation between the Coptic Thomas and the Oxyrhynchus fragments, and in
this case it is difficult to see why the change should have been made. As it is, the
version in Thomas is terse and to the point, and a case might be made out for
expansion in the canonical tradition. But a decision here is extremely difficult."
(Studies in the Gospel of Thomas, p. 58)
Funk and Hoover write: "Thomas' version of this humorous comparison is simpler
than the form found in Q, which suggests that the latter has been expanded. . . .
Thomas does not use the word 'phony' - someone who pretends to be someone he or
she isn't - so this element may be secondary. The Q version is also redundant (lines 4-
5 in the Q version repeat lines 1-2)." (The Five Gospels, p. 488)
Gerd Ludemann writes: "The key words 'brother' and 'eye' link Logia 26 and 25.
Logion 26 corresponds to Q (Matt. 7.3-5/Luke 6.41-42) and as the simpler
construction may also represent the earliest stage. But it is also conceivable that
Thomas has simplified an earlier saying, the centre of which was reproof of the
brother, and put self-correction at the centre." (Jesus After 2000 Years, p. 603)
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