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Gospel of Thomas 18:1-3 This enthymemic logion reasons further about the relation of disciples to Jesus, which is a topic in GTh 16:4 and Matthew 10:37-39. In Thomas, instead of Jesus being the one who takes up a cross, he is the beginning. If disciples have discovered the beginning they will know their end, since their end is to return to the beginning. 18 1The disciples said to Jesus, "Tell us how our end will be." 2Jesus said, "Have you discovered the beginning, then, that you are seeking after the end? For where the beginning is, the end will be. 3Blessed is one who stands at the beginning: That one will know the end and will not taste death." Once again the reader encounters contrawisdom in the Gospel of Thomas. The reasoning in the logion is as follows: [Unexpressed Wisdom: The one who knows the end will not taste death.] Contrawisdom (Warrant/Rule): Where the beginning is, the end will be. Abductive Description (Case joined with Result): Have you discovered the beginning, then, that you are seeking after the end? [If you have discovered the beginning, then you are standing where the end will be!] Explanation (Result): Blessed is one who stands at the beginning: That one will know the end and will not taste death. Once again the reader encounters abductive reasoning. Straightforward reasoning from the contrawisdom would suggest that (Case) if one has discovered the beginning, (Result) then one has discovered the end. When this case and result are joined together, the insight emerges that when they have found the beginning (in the presence of Jesus) they are standing at the end as well as the beginning! This produces a new result, namely that one is blessed who stands at the beginning, since that one also knows the end and will not taste death. Gospel of Thomas 19:1-4 GTh 19 also contains a beatitude, but this one occurs at the beginning of the logion: 19 1Jesus said, "Blessed is one who came into being before coming into being. 2If you become my disciples and hearken to my sayings, these stones will serve you. 3For there are five trees in Paradise for you; they do not change, summer or winter, and their leaves do not fall. 4Whoever knows them will not taste death." Again the reader encounters a logion built upon contrawisdom. The final statement in the logion suggests that GTh 19 is building on the insight of GTh 18. If it is accepted wisdom |