The Enigma of Origin and Conflict
Sayings 15 and 16 of the Gospel of Thomas — Part One
In this article, we’re focusing on Sayings 15 and 16. Each offers a challenging perspective of spirituality and how we connect with others. These sayings encourage us to explore where we come from and the natural struggles of life.
The Mysterious Origin
Jesus said, “When you see the one who wasn’t born of a woman, fall down on your face and worship that person. That’s your father.” (Gospel of Thomas Saying 15)
At first look, Saying 15 seems hard to understand because it talks about a being that wasn’t born from a woman, and it asks us to see and respect this being as our father. This isn’t the usual way humans are born. Instead, this saying hints at a different kind of birth or way of being that might go beyond the physical world we know.
In a world where one’s birth determines a lot about who we are and where we go in life, this saying asks us to think about more than just where we come from on Earth. It encourages us to recognize and respect a deeper origin of our real selves. It’s as though we are being invited to find a special spark inside us, something divine that existed before we were born into a physical body.
The Paradox of Conflict and Unity
Jesus said, “Maybe people think that I’ve come to cast peace on the world, and they don’t know that I’ve come to cast divisions on the earth: fire, sword, and war. Where there are five in a house, there’ll be three against two and two against three, father against and son and son against father. They’ll stand up and be one.” (Gospel of Thomas Saying 16)
Unlike the calm and peaceful image we usually receive from spiritual lessons, Saying 16 gives us a surprising message about disagreement and struggle. Jesus knows people expect peace but shares that his goal is to bring “fire, sword, and war,” which indicates great changes and disruption.
This saying might make us feel uncomfortable, leading us to think deeply about what truth and growth really mean. It hints that real peace doesn’t just come from avoiding problems, but often comes after going through tough times and facing conflicts. The picture of a family arguing — “three against two and two against three, father against son and son against father” — shows the struggles we all go through as we try to find our true selves.
But the ending part, “They’ll stand up and be one,” suggests there will be a solution, a greater coming together that results from the conflict. It means that from these challenges and fights, a deeper togetherness and insight will come about, going beyond the obvious disagreements.
In the following section, we will reexamine these sayings, diving deeper into their hidden meanings and the mystical layers they contain.
We are now going to look at Saying 16 in isolation. As those who follow this series are well aware, at this point in the article I usually examine both sayings together in reverse order. For this pair of sayings, however, I am going to deviate from my usual practice.
First, we will look at Saying 16 in detail. Saying 15 will have to wait until I write part two of this article. Let’s begin.
Jesus said, “Maybe people think that I’ve come to cast peace on the world, and they don’t know that I’ve come to cast divisions on the earth: fire, sword, and war. Where there are five in a house, there’ll be three against two and two against three, father against and son and son against father. They’ll stand up and be one.” (Gospel of Thomas Saying 16)
This saying has vexed me for years. It still does but for a different reason.
We’ll start with the bit about casting fire, sword, and war on the earth.
On the surface, this section shows that the author had access to both Matthew and Luke. Sword comes from Matthew and fire from Luke. War seems to be Thomas’ invention.
From the encryption angle, these look like hexagrams to me. The first is easy, Fire over Earth:
#35 — Fire over Earth — Progress
The hexagram represents the sun rising over the earth. It is therefore the symbol of rapid, easy progress, which at the same time means ever-widening expansion and clarity.
First, we have the dawning of a new age, symbolized by the sun rising over the earth.
For the next hexagram, we have a sword over the earth. Which trigram would represent a sword?
From my understanding, a sword is made from metal. The trigram for rock and metal is Mountain. So I see this as an encoded symbol for Mountain over Earth:
#23 — Mountain over Earth — Splitting Apart
The lines of the hexagram present the image of a house, the top line being the roof, and because the roof is being shattered the house collapses.
With this hexagram, we have a house that is about to collapse. This fits with the text of the saying where the house's occupants are in conflict with each other.
This reminds me of the tarot card of the Tower.
Finally, we have war over Earth. But which hexagram is war? There are a couple of possibilities.
There is Army, which is Earth over Water and there is Conflict, which is Heaven over Water.
If we stack Army over Earth the result is:
Earth Water Earth
Since we are only interested in the bottom two trigrams that gives us Water over Earth.
If we stack Conflict over Earth the result is:
Heaven Water Earth
Again, we are only interested in the bottom two trigrams, so the result is the same: Water over Earth.
#8— Water over Earth —Holding Together
The waters on the surface of the earth flow together wherever they can, as for example in the ocean, where all the rivers come together. Symbolically this connotes holding together and the laws that regulate it.
What is required is that we unite with others, in order that all may complement and aid one another through holding together. But such holding together calls for a central figure around whom other persons may unite. To become a center of influence holding people together is a grave matter and fraught with great responsibility. It requires greatness of spirit, consistency, and strength.
Here we have Holding Together, while the previous hexagram was Splitting Apart.
We have a three-stage process. First is the dawning of a new day, then the tearing down of old structures, followed by the gathering of many around a central figure.
The next feature I want to examine is the use of numbers:
Where there are five in a house, there’ll be three against two and two against three, father against and son and son against father.
The math doesn’t match with the text. Who are the sons and the fathers? Does the saying mean to apply to a specific family or to fathers and sons in general?
One way to proceed is to trace this part of the saying back to its source and then follow its development through the Gospels.
5 Do not trust a neighbor; put no confidence in a friend. Even with her who lies in your embrace be careful of your words. 6 For a son dishonors his father, a daughter rises up against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law — a man’s enemies are the members of his own household. (Mic 7:5–6 NIV)
Here we can see the five in a house. Father, mother, daughter, son, and daughter-in-law. This reflects the usual practice at the time of a son bringing his wife to live at his father’s home.
Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. (Mar 13:12 NIV)
Mark repeats the general idea of families in conflict.
31 Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to turn a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law — 36 a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household. (Mat 10:34–36 NIV)
Matthew brings forward the details Mark left out. Matthew also adds the bit about not bringing peace but rather a sword. This metaphor extends the theme, suggesting that the pursuit of truth often necessitates a separation from the familiar, a cutting away of the old to make way for the new.
49 “I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! 50 But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is completed! 51 Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. 52 From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. 53 They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.” (Luk 12:49–53 NIV)
Luke copies Matthew, except instead of a sword Jesus brings fire. Fire, with its association with purification and renewal, captures the essence of profound spiritual change. It’s not just a breaking apart but a refining process, burning away the dross to reveal a purer, more authentic self and society.
In examining Sayings 15 and 16 from the Gospel of Thomas, we’re challenged to explore our spiritual origins and the inherent conflicts in our journey toward enlightenment. Saying 15 prompts us to recognize our connection to a divine essence beyond our physical birth, urging us to seek a deeper spiritual consciousness. Saying 16 confronts us with the transformative nature of conflict, suggesting that true harmony emerges from the depths of challenge and confrontation.
Looking deeper into Saying 16, we uncovered layers of meaning, connecting it to the hexagrams of the I Ching. We saw a progression from the dawning of a new age, through the collapse of old structures, to a gathering around a central figure, embodying the cycle of disintegration and renewal.
Sayings 15 and 16 of the Gospel of Thomas offer us insights and a journey. As we reflect on these teachings, we are reminded that the path to enlightenment is not linear but a spiral, moving us through conflict and confusion to clarity and cohesion.
In the next part of this series, we will turn our attention to Saying 15 and discover how it turns our understanding of Saying 16 on its head.
Jesus said, “When you see the one who wasn’t born of a woman, fall down on your face and worship that person. That’s your father.” (Gospel of Thomas Saying 15)
A Sincere Tribute to My Devoted Readers:
Graham Pemberton, ✅ Doc Samurai Sam 🍿, gab1930s, Martin Cabina, Dr Nick Stafford, Peter Sahota, ❤️ Never Give Up ❤️, 🌅🌅 Mindful Zen Garden 🌅🌅