Comparative Theology · Pauline Epistles & Early Church
Gospel of Thomas, Logion 12 — used carefully
Handle with care. The Gospel of Thomas contains sayings Muslims would also reject. Never endorse the text as a whole.
In short
- 1.**Logion 12:** wherever you are, go to James the Just, for whose sake heaven and earth came into being.
- 2.**It corroborates Acts 15 and 21**, where James clearly presides.
- 3.**Handle with care:** Thomas is a second-century Coptic collection with Gnostic colouring; it is not a neutral historical record.
- 4.**Use it as supporting evidence only** — never as your opening argument.
The claim being examined
An early Christian text outside the canon names James the Just, not Peter, as the one the disciples should follow after Jesus departs.
The Islamic position
Extra-canonical sources are not proof by themselves, but they show that the memory of James''s leadership survived outside the church that suppressed it.
Analysis
The Coptic Gospel of Thomas was recovered at Nag Hammadi in 1945; Greek fragments from Oxyrhynchus push parts of the tradition back towards the second century, but the collection as we have it is generally dated 140-180 CE, later than the canonical Gospels. Ehrman treats it as a genuine window onto non-orthodox Christianity while cautioning against reading it as an eyewitness source. Logion 12''s value is corroborative: an independent stream of tradition remembering James as the successor, agreeing with what Acts and Galatians already show. Its immediate neighbour, Logion 13, elevates Thomas over Peter, which is a reminder that this text is doing its own theological work. Cite it honestly, with its date and character stated, or a well-read Christian will use it against you.
Side by side
| Gospel of Thomas | Logion 12 | The disciples said: We know you will depart from us. Who is to be our leader? Jesus said: Wherever you are, you are to go to James the Just, for whose sake heaven and earth came into being. |
|---|---|---|
| Acts | 15:19 | It is my judgement — James delivers the council's ruling. |
| Date and status | Nag Hammadi, c. 140-180 CE | Non-canonical, Gnostic-leaning collection of sayings. Corroborative, not probative. |
From the Bible
Acts 15:13
ἀπεκρίθη Ἰάκωβος
When they finished, James spoke up: Brothers, listen to me.
Read it in their BibleGalatians 2:9
Ἰάκωβος καὶ Κηφᾶς καὶ Ἰωάννης
James, Cephas and John, those esteemed as pillars.
Read it in their BibleSources
Bart D. Ehrman, Lost Christianities (2003), ch. 3 · James D. Tabor, The Jesus Dynasty (2006) · Ali Ataie, lectures on non-canonical gospels (Zaytuna College) · Gospel of Thomas, Logion 12; Ehrman, Lost Christianities, ch. 3
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