R. McL. Wilson

Second Thoughts XI. The Gnostic Gospels from Nag Hammadi

are published it may well prove as significant for the second Christian century as the Scrolls for an earlier period. One reason for this comparative lack of attention is of course the fact that, whatever their interest for the scholar, the Gnostic texts have so far produced no sensation comparable to the suggestion that the Scrolls present the clue to the origins for Christianity, or even an anticipation of the faith itself. They belong to the Christian era, and most of those so far published show very clear signs of Christian influence. Again, the number of those who know Coptic, and hence can handle these documents at first hand, is even smaller than in the case of Hebrew. And finally the publication of the texts has been beset by protracted and vexatious delays of one kind or another.

Thomas and the Synoptic Gospels

I secret words ’, and has almost certainly disappointed those who expected something much more ‘ sensational ’. One (anonymous) reviewer indeed dismissed it as ‘ a farrago of nonsense ’, thereby revealing his own failure to discern its significance. It is perhaps unfortunate that this document in particular should have been released to the general public without a scrap of commentary, although the scholar cannot but be thankful to have access to the text in such a