¹ The second half of this saying is difficult to assess due to lacunae (holes) in the manuscript.
In Acts 8, people mistake Simon the magician to be "the divine power known as the Great Power" (Acts 8:9-10). Several gnostic writings also talk about the "Great Power." Here Adam is described as being unworthy rather than as a sinner. There is a twisting of God's word and a misunderstanding about how we enter into eternal life. It isn't about being worthy or making ourselves worthy, it is being rescued despite our unworthiness.
86 Jesus said, "Foxes have their holes and the birds have their nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head and rest." ¹ [Matthew 8:20; Luke 9:58]
¹ The first half of this saying is difficult to assess due to lacunae (holes) in the manuscript.
When Jesus said this in the Gospels, he was explaining to a man how difficult a life of service to the gospel and to Christ would be. Here, it just sounds like Jesus is whining.
87 Jesus said, "Wretched is the body that is dependant upon a body, and wretched is the soul that is dependent on these two."
The word 'wretched' is the same in Coptic and Greek (ταλαιπορος, talaiporos). In the New Testament you can find it used by Paul ("What a wretched man I am!", Romans 7:24) and by Jesus through John ("You are wretched", Revelation 3:17).
The idea here is that we must not rely on the physical things of this world, but on the spiritual. This has only a partial foundation in what God's word actually says. Although we mustn't rely only on worldly things, God nevertheless has given us the world for our home. We are to subdue it and use it.
88 Jesus said, "The angels and the prophets will come to you and give you what you already have. And you too, give them whatever you have, and say to yourselves, 'When will they come and take what is theirs?'"
"Angel" could just be "messenger" -- the word αγγελος (angelos) is the same in both Greek and Coptic. The idea here seems to be that teachers and their pupils share in wisdom; it isn't just a one-way street.
89 Jesus said, "Why do you wash the outside of the cup? Don't you know that the one who made the inside is the same one who made the outside?" [Luke 11:39-40]
In Luke, Jesus is talking about the uncleanness of the Pharisees. Here, Jesus sounds like he is just doing the dishes. This is just another example of how vital it is to understand the Bible in its context rather than just phrases pulled out and admired. See also the Venerable Bede, Book I,27.
90 Jesus said, "Come unto me, for my yoke is easy and my lordship is light, and you will find rest." [Matthew 11:28-30]
"Lordship" is an interesting and not altogether inappropriate interpretation of "burden."
91 They said to him, "Tell us who you are so that we may believe in you." He said to them, "You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky and the earth, but you have not recognized the one who is before you, and you do not know how to interpret this present time." [John 9:36; Luke 12:54-56]
Although Jesus said many things like this, here again the lack of context leaves the reader wondering whether we can ever know who Jesus is without some special information.
92 Jesus said, "Seek and you will find. What you asked me about earlier and which I didn't tell you, I want to tell you now; but you do not seek these things." [92a: Matthew 7:7; Luke 11:9]
Does Jesus leave us guessing? Is the Bible nothing but a riddle that the humble or the meek or the average could never hope to unravel? No. The Bible is clear, and the message of the Gospel is absolutely certain. Don't wonder whether you know Jesus. Be sure. Don't wonder whether your sins are forgiven. Be certain. Don't wonder whether you will have eternal life. Be assured: Eternal life is yours, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
There can be no doubt as to whether our sins have been paid for. The life we lead today is a thank-you to God for sending Jesus into the world for us. That's why we live; that's why we walk in this life. God isn't a mystery to us at all. He has given us his commands to show us how he would have us live in thanksgiving for Jesus Christ. That's why John wrote:
My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense -- Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. The man who says, "I know him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did. (1 John 2:1-6, NIV).
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