THE WORD "GOSPEL" IS OFTEN USED AS A SYNONYM FOR ABSOLUTE TRUTH, YET THERE ARE MORE THAN FOUR ANCIENT WRITINGS THAT ARE HERALDED TO BE GOSPELS. The Gospel Of Thomas Is One Of These Books. It is purported to have been written by the Apostle Thomas.

Is the Gospel of Thomas a legitimate source of Jesus' teachings?

Happy Riches Answer  requested by Jack Bakewell

The Gospel of Thomas is not recognized as inspired. "The gospel of Thomas was not written by Jesus' disciple Thomas. The early Christian leaders universally recognized the gospel of Thomas as a forgery. The gospel of Thomas was rejected by the vast majority of early Christians. The gospel of Thomas contains many teachings that are in contradiction to the biblical Gospels and the rest of the New Testament. The gospel of Thomas does not bear the marks of a work of inspiration of the Holy Spirit." (Got Questions)

Besides, numerous other books have been exempted from the sixty-six books of the Protestant Cannon. In fact, many people have an issue with the books of the Apocrypha having been removed from the Catholic rendition to form the Protestant Bible. However, the Jewish Bible that makes up the Old Testament does not include the Apocrypha. Not only this, there are quite a number of books actually mentioned in the Old Testament that are not included in the Jewish Canon. For example, here are five:

1. The Book of Wars of the Lord: Numbers. 21:14
2. The Book of Jashar: Joshua 10:13
3. The Acts of Solomon: 1 Kings 11:41
4. The Chronicles of Hozai: 2 Chronicles 33:19
5. The Chronicles of King David: 1 Chronicles 27:24

Here are two New Testament references to apostolic writings that are not part of the Christian canon:

1. Epistle to the Laodiceans Colossians 4:16
2. Epistle to the Corinthians (written before 1 Corinthians) 1 Corinthians 5:9

There are claims to references being drawn from many other books, however, none of these books are included in the sixty-six books that make up the Christian Canon, which came into being through the acceptance of the Jewish Canon and the acceptance of the twenty-seven books that make up the current New Testament.

By 367 CE, the twenty-seven New Testament books had been well established by their usage as the inspired writings. This was noted as being the accepted canon among the churches by Athanasius, the Bishop of Alexandra, when writing his 39th festal letter for Easter in 367 CE. There was no formal council to establish the Christian Canon, merely an acceptance by Christian congregations of the twenty-seven books that complement the accepted Jewish Old Testament Canon. This is how the Spirit of God works: through men and women to bring about the counsel of the Eternal Deity's will.

What Christians need to understand is that Moses was shown the plan of God for humankind. For we are told that "Moses was faithful in all God’s house as a servant, to testify to the things that were to be spoken later" (Hebrews 3:5).

Not everything in the New Testament clearly explains what is in the Old Testament and what was given to Moses. There are many allusions to what Moses wrote but these are not elucidated sufficiently for everybody to understand. Only those who have a heart for the truth and who are honest with themselves will grasp the liberating concepts that are in the Bible. Many of these are embedded in the Old Testament teachings of the Torah. This is why we are told not to go beyond what is written (1 Corinthians 4:6).

The term "what is written" refers to what has been written in the Old Testament for our instruction today (Romans 15:4).

With this in mind we are able to see why the Gospel of Thomas is not considered a legitimate source of the teachings of Lord Jesus Christ when He was on Earth. Simply put, the Gospel of Thomas was not ordained in Heaven, and when one reads it, one gets the impression that it was written by someone raised a Hindu or Buddhist.The spurious Gospel of Thomas has concepts too far removed from the truths found in the books of Moses to be considered authentic. For only those teachings that are in accord with the Law and the testimony (Isaiah 8:20) are to be considered as legitimate.

There were sixty-six books that were ordained in Heaven and this is indicated by the what God showed Moses. Although, none of these books are named in the Tabernacle of Moses, what is important to understand: the number is identifiable. Coincidentally, this number is what became the accepted canon by the churches at the end of an era dominated by unrelenting persecution from Roman Caesars, as the Church Age entered into its slide from the truth that was contained within Scriptures.

In the book of Hebrews we find that the Holy Place is representative of this present age, which we call the Church Age.

• By this the Holy Spirit indicates that the way into the sanctuary is not yet opened as long as the outer tent is still standing (which is symbolic for the present age) (Hebrews 9:6-10)

This is very important to understand because when God gave Moses the plan, everything had to be done as shown. The typology in what Moses was given had much prophetic value. There is much to be discovered in the Tabernacle of Moses that refers to current truths concerning what God is doing; the same as the commandments, the statutes and the laws contain more than most people realize.

The Tabernacle of Moses consisted of three courts. The outer court, the inner court and the innermost court. These represent three eras. The time before Pentecost, the Church Age, and the 1000 year reign of Lord Jesus Christ. They were also known as the Tabernacle, the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies.

The Holy Place is where the Golden Lampstand was placed. This had seven candles that represented the seven-fold Spirit of God and the seven church ages. The light represented the light of God. From the Bible we learn that this lamp is also associated with the teaching of God; that is, those things that bear witness to Lord Jesus Christ (John 5:39-40; 2 Timothy 3:15-17). Thus:

• Thy word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path Psalm 119:105

• For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching a light, and the reproofs of discipline are the way of life. Proverbs 6:23

Now everything about the Tabernacle of Moses has much to teach us if we are open to learning the truth. For we are told from the Bible that Moses was instructed by God to copy everything that he saw in Heaven (Hebrews 9:22-24). The lampstand not only had seven branches with seven candlesticks with seven lights, but also consisted of sixty-six knops. The following is taken from The Holy Spirit, The Golden Candlestick:

• (Exo 25:34-36) And in the candlestick [central shaft] shall be four bowls made like unto almonds, with their knops and their flowers. And there shall be a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, according to the six branches that proceed out of the candlestick. Their knops and their branches shall be of the same: all it shall be one beaten work of pure gold.

• 1. Commentary: The visual diagram of the golden candlestick located at the bottom of these notes is almost necessary and quite illuminating. There are three parts to each almond - a bowl and a knop and a flower, i.e., three objects. And there are three almonds or nine objects in total on each of the six branches. The central supporting shaft has four almonds or twelve objects in total. Therefore the three branches on the one side have 27 objects in total, each of the three branches having 9 objects. Likewise, the other side has 27 objects in total. And the supporting shaft has 12 objects in total.

• 2. Commentary: Applications = the left (or right) side of the candlestick has 3 branches of 9 objects each equaling 27 objects. These 27 objects, when attached to the 12 objects of the shaft = 39 objects. There are 39 books in the Old Testament. The remaining 27 objects on the other side of the candlestick represent the 27 books of the New Testament. The golden candlestick has in total 66 objects. The Bible has 66 books.

It is more than coincidence that the Holy Place represents the Church Age and the Golden Lampstand represents the Seven Churches of the Church Age and it has sixty-six knops (Exodus 37.17-22), just as there are sixty-six books when Athanasius made the declaration that these are the number of books that are accepted by the churches of the day. By working among those who were filled with the Holy Spirit, God was able to bring about this collection of books through the faith of the saints. The Old Testament Canon had already been declared centuries earlier. The twenty-seven books that made up the New Testament Canon, and completed the number of books,represented by the sixty-six knops on the Golden Lampstand, by which the seven churches brought about by the seven-fold Spirit of God were to draw their teaching from.

Whether people want to reject the above this is up to them. But if we accept what the Bible says and use it alone as our guide, we have to come to the conclusion that the sixty-six knops (ornamental embellishments) on the Golden Lampstand that is placed in the Holy Place, which is representative of the Church Age, represents the number of books from which we shall not stray to develop theology or dogma. This means that the Gospel of Thomas does not get any consideration at all for the writings stray from sound doctrine.

The Ten Commandments Were Designed For You To Enjoy And Possess Life