(45a) Jesus said, "Grapes are not harvested from thorns, nor are figs gathered from thistles, for they do not produce fruit.
(45b) A good man brings forth good from his storehouse; an evil man brings forth evil things from his evil storehouse, which is in his heart, and says evil things.
(45c) For out of the abundance of the heart he brings forth evil things."
(45b) A good man brings forth good from his storehouse; an evil man brings forth evil things from his evil storehouse, which is in his heart, and says evil things.
(45c) For out of the abundance of the heart he brings forth evil things."
Again, a nicely balanced view by Thomas. He starts with (in)animate objects and then moves on to humans, as he does often (sometimes it's the other way around). Only the last sentence is very, very one-sided. And that is exactly to the likings of the gospel writers. But not all of them...
Marcion: viewtopic.php?f=3&t=1765#p39310
43 For there is no good tree that produces rotten fruit; nor again a rotten tree that produces good fruit. 44 For each tree is known by its own fruit. For people don’t gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush. 45 The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings out that which is good, and the evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings out that which is evil, for out of the abundance of the heart, his mouth speaks.
Luke 6:43 For there is no good tree that produces rotten fruit; nor again a rotten tree that produces good fruit. 44 For each tree is known by its own fruit. For people don't gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush. 45 The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings out that which is good, and the evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings out that which is evil, for out of the abundance of the heart, his mouth speaks.
Luke once more turns to the literal copy of Thomas, yet Mark did his best to twist and turn logion 45 into original sin by leaving out the so exceptionally essential and equitable first part of 45b:
Mark 7:17 When he had entered into a house away from the multitude, his disciples asked him about the parable. 18 He said to them, "Are you also without understanding? Don't you perceive that whatever goes into the man from outside can't defile him, 19 because it doesn't go into his heart, but into his stomach, then into the latrine, making all foods clean?"20 He said, "That which proceeds out of the man, that defiles the man. 21 For from within, out of the hearts of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, sexual sins, murders, thefts, 22 covetings, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, and foolishness.)
That is what Mark did: intentionally leaving out Thomas 45b so he could build a case for original sin on top of Thomas. Is Luke spoiling everything by making himself known as a Thomas reader yet not a Mark reader, or is he missing Mark's deliberate twist, or is this just plain sabotage - or if none of those then what is it? Clearly Luke's verse 45 follows logion 45b and 45c to the letter, just as his verse 44 is a direct copy of logion 45a, although swapping fruits and changing the plants. This is not original sin, this is a Thomas-like subtle nuanced version that doesn't fit the Church's agenda at all.
What does Matthew have to say on this?
Matthew 7:15 "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves. 16 By their fruits you will know them. Do you gather grapes from thorns or figs from thistles? 17 Even so, every good tree produces good fruit, but the corrupt tree produces evil fruit. 18 A good tree can't produce evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree produce good fruit. 19 Every tree that doesn't grow good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them.
Nothing, or everything? Luke's message is there but in completely different metaphors:
Matthew uses the fruits and plants of Thomas yet leaves out 45b entirely - in chapter 7, where he talks about false prophets. In his chapter 12 he has another go at it:
Matthew 12:33 "Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree corrupt and its fruit corrupt; for the tree is known by its fruit. 34 You offspring of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. 35 The good man out of his good treasure brings out good things, and the evil man out of his evil treasure brings out evil things. 36 I tell you that every idle word that men speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. 37 For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."
Nuance - again? From Matthew? The context in Matthew here, however, is prepping people for Judgment Day while at the same time addressing and rebuking the Pharisees, who are labelled as evil - part of the plan of course. So Pharisees are bad trees and evil persons, others are or can be good trees and good persons - fair enough then.
Yet the context of chapter 7 is false prophets who can be recognised by their (bad) fruits and will be cut down and thrown into the fire at, presumably, a given point in time. There presumably are also good prophets so Matthew is in need of a comparison between good and bad - fair enough.
Matthew's rebound however comes in chapter 15 when he elaborates on his own 15:11, a literal copy of 14c which in Thomas also has no context in itself, just like 45c:
Matthew 15:10 He summoned the multitude, and said to them, "Hear, and understand. 11 That which enters into the mouth doesn't defile the man; but that which proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles the man."
(...)
17 Don't you understand that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the belly and then out of the body? 18 But the things which proceed out of the mouth come out of the heart, and they defile the man. 19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, sexual sins, thefts, false testimony, and blasphemies. 20 These are the things which defile the man; but to eat with unwashed hands doesn't defile the man."
(...)
17 Don't you understand that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the belly and then out of the body? 18 But the things which proceed out of the mouth come out of the heart, and they defile the man. 19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, sexual sins, thefts, false testimony, and blasphemies. 20 These are the things which defile the man; but to eat with unwashed hands doesn't defile the man."
Matthew sets the record straight, according to the Church agenda - all words that leave the mouth are evil because they come from the heart, that is all evil
It is remarkable how this logion gets quoted with and without the balanced part of the good treasure. Selectively quoting, regardless of direction of dependence, is the very least of the suspicious actions here
What are the odds that Thomas went through all these, and managed to make a choice at all, as well as ended up with his nicely concise version?
And after having done all that, he missed out on the opportunity to also copy the mesmerisingly beautiful out of the abundance of the heart, his mouth speaks?
Now that is really impossible