The Infancy Gospel of Thomas is a non-canonical gospel dealing with the infancy and childhood years of Jesus Christ. It is believed to have been written in the 2nd century AD, long after the canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John were completed. This gospel contains many fanciful tales and legends regarding the childhood of Jesus that are not found in the Bible. Though interesting for historical purposes, the Infancy Gospel of Thomas was rejected by the early church and does not provide historically reliable information about Jesus as a child.
The Infancy Gospel of Thomas presents stories about Jesus between the ages of 5 and 12. Some of the accounts include Jesus bringing clay birds to life, cursing another boy who then dies, and pushing another boy off a roof who survives unharmed. These stories portray a young Jesus performing miracles, but also displaying temper tantrums and sometimes harming other children. This is contrary to the gentle, compassionate nature of Christ revealed in the canonical gospels.
There is debate about whether this gospel was written by Gnostic Christians or by orthodox Christians wanting to satisfy curiosity about Jesus’ early life. Either way, the church fathers condemned this work as inauthentic and heretical. Church historian Eusebius referred to it as an “absurd and impious writing” full of “fictions” (Church History 1.13.9). The wild tales of Jesus’ childhood in this gospel were soundly rejected by the early church.
Here are some key facts to know about the Infancy Gospel of Thomas:
- It was likely written in the 2nd century AD, well after the latest canonical gospel (John).
- It contains many miracle stories and legends not found in the Bible.
- Jesus is portrayed as performing miracles, but also misusing his powers at times.
- The church condemned this gospel as inaccurate and heretical.
- It was never considered for inclusion in the New Testament.
- Nearly all scholars consider it purely legendary rather than historically reliable.
Origins and History
The Infancy Gospel of Thomas claims to have been written by “Thomas the Israelite,” but this was certainly a pseudonym. Most scholars believe it originated in Syria or Egypt in the 2nd century AD. The original text was likely written in Greek, though Syriac and Latin manuscripts also exist. It contains many insights into life in the ancient world, though its tales about Jesus should not be considered factual.
The earliest mention of the Infancy Gospel of Thomas is from Irenaeus of Lyons around 180 AD. He condemned the work as heretical fiction promoting the Gnostic heresy (Against Heresies 1.20.1). Origen also dismissed the text’s authenticity in the early 3rd century. Despite this, the Infancy Gospel continued to circulate in the eastern Mediterranean. Augustine warned Christians in northern Africa not to be taken in by its fables. The widespread opinion of the early church was that this gospel contained little if any truthful historical information about Jesus.
Manuscripts of the Infancy Gospel of Thomas did not extend beyond the 8th century AD. It fell into obscurity until interest was revived by scholars in the 19th century. Today it continues to be studied as one of the important apocryphal gospels that circulated early on outside the New Testament canon.
Content and Teachings
The Infancy Gospel of Thomas presents itself as the work of “Thomas the Israelite,” an eyewitness who traveled and recorded stories of Jesus’ childhood in Israel and Egypt. It contains graphic miracles mixed with troubling stories that seem to serve no purpose other than satisfying curiosity. The text can be divided into three main parts:
- Introduction – Brief narrative introduction claiming apostolic authority (1-2)
- Childhood Deeds – Stories of Jesus between ages 5 and 12 performing miracles but also harmful acts (3-15)
- Later Acts – Additional miracle stories and run-ins with teachers (16-21)
The childhood deeds portion takes up the bulk of the gospel. Some of the notable stories include:
- Jesus bringing clay birds to life (2:1-3)
- Jesus cursing a boy who then dies (3:1-2)
- Joseph scolding Jesus for his actions (3:3-6)
- Jesus striking a number of boys dead for bumping into him (4:1)
- Jesus striking a boy dead who breaks something of his (9:1-5)
- Jesus turning his playmates into goats (15:1-5)
- Jesus pushing a boy off a roof, who survives unharmed (10:1-4)
Beyond Jesus performing disturbing miracles, one story relates Joseph and Mary finding Jesus instructing his teachers rather than learning from them (6:1-8). Throughout these accounts, Jesus comes across as quick-tempered, spiteful and sometimes malicious. This seems completely out of character with the compassionate wisdom Jesus displays in the four canonical gospels.
Scholars debate whether this unflattering portrayal of Jesus stemmed from Gnostics who viewed the human body as evil, or from orthodox Christians trying to satisfy curiosity by embellishing stories. Either way, the depiction of Jesus is contrary to the canonical gospels and considered historically unreliable by the church.
Analysis and Commentary
What are we to make of the Infancy Gospel of Thomas? A few key analysis points:
- It offers no credible historical information about Jesus before age 12.
- The stories are fanciful legends written for entertainment.
- The portrayal of Jesus is contrary to his wise and gracious character in the Bible.
- It was soundly rejected by the early church as inaccurate and heretical.
- At best, it provides insights into extra-biblical legends circulating in the 2nd century.
- It has no authoritative doctrinal or spiritual value for Christians.
The likely motivations behind this gospel were satisfying curiosity about Jesus’ childhood and promoting Gnostic teaching. Since it contradicts the canonical gospels, it was rightly rejected by the early church. The occasional useful historical insights do not outweigh the predominantly erroneous and harmful nature of its content.
When examining apocryphal extra-biblical texts like the Infancy Gospel of Thomas, the wise approach is to filter them through the light of scripture. Anything contradicting the spirit and details of the canonical gospels should be viewed with extreme caution if not outright rejection. Christians looking for truths about Jesus Christ should rely wholly on the trustworthy testimony of the Bible.
Relevance and Legacy
Though popular in the early centuries of Christianity, the Infancy Gospel of Thomas holds little relevance for the church today. Portraying Jesus as a petulant child bully has no doctrinal, historical or spiritual value. This gospel represents just one of many spurious texts that arose in the 2nd century seeking to embellish the true apostolic accounts of Jesus’ life.
The Infancy Gospel does provide some value to historians seeking insight into early legendary embellishments of Jesus’ life. It also acts as an important object lesson – that just because a text claimed details about biblical figures does not mean it should be trusted. Scripture must remain the guide for Christian truth.
This gospel had minimal influence on mainstream Christian theology. It represents the kind of fringe literature the church rightly rejected and warned believers to avoid. Apocryphal works like these may be interesting for academic purposes, but have no authority compared to God-breathed scripture (2 Timothy 3:16). The legacy of the Infancy Gospel of Thomas remains one of warning rather than value for the body of Christ.
Summary of Key Facts
In summary, here are some key facts to know about the Infancy Gospel of Thomas:
- A 2nd century apocryphal gospel portraying the childhood of Jesus
- Contains fanciful miracle stories and legends not found in the Bible
- Depicts Jesus as quick-tempered and sometimes malicious
- Condemned by the early church as inaccurate and heretical
- Provides some historical insights but no doctrinal authority
- Remains a curiosity but not considered authoritative scripture
Christians should feel confident rejecting the troubling depiction of Jesus in the Infancy Gospel of Thomas. Reliable historical information about Christ must come from the trustworthy testimony of the biblical gospels approved by the early church. This apocryphal work may offer some academic insights but lacks any doctrinal authority over a believer’s life.