Saying 105: Whoever Knows the Father and the Mother
Whoever knows the father and the mother will be called the child of a prostitute.
Commentary
Deliberately provocative and much argued over. The likeliest reading is that those who know their true, spiritual parentage will be slandered by people who only recognise the physical kind — an insult John records being thrown at Jesus himself.
Parallels
John 8:41
Sayings on the same themes
- Saying 44 Saying 44: Blasphemy Against the Spirit Whoever blasphemes against the Father will be forgiven, and whoever blasphemes against the Son will be forgiven; whoever blasphemes against the Holy…
- Saying 45 Saying 45: Grapes Are Not Picked From Thorns Grapes are not gathered from thorns, nor figs from thistles. Good people produce good from their store, bad people produce evil from…
- Saying 89 Saying 89: Washing the Outside of the Cup Why do you wash the outside of the cup? Do you not understand that whoever made the inside also made the outside?
- Saying 3 Saying 3: The Kingdom Within and Without If your leaders say the kingdom is in the sky the birds will get there first; if in the sea, the fish.…
- Saying 5 Saying 5: Know What Is in Front of You Know what is in front of your face and what is hidden from you will be revealed; nothing hidden will fail to…
- Saying 31 Saying 31: No Prophet in His Own Village No prophet is welcome in his own village; no doctor heals the people who know him.