Saying 14: Fasting Brings Sin
Fasting brings sin, prayer brings condemnation, almsgiving harms the spirit; go into any land, eat what is put before you, heal the sick. What goes into the mouth will not defile you — what comes out will.
Commentary
The full answer to the question asked in saying 6, and the most anti-ritual passage in the book. It sits awkwardly with sayings 27 and 104, which speak positively of fasting — evidence that Thomas is a compilation rather than a single author’s essay.
Parallels
Luke 10:8–9; Mark 7:15; Matthew 15:11
Sayings on the same themes
- Saying 56 Saying 56: The World Is a Corpse Whoever has come to know the world has found a corpse, and whoever has found a corpse is worth more than the…
- Saying 94 Saying 94: The One Who Knocks Whoever seeks will find; whoever knocks will have it opened for them.
- Saying 60 Saying 60: The Samaritan and the Lamb Seeing a Samaritan carrying a lamb to Judea, Jesus observes that the man can only eat it once it is dead and…
- Saying 73 Saying 73: The Harvest Is Large The harvest is large but the workers are few; beg the owner to send out more workers.
- Saying 42 Saying 42: Be Passers-By Be passers-by.
- Saying 86 Saying 86: Nowhere to Lay His Head Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the son of man has nowhere to lay his head and rest.