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. The kingdom is inside you and outside you; know yourselves, and you will be known.
Commentary
The most quoted saying in the collection, and the sharpest attack on religious authority in it. Self-knowledge replaces cosmology: those who do not know themselves “dwell in poverty” and *are* that poverty. Compare the Delphic “know thyself”, which the saying almost certainly echoes.
Parallels
Luke 17:20–21
Sayings on the same themes
- Saying 82 Saying 82: Whoever Is Near Me Is Near the Fire Whoever is close to me is close to the fire, and whoever is far from me is far from the kingdom.
- Saying 67 Saying 67: Knowing All but Lacking Oneself Whoever knows everything but is lacking in themselves lacks everything.
- Saying 24 Saying 24: The Light Within a Person of Light Asked to show them where he is, Jesus answers that there is light inside a person of light, and it lights the…
- 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 54 Saying 54: Blessed Are the Poor Blessed are the poor, for the kingdom of heaven is yours.
- 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…