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 world.
Commentary
Saying 80 repeats this with “body” in place of “corpse”. Knowing the world is not gaining it but performing an autopsy on it.
Parallels
Gospel of Thomas 80; Hebrews 11:38
Sayings on the same themes
- Saying 42 Saying 42: Be Passers-By Be passers-by.
- 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 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.
- Saying 110 Saying 110: Finding the World and Renouncing It Whoever has found the world and become rich should renounce the world.
- Saying 87 Saying 87: The Body That Depends on a Body How wretched is the body that depends on a body, and how wretched is the soul that depends on the two of…
- Saying 112 Saying 112: Woe to the Flesh and the Soul How wretched is the flesh that depends on the soul; how wretched is the soul that depends on the flesh.