Saying 98: The Assassin
The kingdom is like a man who wanted to kill someone powerful. At home he drew his sword and drove it into the wall to test whether his hand was strong enough — then he killed the man.
Commentary
The most shocking parable in the collection and, again, unique to Thomas. The point is rehearsal and honest self-assessment before acting, in a metaphor no canonical editor would have kept.
Parallels
This saying has no close parallel in the canonical gospels. Roughly half of the Gospel of Thomas is material of this kind, found nowhere else in the early Christian record.
Sayings on the same themes
- Saying 97 Saying 97: The Jar of Meal The kingdom is like a woman carrying a jar of meal. The handle broke on the road and the meal spilled out…
- Saying 63 Saying 63: The Rich Fool A rich man planned to invest his money, sow, reap and fill his barns so he would lack nothing — and died…
- Saying 35 Saying 35: Binding the Strong Man You cannot get into a strong man's house and take it by force without tying his hands first; then you can loot…
- Saying 9 Saying 9: The Sower A sower scatters seed: some falls on the road, some on rock, some among thorns, and some on good soil that bears…
- Saying 57 Saying 57: The Wheat and the Weeds A man sowed good seed; his enemy sowed weeds among it at night. He would not let his workers pull the weeds…
- Saying 96 Saying 96: The Leaven The Father's kingdom is like a woman who took a little yeast, hid it in dough, and made large loaves of bread.