To know how to find. To find without knowing: Wisdom in the Gospel of Thomas

J Liebenberg

doi:10.4102/hts.v59i1.646

Abstract

At the SBL meeting in Orlando in 1998, the contemporary metaphor theory practised by cognitive linguists such as Lakoff, Johnson and Turner, was used to identify some of the basic metaphors appearing in Thomas 1-5, which the author believes to be important for coming to terms with the metaphoricity of many of the sayings in the Gospel. The ensuing discussion of Thomas 08 and Thomas 109 is yet another attempt to show how the insights of cognitive linguistics, which have for the most part been ignored by contemporary commentators on the parables and aphorisms of Jesus, can perhaps provide us with fresh insights into this part of the sayings of the Jesus tradition.

Highlights

In order for me to properly address the issue set out in my title I have to first set out some of my presuppositions regarding metaphors and the metaphoricity of poetic language expressions such as the parables and aphorisms of Jesus
In a study on the Kingdom parables and aphorisms in the gospel of Thomas (Liebenberg 2001:137ff), it became evident that the first few sayings of the gospel presuppose a number of such basic metaphors
2.1.1 Introduction The strange introduction which does not indicate GTh 8 as a Kingdom parable does not influence the manner in which the metaphoric mapping takes place

Summary

INTRODUCTION

In a study on the Kingdom parables and aphorisms in the gospel of Thomas (Liebenberg 2001:137ff), it became evident that the first few sayings of the gospel presuppose a number of such basic metaphors. These include being/state is knowledge; revelation is disclosure of the hidden; wisdom is treasure; wisdom is hidden; revelation as insight into the mundane. For a language expression to induce a successful metaphor, the two concepts that are juxtaposed with one another should share a generic-level structure. For instance – it is much more difficult to make sense of an expression such as life is a chair, than it is to understand the metaphor life is a journey. Structure to effect their detailed metaphoric mappings of – for instance – the Kingdom

The narrative elements of the parable of the fishnet in GTh 8 Framing

Selecting

THE RECEPTION OF THE PARABLE OF TREASURE IN GTH 109

Conclusion

EXCURSUS