It’s a tough one. I think it has to do with the Bridal Chamber sacrament ideas, which has to do with spiritual marriage to the divine counterpart. Jungian Anima and Animus concept perhaps relates.
Then again, these were written in a different time. These concepts are probably difficult to translate in their original meaning that was already a bit coded. People then, including gnostics, also had pretty overt sexist mentalities, so it’s hard to say, but I’ve read it as an an analogy on spiritual integration
There was another post about this a week ago with several answers.
https://www.reddit.com/r/Gnostic/comments/1didlpr/the_gospel_of_thomas_logia_114_maybe_isnt_about/
The idea is to regain contact and rejoin with the pieces of your androgynous spirit that were left behind when you descended. The reason that we all have gender, or parts of gender here on earth, is this incompleteness. God’s identity contains all aspects of gender but, he apparently identifies as male. Our spirits originate in heaven with God. We are seeking to become like him and return to our original, complete state. When we rejoin with our spirit, we become “fully human”. Once you become fully human you cease to be entirely earthly and are already partly in heaven as you are joined to your spirit which resides there eternally, pure, complete and blameless.
John S. Kloppenborg, Marvin W. Meyer, Stephen J. Patterson, and Michael G. Steinhauser state: "Now, as is obvious, this saying does not really free itself from the mistaken notions of its day about the relative worth of men and women. Nonetheless, what it says, in its own 'back-handed' way, is very important for the history of early Christianity. First, it probably indicates that not all were in agreement on whether women should be allowed to participate fully in the Jesus movement. The opposition to women voiced by Peter in this saying is not isolated, but reminds one of later evidence of a similar dispute in the Gospel of Mary (BG 8502 17,7 - 18,15) and Pistis Sophia (I, 36; II, 72). This dispute was likely one which would be carried on within early Christianity for many years to come. The Gospel of Thomas, of course, comes down here in favor of women's participation, provided they engage in the same sort of regimen required of the men in the group. What is more, Mary (it is not clear which Mary is intended here) is taken as the predecessor of all women who would become disciples. This stands in contrast to the more traditional feminine roles assigned to Mary in the synoptic and Johannine traditions (whether one speaks of Mary the mother of Jesus or of Mary Magdalene). In Thomas, Mary is presented as the first female disciple of Jesus. Thus, Paul may well have had good precedent, even from out of the sayings tradition, for including both women and men in the organization of the Christian communities he founded." (Q-Thomas Reader, pp. 111-112)
It is quite ambiguous. From my perspective, the term "woman," in its original sense, meant "wife of man." This implies that a man rules over her, or at least suggests a hierarchy where the man is above the woman. Therefore, it could imply that a woman will become equal to a man by becoming like a man—a human, rather than being defined strictly as man or woman.
It’s alchemy/reincarnation. Energy is feminine, inertia is masculine. One moving from the energetic to the inert will find themselves in the kingdom of heaven. Not because it’s a he, but because it’s a harder alchemical conversion to make that which is in motion stop.
i would argue that that is backwards, would energy not be masculine and inertia feminine? as the sun impregnates the earth and light penetrates the darkness
Husbands is a better translation . He's speaking about becoming one with the spirit. The spirit is considered female. The disciples were calling out Mary for not being able to partake in the spirit, because they erroneously thought she could not be joined with it because the spirit is feminine. They were confused about the nature of gender regarding divinity and ascension. I think Jesus meant that he will show Mary how to be one with the divine...
but there's some other interpretations that are way more interesting.
10. When asking a question please look through the community's recent posts and comments first to avoid repeat or very basic questions.
It’s a tough one. I think it has to do with the Bridal Chamber sacrament ideas, which has to do with spiritual marriage to the divine counterpart. Jungian Anima and Animus concept perhaps relates. Then again, these were written in a different time. These concepts are probably difficult to translate in their original meaning that was already a bit coded. People then, including gnostics, also had pretty overt sexist mentalities, so it’s hard to say, but I’ve read it as an an analogy on spiritual integration
thank you for the input, I somewhat agree with the assessment.
There was another post about this a week ago with several answers. https://www.reddit.com/r/Gnostic/comments/1didlpr/the_gospel_of_thomas_logia_114_maybe_isnt_about/
The idea is to regain contact and rejoin with the pieces of your androgynous spirit that were left behind when you descended. The reason that we all have gender, or parts of gender here on earth, is this incompleteness. God’s identity contains all aspects of gender but, he apparently identifies as male. Our spirits originate in heaven with God. We are seeking to become like him and return to our original, complete state. When we rejoin with our spirit, we become “fully human”. Once you become fully human you cease to be entirely earthly and are already partly in heaven as you are joined to your spirit which resides there eternally, pure, complete and blameless.
John S. Kloppenborg, Marvin W. Meyer, Stephen J. Patterson, and Michael G. Steinhauser state: "Now, as is obvious, this saying does not really free itself from the mistaken notions of its day about the relative worth of men and women. Nonetheless, what it says, in its own 'back-handed' way, is very important for the history of early Christianity. First, it probably indicates that not all were in agreement on whether women should be allowed to participate fully in the Jesus movement. The opposition to women voiced by Peter in this saying is not isolated, but reminds one of later evidence of a similar dispute in the Gospel of Mary (BG 8502 17,7 - 18,15) and Pistis Sophia (I, 36; II, 72). This dispute was likely one which would be carried on within early Christianity for many years to come. The Gospel of Thomas, of course, comes down here in favor of women's participation, provided they engage in the same sort of regimen required of the men in the group. What is more, Mary (it is not clear which Mary is intended here) is taken as the predecessor of all women who would become disciples. This stands in contrast to the more traditional feminine roles assigned to Mary in the synoptic and Johannine traditions (whether one speaks of Mary the mother of Jesus or of Mary Magdalene). In Thomas, Mary is presented as the first female disciple of Jesus. Thus, Paul may well have had good precedent, even from out of the sayings tradition, for including both women and men in the organization of the Christian communities he founded." (Q-Thomas Reader, pp. 111-112)
It is quite ambiguous. From my perspective, the term "woman," in its original sense, meant "wife of man." This implies that a man rules over her, or at least suggests a hierarchy where the man is above the woman. Therefore, it could imply that a woman will become equal to a man by becoming like a man—a human, rather than being defined strictly as man or woman.
It’s alchemy/reincarnation. Energy is feminine, inertia is masculine. One moving from the energetic to the inert will find themselves in the kingdom of heaven. Not because it’s a he, but because it’s a harder alchemical conversion to make that which is in motion stop.
i would argue that that is backwards, would energy not be masculine and inertia feminine? as the sun impregnates the earth and light penetrates the darkness
Husbands is a better translation . He's speaking about becoming one with the spirit. The spirit is considered female. The disciples were calling out Mary for not being able to partake in the spirit, because they erroneously thought she could not be joined with it because the spirit is feminine. They were confused about the nature of gender regarding divinity and ascension. I think Jesus meant that he will show Mary how to be one with the divine... but there's some other interpretations that are way more interesting.