The Gnostic Divine Spark:

Precursor to Predestination in the Gospel of Thomas

Moses Mikheyev, Senior Editor

I have been reading the ancient Coptic and Gnostic Gospel of Thomas and I have decided to side with some of its theological statements; namely, the idea that some of us have a “light” within and that only those who have that spark (and recognize it) are truly saved. Knowing that such a spark is, as is made quiet explicitly by the Gospel, only found in some of us humans, I have come to believe that this “divine spark” is obviously then only found in a limited few. According to Saying 24, Jesus said, “There is a light within a person of light, and it shines on the whole world. If it does not shine, it is dark.”  This verse basically seems to say that some of us have a light inside and that we are to shine that light, otherwise the world would be “dark.” Furthermore, Jesus states: “If they say to you, ‘Where have you come from?’ say to them, ‘We have come from the light…” (Saying 50). In this verse Jesus is speaking to the “chosen few.” It appears that only some of us have that so-called light; if only some then aren’t we disguising predestination in Gnostic garb? I think that what we have here is a complete predestination mindset; only some people have some light, only some have come from the light, and only some, then, are saved. Logic only takes us so far!

                The Gnostics seemed to believe that this world was entirely evil. Some, like the semi-Gnostic Marcionites, believed that some evil demiurge created the flesh and the world. Since the world was, one way or another, holistically evil, the Gnostics were the ones that recognized that evilness. They were, after all, “in the know.” (We get the word Gnostic from the Greek word gnosis, which means “knowledge.”) The Gnostics knew that the world was evil, which is why they were “Gnostic” in the first place (!), and they realized, quiet horrifically, that others were not going to see the “truth” and others were just never going to realize the futility and the evilness and pain of life. According to the Gospel, Jesus said, “Whoever has come to know the world has discovered a carcass, and whoever has discovered a carcass, of that person the world is not worthy” (Saying 56). Here Jesus is clearly saying that the world is really a dead carcass and that those who recognize this (the chosen few) are so intelligent and wise that the world itself does not deserve such people. Jesus is being an absolute pessimist; He is making this world appear extremely bad. According to this view, only the pessimistic and cynical philosophers get saved!

                Once a person recognizes that he or she is set-apart, holy, chosen, in-the-know, and carrying a Divine Spark, that person should try to become completely saturated in that Spark and completely one with it. Jesus said, “For this reason I say, if one is whole, one will be filled with light, but if one is divided, one will be filled with darkness” (Saying 61). We are not to run around from one master to the other, we are to remain with God and completely be inundated with His Light. This Saying answers the questions regarding absolute and irreversible salvation: we are chosen, predestined, but we must maintain our purity. If we do not fulfill His will, our Spark will be of no use and we will be damned.

                Since we are “in the light” and since we have that so-called light in us, what happens to us? I think the answer might be found in the Gospel: Saying 82. Jesus says, “Whoever is near me is near the fire, and whoever is far from the fire is far from the [Father’s] domain.” Fire is the ancient way light was produced. If light is equivalent to fire, maybe those who carry the light are receiving it from Jesus and, in turn, are being, quite literally, burned! After all, those who are near the fire are nearer to Jesus.  What about the light of the Father? According to the Gospel (Saying 83), the Father’s light is so bright that those who “see” Him are merely and only seeing His light per se; they are blinded by the light and cannot see Him.

                The distinction between soul and (evil) body is also made by Jesus in Saying 87: “How miserable is the body that depends on a body, and how miserable is the soul that depends on these two.” The body is essentially corrupt and evil. Thus those who are in the know are the ones who recognize this and try their best to seek the light and things of the spirit.  Jesus wants those who follow Him to become like Him: “Whoever drinks from my mouth will become like me; I myself shall become that person, and the hidden things will be revealed to him” (Saying 108). This is a call to those predestined to continue to “drink” from the mouth of Jesus and to continue to allow Christ to work in them.

                It is evident that to believe in a “divine spark” is to believe in predestination. Though this form of predestination requires continuing education (the Gnostics believed that only knowledge truly saves), it is still, to an extent, an idea that is set in stone somewhat. Though we can change some things, we cannot change the fact that some of us are of the “light.” And only some of us are going to take that light and magnify it and bring it into the world.