Logia

LOGIA, a title used to describe a collection of the sayings of Jesus Christ (XO-yta 'Incro0) and therefore generally applied to the "Sayings of Jesus" discovered in Egypt by B. P. Grenfell and A. S. Hunt. There is some question as to whether the term is rightly used for this purpose. It does not occur in the Papyri in this sense. Each "saying" is introduced by the phrase "Jesus says" (Xi-yet) and the collection is described in the introductory words of the 1903 series as X6yot not as Xlryta. Some justification for the employment of the term is found in early Christian litera ture. Several writers speak of the Xosyta rol) Kvpiou or To, Kvpt.ccat X6-yta, i.e., oracles of (or concerning) the Lord. Polycarp, for instance, speaks of "those who pervert the oracles of the Lord" (Philipp. 7), and Papias, as Eusebius tells us, wrote a work with the title "Expositions of the Oracles of the Lord." The expression has been variously interpreted. It need mean no more than narra tives of (or concerning) the Lord ; on the other h'and, the phrase is capable of a much more definite meaning, and there are many scholars who hold that it refers to a document which contained a collection of the sayings of Jesus, and which is believed to be the source or the principal source of the teachings of Jesus found in Matthew and Luke but not in Mark.

"The Sayings..

These fragments, to which the term Logia is also applied, consist of (a) a papyrus leaf containing seven or eight sayings of Jesus discovered in 1897, (b) a second leaf con taining five more sayings discovered in 1903, (c) two fragments of unknown Gospels, the former published in 1903, the latter in 1907. All these were found amongst the great mass of papyri acquired by the Egyptian Exploration Fund from the ruins of Oxyrhynchus, one of the chief early Christian centres in Egypt, situated some 120 m. S. of Cairo. The 8 sayings discovered in 1897 may be translated as follows : 1. ". . . and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote that is in thy brother's eye." 2. "Jesus saith, Except ye fast to the world, ye shall in no wise find the kingdom of God; and except ye make the sabbath a real sabbath, ye shall not see the Father." 3. "Jesus saith, I stood in the midst of the world and in the flesh was I seen of them, and I found all men drunken, and none found I athirst among them, and my soul grieveth over the sons of men, because they are blind in their heart, and see not. . . ." 4. ". . . poverty . . . ." 5. "Jesus saith, Wherever there are two, they are not without God, and wherever there is one alone, I say, I am with him. Raise the stone and there thou shalt find me, cleave the wood and there am I." 6. "Jesus saith, A prophet is not acceptable in his own country, neither doth a physician work cures upon them that know him." 7. "Jesus saith, A city built upon the top of a high hill and stablished can neither fall nor be hid." 8. "Jesus saith, Thou hearest with one ear [but the other ear hast thou closed]." The "sayings" of 1903 are as follows:— I. "Jesus saith, Let not him who seeks . . cease until he finds and when he finds he shall be astonished; astonished he shall reach the kingdom and having reached the kingdom he shall rest." 2. "Jesus saith (ye ask? who are those) that draw us (to the kingdom if) the kingdom is in Heaven? . . the fowls of the air and all beasts that are under the earth or upon the earth and the fishes of the sea (these are they which draw) you and the kingdom of Heaven is within you and whosoever shall know himself shall find it. (Strive therefore?) to know yourselves and ye shall be aware that ye are the sons of the (Almighty?) Father; (and?) ye shall know that ye are in (the city of God?) and ye are (the city?)."

3. "Jesus saith, A man shall not hesitate . . . to ask concerning his place (in the kingdom. Ye shall know) that many that are first shall be last and the last first and (they shall have eternal life?)." 4. "Jesus saith, Everything that is not before thy face and that which is hidden from thee shall be revealed to thee. For there is nothing hidden which shall not be made manifest nor buried which shall not be raised." 5. "His disciples question him and say, How shall we fast and how shall we (pray?) . . . and what (commandment) shall we keep . . . Jesus saith . . . do not . . . of truth . . . blessed is he . . . ." First Gospel Fragment.—The fragment of a lost Gospel which was discovered in 1903 contained originally about fifty lines, but many of them have perished and others are undecipherable. The translation, as far as it can be made out, is as follows : 1-7. "(Take no thought) from morning until even nor from evening until morning either for your food what ye shall eat or for your raiment what ye shall put on. 7-13. Ye are far better than the lilies which grow but spin not. Having one garment what do ye (lack) ? . . . 13-15. Who could add to your stature? 15-16. He himself will give you your garment. 17-23. His disciples say unto him, When wilt thou be manifest unto us and when shall we see thee? He saith, When ye shall be stripped and not be ashamed • • • He said, The key of knowledge ye hid : ye entered not in yourselves, and to them that were entering in, ye opened not." Second Gospel Fragment.—The second Gospel fragment dis covered in 1907 "consists of a single vellum leaf, practically com plete except at one of the lower corners and here most of the lacunae admit of a satisfactory solution." The translation is as follows : . . . before he does wrong makes all manner of subtle excuse. But give heed lest ye also suffer the same things as they: for the evil doers among men receive their reward not among the living only, but also await punishment and much torment. And he took them and brought them into the very place of purification and was walking in the temple. And a certain Pharisee, a chief priest, whose name was Levi, met them and said to the Saviour, Who gave thee leave to walk in this place of purification, and to see these holy vessels when thou hast not washed nor yet have thy disciples bathed their feet? But defiled thou hast walked in this temple, which is a pure place, wherein no other man walks except he has washed himself and changed his garments, neither does he venture to see these holy vessels. And the Saviour straightway stood still with his disciples and answered him, Art thou then, being here in the temple, clean? He saith unto him, I am clean ; for I washed in the pool of David and having descended by one staircase, I ascended by another and I put on white and clean garments, and then I came and looked upon these holy vessels. The Saviour answered and said unto him, Woe ye blind, who see not. Thou hast washed in these running waters wherein dogs and swine have been cast night and day and hast cleansed and wiped the outside skin which also the harlots and flute-girls anoint and wash and wipe and beautify for the lust of men ; but within they are full of scorpions and all wickedness. But I and my disciples who thou sayest have not bathed have been dipped in the waters of eternal life which come from . . . . But woe unto the . . . .