Date: Mon, 06 Apr 1998 17:53:12 -0500
From: Paul Miller <pmiller@ixlmemphis.com>
To: crosstalk@info.harpercollins.com
Subject: Re: Original GThomas

> 114) Simon Peter said to Him, "Let Mary leave us, for women are
> not worthy of Life."
>      Jesus said, "I myself shall lead her in order to make her
> male, so that she too may become a living spirit resembling you
> males. For every woman who will make herself male will enter the
> Kingdom of Heaven."
>  
> This is "women" specific and "male" specific. Woman bad, male
> good. Not "reproduction" and not "anti-sexual" (22 is 
> anti-sexual --- and contrasts with this here).
> 
> Steve
> 
 Lets try this from Paul Miller's amplified GThomas:

114) Simon Peter said to Him, "Let Mary leave us, for the people in the
area we are traveling think women are
not worthy of Life."
     Jesus said, "I myself shall lead her in order to make her resemble
a male, so that she too may become a living spirit while resembling you
males in appearence.  For every woman who will make herself disguised as
a male will travel along with us and  enter the
Kingdom of Heaven."

 Itenerant women traveling in a very small group were subject to rape
and other abuse. By disguising them to look like men they could go along
and find the kingdom with the other Thomasine intinerants.

 I know its quite a leap!

                                                   Paul Miller