Logion 77 in Gospel of Thomas Reconsidered

Abstract

In considering Jesus' words“Split a piece of wood; I am there”in Logion 77, I offer the thesis, based on the perspective of tradition criticism (Traditionsgeshichte), that these words were formed through interaction with the Upanisad, particularly the“father's word”in Chadgya-Upanisad 12:11, 12.
My reasoning is based on the following:
(1) In both words, there exists a common phrasing referring to“split a wood”.
(2) The“I”which we should infer from the word“wood”in the Gospel of Thomas and“[atman]”in Upanisad-of course in the former the first-person is used explicitly as a pronoun referring to Jesus, while in the latter the narrator's“father”is not directly specified-both are symbolic references to the“primary self”of human beings, and from it we can verify a structural relationship.
(3) The Acts of Thomas, which shares similar ideals and was established around the same period as the Gospel of Thomas (early 3^rd century), has Indian missions as its theme.
(4) Although the Acts of Thomas is a missionary tale, we can establish from internal and external evidence that prior to its establishment (late 2^nd century, i. e. when the Gospel of Thomas was established), there was contact between Christianity and Indian culture.