Soundings in the Christology of the Infancy Gospel of Thomas: The Rewriting of Luke 2:41-52 in Paidika 17

The Infancy Gospel of Thomas (Paidika) cites only one extensive passage from the NT, namely, Luke 2:41-52, the episode where Jesus's parents find him in the temple with the teachers. This "temple narrative" is important for Luke's christology, and the purpose of this article is to use the Paidika's rewritten version of this narrative (Paid. 17.1-5) to make a "sounding" (i.e., a provisional but detailed investigation) of the Paidika's own christology. This sounding discerns a strong focus on Jesus's paternity, wisdom, and glory. Such emphases in the Paidika's "temple narrative" are likely a response to criticisms leveled at the second-century church by Christianity's detractors.