the gospel of thomas was not discovered recently, unless you call 1945 recent. It is part of the discovery of what is called the “Coptic Gnostic Library”, fragments of writings discovered at Nag Hammadi in Egypt. it is a coptic translation of a Greek text, the earliest fragment of which dates to 200 AD or so. The coptic translation was publishe din 1959, if you call that recent. Its existence was known to the Early Church by the beginning of the 3rd c. when it was mentioned by ECF such as Hippolytus who condemned it as Gnostic of spurious origin, not an authentic gospel, and not written, as some of the early Syriac churches taught, by Thomas Didymus.
It is one of the Gnostic gospels, which can be easily identified as they begin by claiming to be “secret” sayings of Jesus. Some of them repeat sayings that appear in the synoptic Gospels (the real ones) but there are additions, namely those in common with other Gnostic writings that label the flesh as inherently evil.
It was not included in the canon of sacred scripture, therefore it is not a Gospel, and it almost certainly was not written by Thomas, since the earliest reports of its existence are long after his probably death. Gnostic writings are usually introduced as “secret” in opposition to the canonical Gospels, which are proclaimed to the ends of the earth in their entirety, according to Jesus’ command, not reserved for a select few initiates.
The standard study text of the non-canonical so-called writings, The Other Gospels, ed. by Ron Cameron, 1989, Westminster Press. with annotated bibliography
The Christian’s time for bible study is limited, why not devote it to study of the actual scripture, not the spurious writings, which add absolutely nothing to the understanding of Jesus, his message, his Church or the Gospel.
there were dozens of various writings circulating in the 3d-4th century many claiming to be gospels authored by various of the apostles. Yes, the Church has spoken definitively on all these writings by establishing the Canon of Sacred Scripture which was closed with the death of the last apostle, John, and defined by the councils of the 4th c that addressed that task.
