I found a great read in the Oxford Handbook of Synoptic Gospels on the character of the Gospel of Thomas. It’s interesting that a handbook on the synoptic would focus on a gospel that isn’t one, but I guess that’s just the kind of world we live in.
Here is a paraphrase (of sorts) on the first few pages of Malissa Hart Sellew’s very insightful treatment of Thomas v the synoptic(s).
The frequent use of paradox and of contrasting symbols and images, leading at times to outright contradiction, a feature found throughout Thomas, coupled with the lack of interpretive narrative context or framings, forces readers to think for themselves. Many of the instances of this same paradoxical tone are found in the Synoptics: [my note: remember what she is talking to is those instances were paradoxical tone is use, not all instances of similar topics/subject/narrative]
Thomas 4b: “Many who are first will become last” (Mark 10:31) (Matt 19:30; 20:16) (Luke 13:30). Thomas 5b: “There is nothing hidden that will not be made manifest” (Mark 4:22) (Matt 10:26) (Luke 8:17; 12:2). Thomas 20: “The smallest of all seeds … produces a great plant” (Mark 4:32) (Matt 13:32) (Luke 13:19). Thomas 54: “Blessed are the poor, for yours is the Kingdom of Heaven” (Luke 6:20) (Matt 5:3). Thomas 68a: “Blessed are you when you are hated and persecuted” (Luke 6:22) (Matt 5:11)
Thomas takes this tendency of ‘spinning out oppositions’ further: Thomas 3: “The Kingdom is inside of you and it is outside of you”. Thomas 18: “Have you discovered the beginning that you look for the end?”
Contrasting pairs of darkness and light, body and soul, flesh and spirit, above and below are woven throughout the text (especially Thomas 22) as it calls its readers to look away from their material existence to find their authentic spiritual character.
Her thought provoking assessment and narrative is (here) and it should take you to Chapter 12 (page 223) of the handbook.