The Lost Gospel of Judas
As usual, Ochuk has a much better explanation of this issue than I do, though it is longer.
Tim brought this up on Sunday, and it wrang a bell. I read a section of this in a class I took called “Christianity and the Early Roman Empire…” Fascinating stuff. Listen to his message here.
The Gospel of Judas, neither Gospel, nor of Judas
There is a lot of hype out there about the recent finding of “The Lost Gospel of Judas“. People are making it out as some wonderful new revelation; some wonderful new “inside track” into Christianity.
Well, the text that they found is real. The Gospel of Judas WAS written in the second century, and DOES say the things it is purported to say. What’s interesting is that this is not news to Christianity.
An early pillar of the church, Iraneus of Lyons, wrote about this “Lost” “Gospel” in 180 AD in a treatise known as Against Heresies
They declare that Judas the traitor was thoroughly acquainted with these things, and that he alone, knowing the truth as no others did, accomplished the mystery of the betrayal; by him all things, both earthly and heavenly, were thus thrown into confusion. They produce a fictitious history of this kind, which they style the Gospel of Judas. Against Heresies Book I, Chapter XXXI - Doctrines of the Cainites
“They” being referred to here are the so-called “Cainites”. A sect of early gnosticism.
Iraneus was a disciple of Polycarp, who was a disciple of John, who was sitting right next to Jesus during the “last supper”. You don’t get a whole lot closer than that. So we have two options about his information. 1) He is a leader in “the conspiracy to supress the truth” or 2) HE KNOWS WHAT HE’S TALKING ABOUT.
The Gospel of Judas was not written by Judas, and does not contain new information that will help you understand the true nature of Christianity. Iraneus wrote “Heresies” because, as he puts it:
These men falsify the oracles of God, and prove themselves evil interpreters of the good word of revelation. They also overthrow the faith of many, by drawing them away, under a pretence of [superior] knowledge, from Him who rounded and adorned the universe; as if, forsooth, they had something more excellent and sublime to reveal, than that God who created the heaven and the earth, and all things that are therein.
Those who wrote the Gospel of Judas are not trying to get the truth out there to help you understand the way things really are. They ARE trying to shipwreck your faith and lead you astray.
But then, maybe I’m just part of the conspiracy…
Technorati Tags: Christianity, Judas, Gospel of Judas, Gnosticism, Iraneus
Hmmm…conspiracy. Watch out for the Christian behnd the grassy knoll.
Joking aside, nice analysis, Matt. I’d been meaning to write about this myself, but I think I just may put a link to your post from my site. Thanks and God Bless!
interesting. i was surprised to go to barnes and noble and see a whole rack of new releases right in the front of the store that were about either gospel of judas or some other sort of davinci code-esque deception…i think we will need access to resources like that since surely there will be more people bringing these issues up
Thanks for commenting on this, Matt. As you know, my whole Easter message was sprinkled with exposing these “new truths” as being neither new nor true.
Anyone can listen to it by hitting the media link at http://www.stonebrook.org
But here’s where the trickters down low starts to play his game (quoting your post):
The Gospel of Judas was not written by Judas, and does not contain new information that will help you understand the true nature of Christianity.
Perfectly reasonable statement. In fact, I agree completely. Stage 2 (from a NYT quote on my blog):
The word “gospel” means “good news,” and generally refers to accounts of Jesus’ life. Though someone is named in each, the titles are not necessarily those of the true authors. The consensus of scholars is that the four canonical gospels — Matthew, Mark, Luke and John — were probably not written by any of the original disciples or first-person witnesses to the life of Jesus, although they were probably written within the first century.
Y’see? If so-called Christians are free to critique this Judas hubbub, then fall on their swords defending those other four ‘gospels’ they love so dearly, aren’t they a bunch of hippocrites? Who let them pick and choose what to accept as God’s Own? (Funny how the answer’s always Jesus.)
This is the battle. We must defend the scholarship that says not all histories, not all perspectivces, are created equal. Are you up to it, Christian?
Ochuk has a good post on this too - http://www.ochuk.com/?p=979
Ben,
Well spoken. A few years ago I bought “The Other Bible, Ancient Alternative Scriptures”. It was basically a big book with the text from all the gnostic gospels with minimal commentary (limited to dates and presumed authors, which historians can agree upon.)
I read the “gospels” of Thomas and Mary all the way through, and skimmed a bunch of the others (I didn’t read “Judas” at all…) From what I remember, each of them were so unique in the direction they went, you’d almost have to accept a single one exclusively, or start believing that truth is “whatever you want it to be”.
I think cutting down credibility based on year written and supposed author IS a slippery slope.
Best case scenario, in my mind, would be people actually reading these things and seeing for themselves. The theology is just bad in them. Not just in a sense that they take directions “that I don’t believe in”, but it’s not even rational or consistent. Like Tim said Sunday, it’s all based on this “secret knowledge”, and I don’t see the God of the old testament being secretive. He spoke to the whole assembly on multiple occasions, and sent prophets, etc. to lead all his people. The cannon of the New Testament that we have is consistent with that God. The “Gnostic Gospels” aren’t.
While I think it’s good to publicly call lies “lies”, I think it’s even better to bring people to the Gnostic Gospels, have them read them alongside our Gospels, and see for themselves. God can defend himself, He always has. You don’t have to be a theologian or a Biblical scholar to see the falacies and inconsistencies in those books. I was following God for about a year when I read them, and it was obvious to me.
I’ve found nothing better for the life of a disciple than to have them learn and understand on their own initiative.
Haven’t checked your site in seriously 4ever (and ever and ever and… FLIPPED OUT when I saw it on TV and was like “What? WHAT?!?!?!?” Then I was like, “Wait… ok, people are seriously trying to screw stuff up here, but think about it: The gospel of Judas. The Gospel.” A straight lead in to the legitamte God designed God breathed Gospel! Sweet!!! That got me not mad, but happy and eager to ask people what they thought. I haven’t (as of yet), but I want to when the Da Vinci Code comes out. It’s interesting how people do things for bad, but God turns it around and uses it for Himself.
I can’t believe that anyone should call such a treatise (i.e the gospel of Judas) scripture. I think it’s blatantly disgusting. I am glad God will punish justly whoever was responsible for using such apostasy to deceive His people.
Amen.
May God bless you all.
To God alone be all glory, power and dominion.
anybody do dney this as a gospel is fucking stupid with know real knowlege about what they probably preach on a day to day basis to their close minded followers with the new testament stuck up there ass
Robert - I didn’t understand a word of that, except the profanity, which I don’t appreciate on my blog.
“отличный блог! отличные посты”
“Спасибо за блог”
“подробней пожалуйста”
“Мне все понравилось”
“good post”
Отличная работа!
Мало чувств.. но красиво…