The Gospel of Judas
There has been much buzz about a recently found
manuscript of The Gospel of Judas. That’s right. The Gospel (good news,
good tidings) of Judas (greedy traitor who betrayed Jesus). Sounds like
an oxymoron doesn’t it?
Yet, the articles and news clips devoted to the subject have been
sufficient enough to generate doubt in the minds of some Christians.
Have we been viewing Judas in the wrong light all this time? Do we
really have all of God’s divine revelation or should we rethink our
positions?
According to the May 2006 article in National
Geographic this “secret account” of the Judas Gospel “gives us a very
different Judas. In this version, he is a hero. Unlike the other
disciples, he truly understands Christ’s message. In handing Jesus over
to the authorities, he is doing his leader’s bidding, knowing full well
the fate he will bring on himself. Jesus warns him: ‘you will be
cursed.’”
In order to diffuse doubt, consider why this book is nothing more than
an entertaining read.
Peter once wrote, “But there were also false prophets
among the people, as there will be false teachers among you, who will
secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought
them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. And many will follow
their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be
blasphemed” (2 Peter 2:1,2).
One of the best ways to spread a false teaching is to attach one’s
writing to a popular character as many false gospels have done (Thomas,
Mary Magdalene, Bartholomew, Judas, etc.) This may gain a following, but
none of these gospels were accepted for inclusion in the New Testament
canon by the early church fathers.
In fact, Irenaeus, a second-century Christian actually refers to this
Judas Gospel in his treatise Against Heresies. According to the National
Geographic article, “Among those he attacked was a group who revered
Judas, ‘the traitor,’ and had produced a ‘fictitious history,’ which
‘they style the gospel of Judas.’” Clearly, it was denounced as
fictitious by early Christians and should still be rejected today.
Despite this evidence, consider the most important detail. Judas killed
himself a day after he betrayed Jesus. “Then Judas, His betrayer...threw
down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed, and went and
hanged himself” (Matthew 27:3-5). Can you write a “gospel” when you are
dead?
May 2006