The Gospel of Judas?

[stephen]

The Gospel of Judas: More Heretical Trash From Egypt [Excerpts]

The Gospel of Judas is all over the news. It has been hugely promoted
by the National Geographic Society, which funded its reconstruction
and translation, and has been trumpeted by practically every major
news publication in the world. USA Today's front-page headline is
typical: "Long-lost gospel of Judas casts 'traitor' in new light."

Until recently this gnostic gospel was thought to have been lost and
was known only through Irenaeus' late second century condemnation
thereof in his Refutation of All Heresies, but a copy from the third
or fourth century that was found in Egypt a few decades ago was
purchased and restored. The translation of the fragmentary writing
was published on April 6.

The Gospel of Judas presents Judas in a positive light as the only
disciple who truly understood Jesus and who betrayed Him only because
he was asked to do so.

According to Irenaeus, it was produced by the Egyptian Cainite
Gnostics who claimed that Cain, Esau, the Sodomites, Korah, Judas,
and other villains of biblical history were actually enlightened
heroes who valiantly kept the gnosis or knowledge of the truth alive.
According to this cult, a god named Hystera created the world and
another deity called "Sophia" allegedly assisted the aforementioned
people (Refutation of All Heresies, book I, chapter 31)
http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/anf01.ix.ii.xxxii.html

The Gnostic Jesus described in the Gospel of Judas is not Almighty
God or the Creator of the world, does not die for man's sin, and does
not rise bodily from the dead. It is no gospel at all.

Egypt was a hotbed of heresy and fanaticism in the early centuries
after Christ. Many other strange "gospels" originated there,
including the Gospel of Thomas that purports to give details of
Christ's childhood (such as giving life to a dried fish and causing
the death of one of his playmates).

Egypt also gave us the Sinaiticus and Vaticanus codexes and the
handful of similar New Testament manuscripts that contain an
Alexandrian type of text preferred by modern textual critics and the
translators of the modern Bible versions (Fundamental Baptist Information
Service, Port Huron, MI 48061, April 8, 2006) [email protected]

Posted for information purpose. The attempt to denigrate the bible by seeking to justify individuals who rejected Jesus.

 

[Set Free!]

Satan's Last Ditch Efforts!

Amen brother Stephen!


The discovery in the desert of Egypt of the leather-bound
papyrus manuscript, and now its translation, was announced
by the National Geographic Society at a news conference in
Washington. The 26-page Judas text is said to be a copy in
Coptic, made around A. D. 300, of the original Gospel of Judas,
written in Greek the century before.

The reaction of Bible scholars is that the Gospel of Judas is
interesting but no challenge to the New Testament.

"The manuscript tells us nothing about
the historical Jesus or the historical Judas," said
Ben Witherington III, professor of New Testament
interpretation at Asbury Theological Seminary in
Wilmore, Ky. "It tells us a lot about a group that
were labeled heretics in their own day."

Scholars on all sides agree that the text
was probably produced by a scribe in a Gnostic
community of Cainites — early Christians who regarded
the traditional villains of the Bible, including Cain and
Judas, as heroes.

"There is no evidence that any of these documents ever
represented mainstream Christianity," Professor
Witherington said. "The Cainites were always on the
fringes of their own movement."

He said that unlike the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke
and John, which were written in Christianity's first century,
Gnostic works were produced in the second century and
afterward.

To say that the Gospel of Judas reveals anything factual
about Judas, Dr. Witherington said, "is like saying a
document written 150 years after George Washington
died tells us the inside truth about George Washington."

The Gospel of Judas is the latest piece of satanic
garbage that like 'all' garbage, should wind up in the
appropiate place..


The TRASH CAN!! :thumbs_do

God Bless,

Your brother in Christ,
Joe

 

[ChristineES]

I have read other Gnostic writings. I would never waste my time with The Gospel of Judas. I can't get over how many people are taking it seriously! It is sad, really.

 

[stephen]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Gospel of Judas: More Heretical Trash From Egypt



"More Heretical Trash From Egypt" Absolutely.

Thank Brother Joe for your enlightening post. Your post cleared up this 'Gospel of Judas' subject, for any who may have felt that there was some value in it.

God Bless You.

 

[xDICEx]

Amen to the above. I have just finished reading Irenaeus’s Against Heresies book 1 and found his reference to the gospel of Judas on p358, last page of book one (Vol. 1 Ante-Nicene Fathers, Eerdmans, 1973). Wading through those painstaking descriptions of different Gnostic cosmologies was enlightening. NGS presented a very biased view of the facts on their television documentary and on their web site. To make things sensational I suppose, so they can recoup their expenses. I would not call any of these views Gnostic Christianity. They are simply specious Gnostics clothing their pantheons of aeons in bible words; there is nothing Christian in any of them. There is no one God creating the world, neither condemning mankind for sin, nor intervening in history to provide a just salvation in the death of Christ. The historical facts of the bible are used selectively as if myth to substantiate the vane thoughts of a thousand discordant imaginations. Amazing to me, however, was NGS’s insistence that Irenaeus was and angry authoritarian cleric from Lyons. I know their scholars have access to his works. His Introduction and his prosecution of his work are exemplary in their humility and compassion. I found nothing in his entire Book 1 to suggest this kind of a sentiment. As the rest of the hubbub around this restoration and translation, I suspect it is an attempt to create interest. What bothers me is the little concern for truth and the misrepresentation of history. I would expect such from Gnostics, but it looks sad for scholars supposedly claiming a more scientific world and life view to act in kind. The Judas writing in the Gnostic genre is important in presenting the contradictory extremes these varied Gnostic cosmologies could so easily morph into; such was Irenaeus’s expose in the early 2nd century. ...DGB

 

[evelyn]

If anyone wonders about the Gospel of Judas, remember Luke 22:3 " Then entered satan into Judas surname Iscaroit, being of twelve in number". Satan and Jesus did not conspire together, but satan and Judas did. There will come a time where we as Christians should not waver, but stand firmly on the word of God.

 

[Faithful Son]

The logic behind the gospel of Judas is really something to consider. The gospel of Judas says that Jesus told Judas to betray Him, but Judas was not to tell anyone about it. So if it is true, which any Chistian doubts, Judas still betrayed Jesus, how else would anyone know about the betrayel if Judas didn't tell them, hehe. It's really funny, Judas remains a betrayer

 

[BeNotAfraid]

It's to get an understanding of the inconsistancies and faults (there are many) in the "Gospel of Judas" in order to better educate believers and non-believers alike so that less people will fall victim to thinking these gnostic writings are truth.

 

[Faithful Son]

Stupid logic gives believers and non-believers better education? We'd have beter education if we stick to God's Word

 

[Amen!]

Here's what I know about Judas Escariot:

• He betrayed Jesus to the pharisees for 30 pieces of silver. That's it. That's all I know about him.

Now, here's my questions:

• Why Judas? Why did Jesus choose him as one of His twelve disciples?
• Is Judas' surname used in the Bible when the other eleven disciples surnames were not used? Is there signifigance in this?
• Was his background similar or different from the other eleven? How did he compare?

I haven't previously studied Judas because I'd much rather study Jesus, but because Judas is part of the story of Jesus, I guess I should know more about him than what I currently do. I have other questions, but I'll leave it at these for now. The one that has troubled me for a very long time, though, is Why Judas?
If anyone chooses to graciously offer a bit of their time answering these questions, I would appreciate very much the use of Scripture. Thank you.
In Christ's love,
Amen!

 

[Fellowservant]

Long-lost gospel of Judas? hmm... Judas didnt have a gospel, theres your first lie right there. People are so good these days at lying to the ignorant, they hide them in their titles. Gospel means good news or good message, there was nothing about Judas that was good news or a good message . He was a thief and a betrayer, and loved money more than God. As one of Amens questions is answered here, that is what made his background different from the others.

Joh 12:3 Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment.
Joh 12:4 Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's [son], which should betray him,
Joh 12:5 Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor?
Joh 12:6 This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein.


To try and further answer Amens questions...Judas was phophecied about in the old testament..


Psa 41:9 Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up [his] heel against me.

Joh 13:18 I speak not of you all: I know whom I have chosen: but that the scripture may be fulfilled, He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me. (ie many are called few are chosen)



As it says, one of Christ followers would betray him... why? only God knows why, God allows these things but no one dare ask him why, shall the thing formed say to the one who formed it, why have you made me like this? (Read Romans Chapter 9) As God said about the Pharaoh of Egypt during the Exodus, i have raised you up just for this purpose, to show my power in thee. So God choses to do what he does, and no man can question him. Why? because he's God, and has power over the clay. So some will say did they have free will? yes they did.. in the end they did what they did, and can't say God forced them to do it. I can harden my heart, and so can God... but i still have a free will to do what i do. The thing about this is.. God knows before hand what you are going to do. It would be like blaming Satan for your sin on judgement day. This is why repentance toward God is so important...

Exo 9:13 And the LORD said unto Moses, Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh, and say unto him, Thus saith the LORD God of the Hebrews, Let my people go, that they may serve me.
Exo 9:14 For I will at this time send all my plagues upon thine heart, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people; that thou mayest know that [there is] none like me in all the earth.
Exo 9:15 For now I will stretch out my hand, that I may smite thee and thy people with pestilence; and thou shalt be cut off from the earth.
Exo 9:16 And in very deed for this [cause] have I raised thee up, for to shew [in] thee my power; and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth.

As far as the surnames, i dont know... id have to look it up...

God bless

 

[Coconut]

Long-lost gospel of Judas? hmm... Judas didnt have a gospel, theres your first lie right there. People are so good these days at lying to the ignorant, they hide them in their titles. Gospel means good news or good message, there was nothing about Judas that was good news or a good message.

Amen,very well said!

 

[BeNotAfraid]

Stupid logic gives believers and non-believers better education? We'd have beter education if we stick to God's Word

so should those who are strong in their faith, not reach out to those who might be struggling?

it's better to know what's wrong with the gospel of judas (and other gnostic gospels) that we can better point fellow believers in the right direction. the early christians would've read it when they threw such blasphemous writings out as apocryphal and so didn't include them in the canon of the scriptures. and you'd better believe they made sure they knew why those writings were uninspired. the early christians didn't ignore their opposition, but engaged them with the Truth, using [the opponents] own writings as evidence of where their opponents were falling short.

 

[Faithful Son]

Hi, BeNotAfraid, I totally agree with you, it's exactly my view on it aswell. Maybe you missunderstood what I was trying to say with my original post.

 

[sebi]

I want to read this so called Gospel. Already colleagues at school speak of it as an integrated part of the Bible. I want to see what it says, and point out to them its weak points, and the reasons it could never be God's word...

Can anyone give me a link to it? I'm having dificulty in finding the Gospel itself, only sited about it.

 

[BeNotAfraid]

Hi, BeNotAfraid, I totally agree with you, it's exactly my view on it aswell. Maybe you missunderstood what I was trying to say with my original post.

Oh, sorry! My fault!

 

[BeNotAfraid]

I want to read this so called Gospel. Already colleagues at school speak of it as an integrated part of the Bible. I want to see what it says, and point out to them its weak points, and the reasons it could never be God's word...
Can anyone give me a link to it? I'm having dificulty in finding the Gospel itself, only sited about it.

{Edit by Jesuslovesu: Reason no links without Chad's premission}

 

[sebi]

Thanks BeNotAfraid... I've got a better view of the 'Gospel' now. After my first reading, i can say that it doesn't seem like a 'piece' of the Bible. It's very different.

 

[stephen]

The first Line of the O.P was T he Gospel of Judas: More Heretical Trash From Egypt[Excerpts]


"Heretical Trash".

It was posted for info. To make aware of trends, the modern deception of today.

No need to Amen Amen when someone post's and kicks it in the teeth.. We know it is error.

Blessings to all

 

[Chad]

Article from: gotquestions.org

Sometime in the 1970s, in a cave in Egypt, a copy of the “gospel of Judas” was discovered. The circumstances of the discovery have been described as shady, with those who possessed the copy asking for exorbitant amounts of money for the codex. For decades, no institution was willing to pay for the purchase due to its dubious origins. Eventually the codex of the gospel of Judas was purchased by a foundation in Switzerland. The existence of the gospel of Judas codex was made public in 2004, but the actual release of the content of the codex has been repeatedly delayed, with the now expected release date of April 2006. The dating of the gospel of Judas codex is likely the 5th century A.D. According to various accounts, up to one third of the codex is missing or illegible.

Prior to this discovery, the only reference to the gospel of Judas was in the writings of a 2nd century Christian named Irenaeus. Irenaeus essentially wrote that the gospel of Judas was the “invented history” of a long line of heretics and rebels against God. The essential message of the gospel of Judas is that Jesus wanted Judas to betray Him because it was necessary to fulfill Jesus’ plan. If it was Jesus' plan for Judas to betray Him, why would Jesus label Judas the "son of perdition" (John 17:12), and state that it would have been better if Judas had never been born (Matthew 26:24). If Judas were simply following Jesus' instructions, why would he commit suicide once he saw that Jesus was condemned (Matthew 27:5)?

The gospel of Judas is a Gnostic gospel, espousing a Gnostic viewpoint of Christianity. The gospel of Judas is simply a heretical forgery, much the same as the gospel of Thomas, the gospel of Mary, and the gospel of Philip. Just as Judas Iscariot rejected Jesus and betrayed Him with a kiss, the gospel of Judas rejects the true Gospel and truth of God with a fraudulent appearance of validity.