The Gospel According to Judas
Do you think the decision about when to publish the Gospel of Judas is in any way connected to the the opening of the Da Vinci Code movie on May 19th?
The first translation of an ancient, self-proclaimed "Gospel of Judas" will be published in late April, bringing to light what some scholars believe are the writings of an early Christian sect suppressed for supporting Jesus Christ's infamous betrayer.
According to scholars who have seen photographs of the brittle manuscript, it argues that Judas Iscariot was carrying out God's will when he handed Christ over to his executioners. The manuscript could bring momentum to a broader academic movement that argues Judas has gotten a bum rap among both historians and theologians, as well as in popular culture.
Related post: Extreme (Judas) Makeover
5 comments:
Judas "carrying out God's will"!?! That's scandalous! What's next? The Gospel of Pharoah?
(Sorry, Keith, couldn't resist the sarcasm.)
Shaun, when I read that article, for some reason cries of "Barrabas! Barrabas!" came to mind. Who knows? Maybe they'll find a gospel of his too.
You know Barabbas was probably a good guy, right? Insurrection means he was likely trying to be the Judas Maccabee of his day. So, it might not be too bad if they find it.
Then again, we've got an actual account of Judas guilt which makes him a better candidate. Perhaps what they are printing is his suicide note. ;O)
Let's not forget that Judas had his own following. I can't cite chapter and verse, but he did want to sell the nard for his own corrupt purposes.
Also, let's not forget the Christ sent him off to do his deed with foreknowledge. Also, Christ deliberately trekked to Jerusalem to where prophets go to die. Being nailed to a tree was part of fulfilling the prophesy of Isaiah.
Evil doesn't really exist. Like the Trinitarian god, it is a figment of the mortal imagination.
Judas is an interesting character. If there was ever a man who could complain and genuinely ask this question, it was him: "Why does he still find fault? For, who can resist his will?" (Rom 9.19).
It is absolutely fascinating to me that none of the other disciples suspected that it would be him to betray Jesus. When Jesus said that one of them would betray him, the disciples didn't all look at Judas; each one of them asked, "Surely not me?"
I've posted on Judas here, because I think it's worth thinking about.
As with anything related to the gospel, the elect will not be fooled by the publication of this book, but no doubt it will be used for the distraction and destruction of many who refuse to believe.
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