Regarding the Gospel of Judas

by JM Leary

I am continually amazed at the ability of the modern press to show it's own colors to an apparently colorblind nation. Recently there has been a swarm of coverage around the Gospel of Judas, an apparent recent discovery, and insightful document concerning the relationship between Jesus Christ and Judas Iscariot.

What the press failed to mention is the wealth of information regarding the Gospel of Judas, it's origins, meanings, and impact on Christianity. The media would have you believe that some new discovery or truth about Christ has now been revealed. One radio reporter inferred that Easter would now be changed forever because of this new information.

People have been surprised to learn of a possible friendship between Judas and Jesus. Even more astounding, it seems, is the idea that the actions of Judas were, in fact, inline with the will of God through Jesus.

The Gospels contain nothing which would lead readers to believe that Judas and Jesus were not close. Judas was the treasurer for the chosen twelve. Obviously he was trustworthy, and a man of honor. He seems no less close to Jesus than the 4 authors of the canonical gospels. Of course he is painted in a negative light by his brethren. Imagine living with a man for 3 years, communing with him daily, trusting him, only to have him betray the one Person you have both sworn to serve. That is a wound which does not heal easily.

And truth be told, Judas's actions were directly in line with the will of the Father. Christ had to be turned over to the authorities, that he might be sacrificed for all mankind. This does not mean that what Judas did was righteous, or selflessly motivated. The idea Judas was a hero is historically claimed as being popular among the early gnostics, who proposed the idea of God as an evil ruler and the biblical
anti-heroes as the bringer of the Messiah.

Accuracy aside, let us assume this Gospel of Judas is authentic. What is the significance of Judas's actions, if they were in fact done out of obedience? What effect do they have on the Salvation which Christ's death brought to humanity? Absolutley none. Even if Judas had been instructed by Christ to betray Him, that would not change the significance of the cross.

Remember that the media may have taken hold of this document in order to promote their own present agenda, but the church has both acknowledged and studied the Gospel of Judas since 180AD, when it was first mentioned by Irenaeus, an early Church Bishop.

We must not fear the attempts of the enemy to trip us up. The truth is infallible in it's own right. Remember, that any rash or dramatic reaction from the Christian community only pro-ports what the enemy is trying to tell the world: the present day Christian Church is an irrational bunch of bible bashers who don't know their own history. Let us be calm, controlling ourselves in the face of constant adversity. Remember God's advice to Cain, "...sin is crouching at the door. It desires to dominate you, but you must subdue it."1

The power of Christ's actions and their everlasting effects cannot be altered by any document, ancient or not. Know your history, know the story of our Savior and cherish every detail.

All my research, unless otherwise noted, is done through www.wikipedia.org, a reliable, non-profit, online encyclopedia community. I confirm the facts through various other sources. If you have the time, please explore this great resource.

1. Genesis 4:7, NET Bible Translation

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JM Leary is the author of the Way of Sol Blog, http://wayofsol.blogspot.com/.