The Gospel Of Judas: A Fantastic Find

Or A Phony Artifact?      By Jeremy D. Joy

The National Geographic Society recently unveiled an ancient document originally discovered in a cave in a remote part of Egypt called “The Gospel of Judas” that promised a total makeover for Judas Iscariot who has supposedly been the object of a smear campaign headed by the early church fathers and early church councils for betraying Jesus into the hands of His enemies. The gospel named for the notorious betrayer alleges that he was simply following orders from Jesus who promised him a special place in the kingdom. Judas is the hero of the plot, not the villain, in contrast to the Biblical view.

The response to the ancient papyrus manuscript is not surprising. To liberal-minded theologians in the colleges, universities, and seminaries as well as skeptics, it confirms that the Bible is not reliable or trustworthy and that other books like “The Gospel of Judas” should not be excluded from the canon of Scripture. To believers, it verifies that some early texts are fraudulent and are not on par with the first four books of the New Testament.

However, the newly restored and translated copy raises serious questions that should not be casually dismissed by staunch believers with statements rooted in bias and prejudice perpetuating the stereotype of Christians in America as uneducated and uninformed. To the contrary, it is an open door to evangelize, but the problem is that too many Christians do not know why we believe what we believe (1 Peter 3:15). The world wants facts and we must be prepared to deliver what the world wants and needs.

What Is The Gospel of Judas?

The National Geographic Society announced that “The Gospel of Judas” is the most important nonbiblical text to be uncovered in the last sixty years, but it is far from the gospel. Judas was not a renegade disciple; instead Jesus explained to him that he would “exceed” all of the other disciples by leading Jesus to be crucified. Some say that it throws orthodox Christianity into a tailspin that should cause us to question the Bible as a reliable historical document. That would change things if it was true, but the news about the lost “gospel” is not why it is a valuable document.

What Is Its Value?

Thanks to “The Gospel of Judas,” we know more about Gnostics and Gnosticism, a constant thorn in the side of the early church. Gnosticism includes the belief that Jesus was not in the flesh because the flesh is evil and He wanted to return to the spirit world as soon as possible. Judas would help make it happen. It also states that only a select few can ascertain spiritual knowledge including an accurate understanding of Heaven. Judas was the favorite disciple of Jesus because he totally comprehended the spiritual in contrast to the other apostles who fumbled around in the dark. The Bible stands in direct opposition to Gnosticism by stating that Jesus was fully God and fully man sharing in our humanity (Hebrews 2:14-15). The Bible also states that salvation in Jesus is potentially for all men and not a select few (Romans 1:16).

Should It Be Included In The Canon Of Scripture?

The term “canon” is from a Greek word meaning “rule,” “norm,” or “standard” referring to the books that have been included in the New Testament. What criteria was used to determine what books would be included in the canon of Scripture? There are three criteria according to Dr. Bruce M. Metzger, PH.D. who was interviewed by Lee Strobel in The Case For Christ (pp. 66-67):

· Apostolic authority. They must be written by the apostles who were eyewitnesses or by followers of the apostles.

· Conformity to the rule of faith. They must agree with the basic teaching of Jesus and the apostles.

· Used by the church as a whole. They must be accepted by the church as authentic over a period of time.

However, even though, the canon remained unsettled in the first two centuries, there was a high level of agreement among believers and churches concerning the New Testament. Today, the Jesus Seminar contends that other books such as “The Gospel of Thomas” should be elevated to equal status with the four traditional gospels, but why was it excluded? Modern theologians argue that early church synods and councils simply made pronouncements concerning the canon. Metzger states in response: “The canon is a list of authoritative books more than it is an authoritative list of books” (p. 69). The books of the New Testament are not authoritative because they were chosen in favor of others; they are authoritative by virtue of their content. Metzger uses the illustration of professional musicians announcing that the music of Bach and Beethoven is the work of creative geniuses (p. 69). Thank you for nothing! We know that without an official declaration. The same is true in regard to the canon of Scripture.

Likewise, “The Gospel of Judas” must meet the same criteria as the twenty-seven books of the New Testament, but it does not rise to the same level of credibility. We can believe the teaching of Jesus and the apostles without reservation because our faith is based upon reliable historical documents and evidence.

 

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