The Gospel of Judas

[Editor’s note: Back in August, your congenial editor and his wife (Sister Congenial) visited the library on Anastasia Island, across from St. Augustine, because they were having a used book sale. I found (for a dollar apiece) an unfamiliar version of the Bible, a book on Christian evidences, and a copy of The Gospel of Judas, concerning which Spiritual Perspectives published two articles on April 16th, 2006—the same year the book dealing with the alleged “gospel” of Judas was published. My introduction to the subject came from Paul Harvey’s April 7th broadcast.

National Geographic has located an ancient manuscript in the Egyptian desert. It’s written on papyrus. It has authenticated itself with carbon dating. It has been translated by Biblical scholars. And unlike the other four gospels, this one indicates that Judas betrayed Jesus at Jesus’ request—that Judas, hear this carefully, that Judas helped Jesus get rid of His physical flesh and liberate His spiritual self.

Harvey’s assessment was right on the money. Having now read the book that he referred to, we present the following observations.]

The Gospel of Judas was translated by Rodolphe Kesser, Marvin Meyer, and Gregor Wurst, in collaboration with Francois Guarard. The first three of these men provide commentary on the work, along with Bart D. Ehrman, who is a New Testament scholar—one that does not believe it to be the inspired Word of God; he also styles himself as an agnostic atheist.

Meyer wrote the “Introduction,” which seems to be an accurate account of data relating to the “gospel.” He points out that it was probably written about the middle of the second century. Scholars knew of its existence because Irenaeus mentioned it in his work, Against Heresies. It was lost for many centuries—probably because it was not highly regarded, and it disagrees with legitimate biographies of Jesus.

The work is part of a Codex called Tchacos, which contains 66 pages. Meyer points out that this codex includes a version of a “Letter of Peter to Philip, a text titled “James,” and the Book of Allogenes (or, the Stranger) along with the Gospel of Judas. So, what does the reader find when he reads the document?

Among other things, he finds a great deal of missing material due to the current bad shape the codex is in. It was mishandled after it was discovered in 1978. Rodolphe Kasser gives a history of its treatment, including that, at one point it was frozen (which contributed to its decline) (60-61). This account takes up pages 47-76. The Gospel of Judas itself only spreads itself out over 27 pages (19-45). It also contains numerous footnotes to explain various matters in the text.

The Text (What There Is of It)

It begins with these words: “The secret account of the revelation that Jesus spoke in conversation with Judas during a week three days before he celebrated the Passover” (19). The first three words provide the tipoff that this “book” is written by a Gnostic. Gary Young pointed out in his article on this subject:

Gnostics taught that there was a special secret knowledge (the term Gnostic comes from the Greek gnosis, meaning "knowledge") that was communicated over and above the revelation that was given in the Bible.

Therefore, the fact that this material begins by claiming to reveal secret information is a tremendous clue that it was composed by a gnostic. Young also points out that the document was found in “an area in which Gnostic groups, such as the Cainites, are known to have been particularly strong in the second and third centuries AD.”

One wonders who wrote the book. Back in those days, they did not have hidden microphones. So, if Jesus and Judas had a “secret” conversation, who is making known the contents of it? Jesus never wrote any of His own history. And He did not have time to record it if it occurred three days before the Passover week. Judas went out and hanged himself fairly quickly after Jesus’ death. It would be quite remarkable that someone so emotionally upset could write of that conversation so dispassionately—and so quickly.

So, who wrote this “book”? The only other alternative is that it was inspired of God (since God hears all conversations). However, the book never says who composed it, and neither does it claim to be inspired. Furthermore, its contents conflict with the apostles’ teaching. No wonder readers placed a low value upon it and allowed it to nearly perish—saved for this one copy.

Shortly after the opening words, the author (whoever it was) claims that Jesus spoke to His disciples about “mysteries beyond the world and what would take place at the end” (20). The end of what? Jesus spoke of the end of the Jewish age—about the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70—and gave His followers signs they could observe preceding it, but of the end of the world there are no signs (Matt. 24).

The reader will be surprised to learn that the Lord did not always appear as Himself to His disciples; He sometimes “was found among them as a child” (20). Now, Jesus could have done so, but no New Testament text even hints at such a notion. The reader should be suspicious as to the validity of this book just this far into it. What follows is even more bizarre. Jesus’ conversation with His disciples concerning His identity is well-known (Matt. 16:13-19). Consider this other alleged account.

While the disciples were giving thanks for their food, Jesus began to laugh, which they thought strange. They asked about His bizarre behavior, and He said He was not laughing at them and gave an unintelligible explanation—that they did not give thanks “because of your own will but because it is through this that your god [will be] praised” (21). What does this gibberish mean?

The disciples are obviously taken aback and confused. They say: “Master, you are […] the son of our God.” Jesus allegedly answers: “How do you know me? Truly [I] say to you, no generation of the people that are among you will know me” (21). What? If no contemporaries of Jesus can know Who He is, then why is He there? The fact is that Jesus worked miracles among them precisely so that they would know Who He was (John 14:11); John recorded them for the same reason (20:30-31). He also forgave the lame man’s sins so that the crowd would realize He was Deity (since only God can forgive sins) (Mark 2:1-12). He also told the Jews that He was eternal (John 8:58).

But the weird stuff is only beginning. They respond in anger to Jesus’ explanation of His laughter. They became “infuriated and began blaspheming against Him in their hearts” (22). After another verbal exchange (part of which is missing), Judas says to Jesus (sit down for this): “I know who you are and where you have come from. You are from the immortal realm of Barbelo. And I am not worthy to utter the name of the one who has sent you” (22-23). In case anyone wonders, Barbelo does not appear in any book of the Bible. Footnote 22 explains:

In the Gospel of Judas, it is Judas himself who provides the true confession of who Jesus is. To confess that Jesus is from the immortal realm (aeon) of Barbelo is to profess, in Sethian terms, that Jesus is from the divine realm above and is the Son of God. In Sethian texts, Barbelo is the divine Mother of all, who often is said to be the Forethought (pronoia) of the Father, the infinite One. … For presentations of Barbelo in Sethian literature, see Secret Book of John II:4-5; Holy Book of the Great Invisible Spirit (also known as the Egyptian Gospel…) (23).

Anyone whose head, after reading these lines, is hurting or whose thoughts are becoming particularly fuzzy is responding normally. All of these references are part of Gnostic culture, which are not related to the New Testament in any way. And we could wish that they all had remained a secret since they seem to have no value whatsoever. Gnosticism has its own theology that differs greatly from the Bible’s teaching concerning God and Jesus.

Somehow, though, Judas understands it. It is surprising that Jesus does not say to him, “Blessed art thou, Judas Iscariot, for flesh and blood has not revealed Barbelo to you.” No, wait. Jesus could not say that because flesh and blood did invent Barbelo—and all other aspects of Gnosticism.

Judas, then, is the one disciple of Jesus who actually understands Him, according to this theory. Next, Jesus allegedly tells Judas, “Step away from the others and I shall tell you the mysteries of the kingdom.” In this Gnostic work, Judas has a special relationship with Jesus that the other disciples do not have. It’s strange that no one else knew of this special bond; Mark constantly points out that Jesus is closer to Peter, James, and John than the other disciples (5:37; 9:2; 13:3; 14:33). Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John all characterize Judas as the one who betrayed Christ; John also notes that he was a thief (12:6).

Theoretically, Jesus tells Judas that someone would replace him, even though that thought is not mentioned in the Scriptures until after Judas hanged himself (Acts 1:15-26). When Judas asks Jesus for more of an explanation, “Jesus left him” (24).

Each Apostle Had a Star

On one occasion, Jesus tells the twelve: “Stop struggling with me. Each of you has his own star…” (29). The next 17 lines are missing that might have explained the meaning, but a little later, in response to a request of the Lord that Judas makes, Jesus says to him: “Judas, your star has led you astray” (31). Does the star represent an angel? There is a parallelism of sorts in Job 38:7: “When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?” We understand that terminology to be figurative, but who knows what the Gnostics might have come up with?

Jesus’ response to Judas came as a result of a “great vision” the apostle had. He declared that he saw himself as the twelve disciples (Matthias already being included) were stoning him (31). The Scriptures do not say if the disciples ever saw Judas again after he betrayed Him in the garden. Presumably, Judas had the protection of the troops on that occasion (John 18:12). Of course, the eleven saw what Judas did, but they were too busy fleeing for their own lives to pay much attention to him.

Jesus closes out this conversation with Judas by saying, “Look, I have explained to you the mysteries of the kingdom [46] and I have taught you about the error of the stars; and […] send it […] on the twelve aeons” (31). Obviously, the meaning is not clear, but at least we learn that the stars are not to be trusted. If there is any connection to astrology, it is not apparent, although that practice is condemned even in the Old Testament (Isa. 47:13).

Jesus gives a prophecy concerning Judas: “You will become the thirteenth, and you will be cursed by the other generations—and you will come to rule over them.” Who can believe this commendation? Judas is going to be exalted over the other disciples! Really? Over Peter? Over John? Over James, his brother, the first apostle to be martyred (Acts 12:1-3)? Over Paul? Even if one discounts that Judas betrayed Christ, on what basis would he rule over the others—since he took his own life, and had to be replaced (which is the reason Jesus calls him the 13th disciple)? The reason for Judas’ exaltation is as nutty as any of the Gnostic teachings (to be continued).