The Gospel bad news of Judas
The story is all over, but here is one from Reuters. I particularly liked this article because it rightly notes that there is nothing new to this discovery - except that we get to see it, for St. Ireanios long ago condemned the work - rightly so.
"He's the good guy in this portrayal," said Bart Ehrman, a religion professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. "He's the only apostle who understands Jesus."
The Judas gospel's introduction says it is "the secret account of the revelation that Jesus spoke in conversation with Judas Iscariot." Later, it quotes Jesus as saying to Judas, "You will exceed all of them (the other disciples) for you will sacrifice the man who clothes me."
"The idea in this gospel is that Jesus, like all of us, is a trapped spirit, who is trapped in a material body," Ehrman said. "And salvation comes when we escape the materiality of our existence, and Judas is the one who makes it possible for him to escape by allowing for his body to be killed."
HELLO!!! Can you say heretic! Folks anytime a doc starts out with the phrase "the secret account" you ought to start laughing your arse off. I believe St. Irenaios sure did. Furthermore, Jesus is a "trapped spirit"???? I think I am going to porjectile vomit. "Salvation comes when we escape the materiality of our existance"? Arghhhh...Mr. Ehrman, you are a gnostic. Gee, and to think that nearly 2000 years of Orthodox Christianity has mistakenly taught that salvation had something specific to do with the Resurrection and Restoration of the the very same physical body that is hammering away at this keyboard. Salvation is death? Can you see the demonic in this teaching? That salvation is the seperation of soul and body?!? I shiver at the thought...this insidious and dangerous teaching. Salvation is not Death, but on the contrary it is the DESTRUCTION of death, the CONQUERING of death, the SMASHING of Death's doors, the BODILY RESURRECTION of Jesus Christ!
Rev. Donald Senior, president of Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, said the document revealed the diversity and vitality in early Christianity.
What ARE they teaching at CTU these days???? It does no such thing Rev. Senior, it points to the fact that the early Church struggled with false teaching just like we do today (reference Mr. Ehrman's gnostic, anti-material theology).
Ehrman, Senior and other experts on Christianity...
Yes, clearly these two are "experts" on Christianity.
Perhaps National Geographic ought to do a special on THIS ancient text.
St. Irenaios says:
They declare that Judas the traitor was thoroughly acquainted with these things, and that he alone, knowing the truth as no others did, accomplished the mystery of the betrayal; by him all things, both earthly and heavenly, were thus thrown into confusion. They produce a fictitious history of this kind, which they style the Gospel of Judas.
The "gospel" of Judas has a great deal of historic significance and indeed it will be interesting to read further details about what these particular gnostics believed (for as you know, the keepers of secret eternal truths often contradict one another), but let us stand against this same false teaching as presented today by the likes of Ehrman. Just as our father did, Saint Irenaios - the hammer of the gnostics.
ADDENDUM: In the commenting herein it was brought to my attention that I completely misinterpretted Ehrman's remarks as expressing his opinion, when in actuality he is simply expressing the opinion of the author of the text in question. I am assured that he is by no means a gnostic. I offer no defense for my stupidity, nor will I change the post to hide it...as if I needed to.
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Comments
Might wanna use that term heretic a bit more cautiously.
I'd recommend reading the 'Gospel of Judas', if for no other reason than that it will prepare you to answer the questions it will inevitably raise. It is a load of heretical nonsense which anyone, if they've faithfully read any of the Fathers, or the Bible for that matter, will simply regard as implausible and fanastic (in the literal sense of the term). New-Age, anti-organised religion, and post-moderns will love this peice, and will likely make a big deal of it as if you cannot find 40 some other rejected gospels, many, if not all, in English translation.
My apologies to Ehrman, all I would ask for from the professor is a public denial of my accusations and recantation of gnosticism, failure to do so upon pain of death.
Thank you gentlemen for revealing my haste. Of course, it will do my Lenten humility good not to change the post.