So, I'm sure most of you, my Faithful Readers (ha!), have heard about this "new" and so-called "gospel" of Judas. A few thoughts:
I think this archaeological find is intellectually interesting, but insignificant beyond that.
Okay, maybe not insignificant…..Perhaps I could call it significant in that this “gospel” of Judas (obviously not a “gospel” at all, since the definition of gospel is “good news,” specifially about Christ) proves once again that we Christians must be wise and discerning about what we accept as truth. From what I understand, the world is getting in a big tizzy over this "new" text (which has actually been around since the 1970s!), and many Christians are in a defensive, worried uproar over its content, some of which contradicts the New Testament.
According to what I've read, this Judas text was written in the 2nd or 3rd century and is full of "new information" and "secrets" that were revealed to Judas. Some scholars, with whom I agree based on my own studies, say that the Judas text has very strong Gnostic overtones.
Gnosticism was a mystery cult rife with visions and spiritual elitism, a religion that rejected the physical body as evil and said that the truly spiritual person was one who received secret, ‘higher-level’ knowledge from the spiritual realm. Gnostics also rejected the idea that Jesus was the physical incarnation of God. These particular beliefs obviously contradict the teachings of the New Testament…as does the idea that Judas received special, secret information from Jesus that the other disciples weren’t given.
(As a side note: Bishop Ignatius of Antioch was one church leader who reacted so violently against mystic Gnosticism that he wrote letters to numerous churches, telling them to "cling to the bishop." He said, "Whoever does anything without the bishop's knowledge is from the devil." Ignatius and his reactionary ideas helped pave the way for the bishop- and pope-centered universal church, also known as the Catholic Church. If you don't believe me, research it.)
Furthermore, it seems that the Judas text tells of how Jesus allegedly imparted to Judas a story of creation that contradicts the story told in Genesis: Allegedly, Jesus told Judas that God didn't create the world. Merely that idea should be enough to prove that this Judas text isn’t inspired and is, therefore, only as spiritually convicting to us Christians as we allow it to be.
My bottom-line take on the whole thing? It sounds like a text penned by Gnostics in an effort to lend creedence to their heathen movement. To a serious Christian, this “new” text should be no more spiritually intimidating than the so-called Gospels of Thomas or Mary (included in the Apocrypha).
Academically interesting, but it doesn’t shake my faith in the inspired writings of the New and Old Testament.
Put all things to the test: keep what is good...
--1. Thessalonians 5: 21
P.S.In the comments section of this post, Val provided me with a link to a very good article on the subject of Judas, Christianity, and "The DaVinci Code," among other things.
P.P.S.
"I intend to get to the bottom of this web of deceit and confusion if it takes me the rest of my life, which may end at any minute!"
--Judge Maxwell
in "What's Up, Doc?"
4 comments:
Unfortunately, as Eastern world views make their way into our daily lives, gnosticism is going to be on the rise. There's a climate for it that didn't exist a few years ago. The dualism of gnosticism appears to perfectly marry Buddhism and Christianity and makes it appealing for Christians who have dabbled in eastern thought. It's scary, but I have a feeling we're going to see more and more of it.
I felt like this article is a good starting place for those of us who are being asked.
(I may not be a faithful commenter, but I promise I'm a faithful reader!)
Val, thanks so much for posting that link--that is a truly excellent article! I'm going to add it to my post so that others will see it who might not check the comments.
Unfortunately, I think you're absolutely right about the resurgence of Gnosticism and other mystic stuff. New Age and the charismatic movement quickly come to mind.
And I truly do appreciate your readership! I'm a reader-and-less-than-faithful-commenter of your blog, too. ;o)
Hi pal-- yes indeedy, after recently finishing the DiVinci Code, I'm already seeing many new hints towards gnosticism. I will say I enjoyed the book... it's quite clever and quick to read... and wow, what a chance to tell people what the truth is from discussions about it!
While I'm on books, I also just finished 'the 5 people you meet in heaven,' which I really enjoyed.
have a good one, hope to see you soon!
Hi Liz, it's good to hear from you! I'm looking forward to seeing you soon, too!
I just finished reading 'The Da Vinci Code' myself. It truly is an excellent read...of ***fiction***. I plan to blog about it as soon as I have the time. I don't think Christians need to fear its content at all....But we *must* make the time and the effort to inform ourselves, check the facts, and be ready to discuss these issues with those who have questions. For spiritual seekers, the impact of a fiction novel like this could make or break their developing faith.
I, too, enjoyed 'the five people you meet in heaven'. Naturally, I can't say if it's an accurate representation of heaven or not...but it certainly strengthens my belief that none of us is truly aware of what a great infuence (for good or evil) we have on the lives of those around us. Not one of us is a 'closed system' unto himself; we are all intimately connected with one another, no matter how far apart we might be.
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