2.15.2017

Conclusion of What Is the "Gospel of Judas"?


WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM THE "GOSPEL OF JUDAS"?

Whether they viewed the Judas of this gospel as a hero or a demon, none of the scholars who analyzed this text claimed that it contains accurate historical information. Bart Ehrman explains:  "It is not a Gospel written in Judas's own time by someone who actually knew him . .  .It is not a book, therefore, that will provide us with additional information about what actually happened in Jesus' lifetime."

The "Gospel of Judas" is a Gnostic text from the second century C.E., originally written in Greek. Whether this newly discovered "Gospel of Judas" is identical to the text that Irenaeus referred to remains a matter of scholarly debate.  But the "Gospel of Judas" clearly offers important evidence only regarding a period in which  "Christianity had become fractured and divided by many sects and doctrines. Rather than undermining Scripture, the "Gospel of Judas" actually confirms apostolic warnings, such as that of Paul recorded at Acts 20:29, 30: "I know that after my going away . .  .from among you yourselves men will rise and speak twisted things to draw away the disciples after themselves. 

Next time: Five Bible Principles/ How to Be a Good Father

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