National Geographic seems to have gone for the Judas material in a big way, for they're arranged significant media coverage of the literary property. Like so many other shady materials that have been traced to the early "Christian" Gnostics, the Judas gospel is of dubious integrity.

Classed as what most scholars call Pseudepigrapha, the term relates to a cluster of early writings of a religious nature that are problematic at best, and in their worst manifestations, outright frauds. However, because we do not possess complete libraries of writings from the early first millennium AD, even fraudulent documents have some value in the sense that they carry internal clues about that time period.

The problem is with the conclusions that are reached by scholars that have never discerned the truth of God through the new birth. Such men frequently treat Scripture in the same fashion as non-scripture, and in the process, lead others to perdition with their unbelief. So it is with the various individuals seeking to propagate the gospel of Judas.

The work puts forth the proposition that Judas was actually acting on secret instructions from Jesus in his acts of betrayal. This runs directly contrary to clear statements in the New Testament, and places the work not only in the realm of a non-scriptural account, but a Satanically inspired literary fiery dart that is aimed at the hearts of believers everywhere. Furthermore, the book is not even what it purports to be: a writing of Judas Iscariot.

For example, noted author and researcher Jon C Ryter states the copy of the GOJ that was used by National Geographic was written in Sahidic, which "dates the Judas manuscript as 4th or 5th century" (J C Ryter, Gospel Of Judas,: Authentic Fraud). Other experts say it's likely the document comes from the 2nd century AD, and National Geographic's work is based on a papyrus copy. Ryter has also documented a complex web of money and deceit in the acquisition and dissemination of the manuscript. Several international figures with dubious histories in illegal acquisition and sales of antiquities are involved. Since National Geographic and others have millions of dollars at stake in the legitimacy (or lack thereof) of the "gospel of Judas," almost everyone's motives should be suspect. 

The internal evidence in the GOJ is the most important. Never mind the fact that there is no reference to any diary or journal being kept by Judas in any historical account (including the New Testament), historical evidence suggests Judas' betrayal did not leave him time to compose such a record. However, the real knock out factor is the simple fact that the document itself is positively loaded with Gnostic doctrine.

The reader will recall that while the Egyptian Gnostics predated Christianity, decades after the ascension of Christ, the Gnostics sought to assimilate Christianity into their spiritual worldview after the LORD had come and gone. Gnosticism, named after the word gnosis for knowledge, posits that only those adept and spiritually advanced that have received secret understanding from God are favored by God. The modern "new age" movement, as well as virtually every secret society, is descended from Gnosticism. Thus, the Gnostic slant of the GOJ is a solid indicator the work was actually composed in a later era by an unnamed mystic seeking to legitimatize the work by attaching Judas' name to it. In this regard, College professor emeritus, and Egyptian Manuscript expert James M. Robinson, has concluded the text could not possibly have been written by Judas himself. In short, it's a forgery.

There is, for example, a revealing exchange in the "gospel of Judas" between Jesus and Judas. After Christ makes several statements that are clever extrapolations of the sort of things Jesus might have said, the LORD states how those around Him don't really know who He really is. Judas replies "You are from the immortal realm of Barbelo." This name is a dead-giveaway, for it is related to Gnostic doctrine which, in turn, is learly linked to the occult. 

Thus, the internal evidence in terms of content, and the external evidence such as the papyrus and manuscript media the document itself is written on, both testify the gospel of Judas is a non-biblical account with a spiritual agenda that has nothing to do with the truth.

-- James Lloyd

©2006 CHRISTIAN MEDIA RESEARCH, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

See Also:

The King James Controversy

Satanic Translations

The Poisoned Tree Called The NIV