The Gospel of Judas - Introduction

This ancient text caused quite a stir a few years ago when it debuted as part of a National Geographic special. There does not currently seem to be much debate over the manuscript itself. It is agreed to be a Coptic text from about AD 200-300. It was bound with a couple of other 'gnostic' writings, but - unfortunately - almost 3/4 of the pages are now illegible.

The Gospel of Judas is a lot like other previously well-know gnostic writings. It includes a sort of detailed description about the creation of the world (kind of like we saw a snippet of in Enoch's cosmology). It also includes a revelation by Jesus about the nature of the cosmos and the way to be saved. This section is like the revelations in the apocalyptic writings: what is the origin of evil; what must one do to be good and to be saved; that sort of thing.

What is unlike other gnostic writings is that it includes both of these within the same writing. That may or may not be important, and may or may not tell us something about the folks who read the Gospel of Judas.

Many have disputed the relevance of this Gospel, mostly motivated by some kind of concern over the sanctity of Christianity...maybe because it shows Judas to be a hero of sorts.

Later we will look at the sections that are most like the Gospels we're used to, but this week we are going to consider this Gospel's cosmology. Don't be intimidated; it's just a way to describe the way the world was created as a way to understand how it works now.