The gospel according to judas?

Just recently, the National Geographic shook the Christian world with the announcement that a 1,700-year old "Gospel according to Judas (Iscariot)" has been found and authenticated, containing allegations that Jesus was supposed to have asked Judas to betray him. The document was written in Coptic script (a language used in Egypt then) in 13 back-to-back papyrus pages, and was supposed to have been discovered in the 1970's in an Egyptian desert.

For a time here, it took our place by storm, taken up in prime time TV and radio programs.

I am not a Bible scholar, but I ask the readers to consider the following notes and observations:

1. The so-called "Gospel of Judas" is only a copy document. No original of the manuscript has been found. (Compare this with the Dead Sea Scrolls discovery in the Qumran region near Jericho and the Dead Sea after the Second World War. Fragments or copies of the original of all books of Scriptures except the Book of Esther were found there.)

2. The manuscript is at least some130 years after the death of the actual Judas Iscariot. (Compare this with the synoptic Gospels, many of the eyewitness sources of which were still around when they were written.)

3. The so-called "Gospel" allegedly contained a conversation between Jesus and Judas alone, with no corroboration from other witnesses. (Compare the four gospels. They corroborate each other in many material points.)

4. The so-called "Gospel according to Judas" was written in Coptic (Egyptian language), not in Aramaic, the language of the Hebrews, not in Greek (the language spoken by the educated Jews), or Latin (the language of the Romans that dominated Israel at that time). Egypt, although at times it had periods of peace with Israel, was an ancient enemy of Israel. Why would Judas write something in Coptic language if he were really the author of the "Gospel"? Did he even know the language? 5. The copy of the so-called "Gospel" was kept by the Gnostics, a heretical group whose teachings the Apostle Paul assiduously fought in such epistle as Colossians, and which John the Beloved addressed in his epistles. Meaning, the document came from an "enemy camp". Does it deserve belief then as an authentic "Christian" writing? The early church fathers like Irenaeous in AD 300 have already rejected this as hoax.

6. The allegation that Jesus secretly requested Judas to betray him is debunked by the other apostles, especially John the Beloved, who clearly wrote that Jesus knew that Judas was going to betray him, and even called him (Judas) a "devil" in public. (John 6:70-71.)

7. The "Gospel according to Judas" just ended with the betrayal story. It does not go on to recount the crucifixion, death, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. Meaning, the author killed himself (committed suicide) right after the betrayal. Now, if he was merely requested by Jesus to betray him, and he did not see what happened to Jesus after that, why would he (Judas) commit suicide?

Therefore, even if we are to admit that the "Gospel according to Judas" is an authentic ancient document, its contents, or what it purports to contain, or the message it speaks, cannot be dignified by any sane, fair-minded, logical thinking person as honest and sincere, even using universally-accepted principles or rules of evidence as above enunciated.

Rather, I firmly believe that the "Gospel according to Judas" is nothing else but a fine example of ancient black propaganda, "white paper" type of demolition job against Christianity, against Christ, against God. It is very similar to what spin doctors spin and PR doctors concoct when they want to sow intrigue, create doubt, stir controversy and confusion, in order to prevent someone or some cause from gaining adherents.

Just using common sense alone, which would we believe? Judas, who helped himself with the money bag, who betrayed and sold Jesus, who committed suicide, and did not rise from the dead, or Jesus, whose birth was announced by the prophets, who lived a sinless life, performed miracles, died a sacrificial death for us, and rose from the dead?

Clearly, there is no contest here. Only those who are going to perdition would go for this sacrilege as the "Gospel of Judas" .

The greater, more important message, however, is for us not to betray the Lord Jesus Christ by our conduct, or life and practices. That would be a betrayal on the same level as the hoax "Gospel" according to Judas Iscariot.*