Will the Real Judas Please Stand Up?

The 'Gospel of Judas' makes the case that Judas wasn't so bad. Is the text reliable? The devil is in the details.

BY: Darrell Bock

What can the newly-revealed "Gospel of Judas" tell us about Jesus and Judas? This second-century text has been hailed as a major find that sheds new light on a misunderstood disciple. But does it really add to our knowledge about Judas, or just our knowledge of Gnosticism? Despite the claims made during the first wave of media hype, the "Gospel of Judas" actually tells us very little.

The text is an authentic old gospel, but not as old as the four canonical gospels. The "Gospel of Judas" makes the case that a) Judas was Jesus’ friend and closest ally; b) Jesus told Judas to betray him in order to move God’s program along and release Jesus from his body; c) therefore, Judas was right to hand Jesus over.

In the text, Jesus tells Judas that he will "exceed all the others." Jesus says Judas will end up sacrificing "the man who clothes me," which probably means the body that clothes Jesus, distinguishing Jesus' spirit from the corrupt body he possesses. (Gnostic sects opposed flesh and matter in favor of the spirit.) The idea is that Jesus wanted Judas to hand him over to those who crucified him, and that by doing so Judas helped God accomplish his divine plan.

Is this positive spin on Judas possible? The devil is in the details. The "Gospel of Judas" doesn't mention that Judas regretted his act and returned the betrayal money, as recorded in Matthew’s gospel. Nor does this Gnostic text say that Judas committing suicide, as described in Acts. If either of these descriptions is true, the ""Gospel of Judas"" version does not make sense.

Continued on page 2: Which gospel should we believe? »