Sunday, April 09, 2006
Read your bible:Professor Bainbridge doesn't like the fuss over the recently announced Gospel of Judas: If you don't read the news accounts relating to the much ballyhooed Gospel of Judas carefully, you might come away with the impression that it is a legitimate alternative to orthodox Christian theology. A the New York Times put it: The Gospel of Judas portrays Judas Iscariot not as a betrayer of Jesus, but as his most favored disciple and willing collaborator. How do the canonical Gospels view Judas' action? Consider this, from the Gospel of John ( NIV Jn 13:21-30): After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, "I tell you the truth, one of you is going to betray me."
His disciples stared at one another, at a loss to know which of them he meant. One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to him. Simon Peter motioned to this disciple and said, "Ask him which one he means."
Leaning back against Jesus, he asked him, "Lord, who is it?"
Jesus answered, "It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish." Then, dipping the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, son of Simon. As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him.
"What you are about to do, do quickly," Jesus told him, but no one at the meal understood why Jesus said this to him. Since Judas had charge of the money, some thought Jesus was telling him to buy what was needed for the Feast, or to give something to the poor. As soon as Judas had taken the bread, he went out. And it was night. At least in John, Judas was acting to complete a process, a process that in orthodox belief was necessary for the salvation of the world. (We aren't believers, but have done some reading in this area. What's surprising is how many self-professed Christians don't know much about the scriptures.) UPDATE: This post was written in a hurry and skipped over lots of detail. The point is that the Gospel of John is considered to be a little Gnostic in character - and in fact was not unanimously approved in the early centuries. There has always been a tension between different schools of Christianity, often revolving around the nature of each of the three primary figures; Father, Son, and Spirit. How distinct they are is one dispute. Another is the human/divine nature of Jesus. The Gnostics, in addition to their notion of 'secret' revelation, took the view that the human body of Jesus was merely a container for earthly function, and that the godly component was pretty much immune to pain. So it wasn't that big a deal whatever Judas may have done.
posted by Quiddity at 4/09/2006 06:27:00 PM
4 comments
Note first that John was written the latest, and probably not by the apostle, but rather one of his followers.
Mark says that Judas was going to do it before Jesus gave him the bread:
Mark 14:10-11 Then Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went to the chief priests in order to betray him to them. When they heard it, they were greatly pleased, and promised to give him money. So he began to look for an opportunity to betray him.
Mark also has a quote about dipping into the bowl:
14:17-21 When it was evening, he came with the twelve. And when they had taken their places and were eating, Jesus said, 'Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me.' They began to be distressed and to say to him one after another, 'Surely, not I?' He said to them, 'It is one of the twelve, one who is dipping bread into the bowl with me. For the Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that one by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that one not to have been born.'
So does Luke:
Luke 22:3-6 Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was one of the twelve; he went away and conferred with the chief priests and
officers of the temple police about how he might betray him to them. They were greatly pleased and agreed to give him money. So he consented and began to look for an opportunity to betray him to them when no crowd was present.
22:21-22 But see, the one who betrays me is with me, and his hand is on the table. For the Son of Man is going as it has been determined, but woe to that one by whom he is betrayed!'
And Matthew:
Matthew 26:14-16 Then one of the twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, 'What will you give me if I betray him to you?' They paid him thirty pieces of silver. And from that moment he began to look for an opportunity to betray him.
26:20-25 When it was evening, he took his place with the twelve; and while they were eating, he said, 'Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.' And they became greatly distressed and began to say to him one after another, 'Surely not I, Lord?' He answered, 'The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me. The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that one by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that one not to have been born.' Judas, who betrayed him, said, 'Surely not I, Rabbi?' He replied, 'You have said so.'
The Gospel of Judas has something of a revisionist feel to it but so do all of the Gospels. I don't consider any of them to be unbiased and so the true story of Jesus will likely never be known.
Just thought I'd let you know that I have a bit about the Gospel of Thomas up.
I've put my translation up.
I can see why it didn't get voted into the offical Bible.
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