Question: Preacher, What about The Gospel of Judas?

Answer: The Gospel of Judas is a document written by an Egyptian Gnostic group. In 1970 a manuscript of this document was discovered. It is being published with commentary by the National Geographic Society. In keeping with Gnostic dualism (matter is evil, and the body is the prison of the divine spark), Judas is portrayed in this document as acting under the instruction of Jesus when he betrayed him. According to the Jesus of this document, Judas is releasing him from “the man that clothes me.” Scholars believe this document was written in ca. A.D. 130. The canonical gospels (written in the last half of the first century) convey the original and authentic story of Judas’ betrayal of Jesus in fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. Jesus was not a Gnostic. He believed the Old Testament view of God, matter, and the human body (Genesis 1:31). The Gospel of Judas is an important document for understanding the Gnostic heresy, but it is not a source of information about Jesus.