GOSPEL OF JUDAS CONTROVERSY EXAMINED

 

The news has been buzzing with the appearance of an ancient Coptic manuscript entitled The Gospel of Judas. [For those who do not know their church history, Judas Iscariot was one of Jesus’ twelve disciples who later ended up betraying Him, which would eventually lead to the Lord’s crucifixion.] The National Geographic Channel is currently running a two-hour special on the subject of this document, which tells quite a different story than the gospel accounts of which we are most familiar. In fact, the story is SO different that Irenaeus, who was one of the early church theologians, was led to condemn it as heresy in the year 180 AD. But was it?

 

First of all, it must be pointed out that Irenaeus himself would be labeled a heretic by much of today’s Christian community. Why? Because he favored the doctrine of the annihilation of the unrepentant sinner as opposed to eternal torment. In other words, he did not believe in an eternal hell! [An in-depth look at this can be found in Chapters 23 & 24 of A History of Opinions on the Scriptural Doctrine of Retribution, by Edward Beecher, D.D.]

 

Judas Iscariot is portrayed as a sinister and greedy traitor of Christ by the standards of most all of orthodox Christianity. In The Gospel of Judas, however, we are shown a very different picture of this man. In this account he is shown to be the only one of the twelve disciples who understood why Jesus must suffer and die, and therefore was only following Jesus’ orders to deliver Him into the hands of the authorities. As a result of this act of obedience, he is told by Jesus Himself that he would attain a high and lofty place in the kingdom of heaven. Quite a different picture of this man indeed, than the one given him by Dante in his Inferno, who pictures Judas having a place in the lowest depths of hell.

 

While conducting a brief word study I found some interesting things about the word “betray” which is used in the original Greek New Testament texts. According to Strong’s Concordance, the Greek word paradidomi (Strong’s G#3860) means: to surrender, yield up, intrust (entrust), transmit. Then Strong’s proceeds to give us the various renderings of this word found in the King James Bible: betray, bring forth, cast, commit, deliver (up), give (over, up), hazard, put in prison, recommend. Now, do you see any slight differences between the original meanings of this word as opposed to the way this word is being used in the King James Version?

 

Paradidomi is actually represented by the word “deliver” (63 times) more than it is by the word “betray” (40 times) in the Authorized Version, or the King James Bible. Here are just a few examples of how this word has been rendered in the KJV:

 

§         And He answered and said, He that dippeth his hand with Me in the dish, the same shall betray Me. (Matthew 26:23)

§         But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come. (Mark 4:29)

§         Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, He departed into Galilee. (Matthew 4:12)

§         As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison. (Acts 8:3)

§         To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. (I Corinthians 5:5)

§         Then cometh the end, when He shall have delivered up the kingdom of God, even the Father; when He shall have put down all rule and authority and power.” (I Corinthians 15:24)

§         Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave Himself for it. (Ephesians 5:25)

§         For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature. (Romans 1:26)

§         For even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient. (Romans 1:28)

§         Men that have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Acts 15:26)

§         Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God. (Mark 1:14)

§         And Paul chose Silas, being recommended by the brethren unto the grace of God. (Acts 15:40)

 

According to my dictionary, the word betray means:

 

1.      to lead astray, especially : SEDUCE

2.      to deliver to an enemy by treachery

3.      to fail or desert especially in time of need

4.      a. to reveal unintentionally

b. SHOW, INDICATE

c. to disclose in violation of confidence

 

The word from which the word deliver is derived is the Latin word deliberare, and actually means to set free; for example: and lead us not into temptation, but deliver (or liberate) us from evil. The word can of course also mean to convey (a package) or to hand over, or surrender (a prisoner to the sheriff, for example), etc.

 

After examining all of the passages that were rendered by a form of the English word “betray” (for example: betray, betrayal, betrayer, etc.) it can be shown that in most every case that word could just as easily have been rendered by a form of the word “deliver.” The main difference would be, of course, that the latter would have no sinister implications attached to it.

 

So was Judas really the evil monster that orthodox Christianity so readily condemns, or was he in fact being used as an instrument of God’s divine plan? Most fundamental, Bible-believing Christians would indeed say that both statements are true! Revelation 13:8 refers to Jesus Christ as the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. So of course it was part of God’s pre-ordained plan of the ages, and they will quickly add the following:

 

“Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor? What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction.” (Romans 9:21,22)

 

Orthodox Christianity will make the claim that God, in His foreknowledge, chose one Judas Iscariot, a vessel prepared for destruction, in order to fulfill His divine plan. They will also tell you that God endured Judas with much longsuffering, but since he let his greed for gain get the better of him, then God eventually had to condemn him. But here is the main question that I would like to ask in response. Does this really seem fair to you that Judas was brought into this world for the main purpose of “betraying” Christ, which was all part of God’s plan, and then end up having to suffer for all eternity in the fires of hell because of it?

 

WHY FUNDAMENTALISTS HAVE IT ALL WRONG

 

Some time ago I wrote a three-part examination of the word destruction as it is used in the New Testament. The following in an excerpt from part 2 of that series:

 

“While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.” (John 17:12 - KJV)

 

The term “son of perdition” in this instance is obviously speaking of Judas Iscariot, who was an eyewitness to the many miraculous works of our Lord, and may have even loved and admired Christ as much as the other disciples. If it had been left up to him, he quite possibly would have remained loyal to Jesus. But there is absolutely no way on God’s green earth that Judas could have chosen of his own “free will” to remain loyal to Christ, for his destiny was already foretold (Psalm 41:9; 109:8). Therefore, he became “lost” in this present wicked age to fulfill God’s plan.

 

FREE WILL, or CAUSE AND EFFECT?

 

Most scientists today agree with Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity, and will attest to the “cause and effect” relationship in the universe. And even those who believe in the “big bang” theory will have to admit that something (or someone) caused that “big bang.” There are no known exceptions to this rule. So the question we must ask ourselves is this: Does mankind really have “free will,” or are all of his thoughts and actions in reality “caused” by outside forces?

 

“Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them.” (Psalm 139:16)

 

“A man’s steps are of the Lord; how then can a man understand his own way?” (Proverbs 20:24)

 

“And whatever His soul desires, that He does. For He performs what is appointed for me.” (Job 23:13-14)

 

The decisions we all make in our daily lives are in reality caused or influenced by unseen forces. In fact, this false concept that we all have “free will” is undoubtedly the most stubbornly persistent illusion in the world today. According to my dictionary, the term “free will” means

 

§         voluntary choice or decision < I do this of my own free will >

§         freedom of humans to make choices that are not determined by prior causes or divine intervention

 

In the case of Judas Iscariot his destiny was foretold in the Scriptures; therefore, an outside force (The LORD!) had to influence his decision making process in order to bring to fruition the ancient prophecies concerning him.

 

“Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition [or instruction], upon whom the ends of the ages have come.” (I Corinthians 10:11)

 

Therefore, this idea that a loving God would “cause” something to happen (A man’s steps ARE of the LORD) that was beyond Judas’ control (How could he have understood his own way?), and end up torturing him in eternal hellfire because of it is abominable, to say the very least. You may recall that Jesus’ dying plea to His Father was “Father, forgive them, for they know NOT what they do!” Do you believe that our heavenly Father will answer this most heartfelt prayer by His Son? I do!

 

“And the LORD said, ‘Who will persuade Ahab king of Israel to go up, that he may fall at Ramoth Gilead?’ So one spoke in this manner, and another in that manner. Then a spirit came forward and stood up before the LORD and said, ‘I will persuade him.’ The LORD said to him, ‘In what way?’ So he said, ‘I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ And the LORD said, ‘You shall persuade him and also prevail; go out and do so. Therefore look! The LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouth of these prophets of yours, and the LORD has declared disaster against you." (II Chronicles 18:19-22)

 

Here we have an excellent example, written for our instruction, of how God’s celestial agents influence mankind. A lying spirit persuaded Judas in much the same way that King Ahab was persuaded, and the end result was disaster. And the discerning eye that watches the news today can also see that God put lying spirits upon the mouths of President Bush’s advisors, or “prophets,” encouraging him to go to war in Iraq with statements such as, “They will welcome us as liberators!” Although many of the Iraqi people undoubtedly have welcomed us, a substantial number of insurgents obviously have not, resulting in the quagmire that we are all witnessing today.

 

“They gathered to do everything that you, by your power and will, had already decided would take place.” (Acts 4:28 – Today’s English Version)

 

“Known unto God are ALL His works from the beginning of the world.” (Acts 15:18 – KJV)

 

“Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure.’” (Isaiah 46:10)

 

For many years I was led to believe that we have all been given the freedom to either choose Christ or to reject Him, and this “free will choice” of ours would seal our eternal fate. And on top of this, the church also teaches that God already knows beforehand what choice everyone will make. Now please stop and think about this for a moment. If God really has given man free will to choose his own destiny, then there is no way that He could declare the end from the beginning, for He would have to wait and see what choice each individual makes before He could declare the end of things. I’m sorry, but that’s just the way it is. You can’t have it both ways. However, if God already knows ahead of time what “choice” you are going to make with your supposed “free will,” then is this truly a “free will choice,” or is this more correctly defined as “destiny?” I will let our Savior address this:

 

“For many are called, but few chosen.” (Matthew 20:16; 22:14)

“But for the elect’s sake, whom he hath chosen...” (Mark 13:20 - KJV)

“Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you...” (John 15:16 - KJV)

“I have chosen you out of the world...” (John 15:19 – KJV)

 

According to the Scriptures, everything that happens under the sun is following a prescribed course.

 

“They gathered to do EVERYTHING that you, by your power and will, had already decided would take place.” (Acts 4:28 – Today’s English Version)

 

“All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; He does according to His will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth. No one can restrain His hand…” (Daniel 4:35)

 

The saga of human history is literally just that – His Story! And like Judas Iscariot, most have been led astray in this present wicked age of deception. But there will come a time when our loving heavenly Father will welcome ALL of His prodigal sons into the kingdom, “for this my son was dead and is alive again, he was lost and is found.” (Luke 15:24)

 

“When your sisters, Sodom and her daughters, return to their former state, and Samaria and her daughters return to their former state, then you and your daughters will return to your former state.” (Ezekiel 16:55)

 

*****

 

CONCLUSION

 

I found The Gospel of Judas extremely interesting from the standpoint that another possibility arose that I had not considered; namely, that this act of “betrayal” may have been prearranged between Judas and Christ. While this is perhaps a remote possibility, I have to believe that it is highly unlikely for a couple of reasons. First of all, money seemed to be the chief motivating factor that caused Judas to “betray” Christ. [The ancient prophecies foretelling this event (see Zechariah 11:12,13) were later fulfilled (see Matthew 26:14,15; 27:3-10) to the letter!] And secondly, the fact that Judas was so overcome with grief to the point of committing suicide does not sound like something that someone would do as the result of an act of obedience. 

 

“Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am tempted by God,’ for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.” (James 1:13,14)

 

The carnal, sinful nature that was present within Judas (and us all) was more than enough to entice him [The love of money (or the greed for gain) is the root of all evil] and cause him to do exactly as God had predetermined.

 

[For more insight into this be sure to check out the series of articles: Just What Do You Mean By The Word: Destruction?] 

 

May God be with you!

 

Gary Cottongim

 

ADDENDUM

 

There is one other important point that I would like to make in connection with this controversial manuscript. As I have pointed out in other articles, God always confirms His Word in the mouths of two or three witnesses (II Corinthians 1:13). The simple fact that this gospel account seems to “stand alone” with a unique claim about Judas, without any other supporting testimonies from God’s Word, is another good reason for me at this time to reject it as an inspired work.