Gospel of Judas

The Gospel of Judas is a Gnostic gospel, the text of which was partially reconstructed in 2006. It has a strong positive focus on Judas Iscariot, who according to the canonical Gospels betrayed Jesus Christ to the Roman authorities. The Gospel of Judas frames this act positively as obedience to the instructions of Jesus, rather than a betrayal.

From

• The secret account of the revelation that Jesus spoke in conversation with Judas Iscariot during a week, three days before he celebrated Passover
  • Introduction to the Gospel

• The first is Seth, who is called Christ.

• Those [i.e., the disciples] you have seen receiving the offerings at the altar — that is who you are. That is the God you serve, and you are those twelve men you have seen. The cattle you have seen brought for sacrifice are the many people you lead astray before that altar. [. . .] will stand and make use of My name in this way, and generations of the pious will remain loyal to Him.

Jesus, to Judas

• Knowing that Judas was reflecting upon something that was exalted, Jesus said to him: Step away from the others [the disciples] and I shall tell you the mysteries of the Kingdom. It is possible for you to reach it, but you will grieve a great deal. For someone else will replace you, in order that the twelve [disciples] may again come to completion with their God.

• Look, you have been told everything. Lift up your eyes and look at the cloud and the light within it and the stars surrounding it. The star that leads the way is your star.

Jesus, to Judas

• You shall be cursed for generations... you will come to rule over them... You will exceed all of them. For you will sacrifice the man that clothes me.

Jesus, to Judas

• In the last days they will curse your ascent to the holy [generation].

Jesus, to Judas

About

• [Some] declare that Cain derived his being from the Power above, and acknowledge that Esau, Korah, the Sodomites, and all such persons, are related to themselves. . .They declare that Judas the traitor was thoroughly acquainted with these things, and that he alone, knowing the truth as no others did, accomplished the mystery of the betrayal; by him all things, both earthly and heavenly, were thus thrown into confusion. They produce a fictional history of this kind, which they style the Gospel of Judas.

Irenaeus, Adversus Haereses, c. 180

• In those days the Church decided for political reasons to include the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John in the Bible. The other gospels were banned. It is highly logical that the Catholic Church would have kept a copy of the forbidden gospels. Sadly, the Vatican does not want to clarify further. Their policy has been the same for years – 'No further comment.'

Mario Roberty, 2006, speculating that the Vatican has another copy of the Gospel of Judas

• "This is a demonstrably late text which simply parallels a large number of quite well-known works from the more eccentric fringes of the early century Church... We are instantly fascinated by the suggestion of conspiracies and cover-ups; this has become so much the stuff of our imagination these days that it is only natural, it seems, to expect it when we turn to ancient texts, especially biblical texts. We treat them as if they were unconvincing press releases from some official source, whose intention is to conceal the real story; and that real story waits for the intrepid investigator to uncover it and share it with the waiting world. Anything that looks like the official version is automatically suspect."

Arch Bishop of Canterbury's Easter Adress, 2006.