what do u think of the Gospel of  Judas?
355184
First of all, I think all this hype at Easter time about a supposedly hidden gospel, written by a major player in the crucifixion story is a little suspect....imagine......... television trying to get ratings...lol.\n\nOn the other hand, if it is an actual document recorded by people who had Judas' story handed down to them (like the four big gospels), I've always wondered if Judas actually imagined to the point of belief that HE was the center of bringing about the new government.  \n\nHe may have actually thought that Jesus was giving him some kind of signals to carry out the dirty work. He certainly hasn't been the last person to believe he was getting divine direction to commit a crime in the name of God. Especially if money was involved.\n\nAnd before anyone tries to defend Judas' actions or say that what Judas did was "God's will" and "part of The Plan", don't forget the Sanhedrin was determined to do away with Christ. They didn't have to have Judas.
460563
With anyone on a spiritual quest, anything that will allow them to think and consider the implications of the death of Jesus is a good thing.  It is a provocative movie.\n\nBut, I think it is generally overrated.  I don't think it's very biblically accurate.  The whole thing with Mary cleaning up the blood of Jesus, the demons with Judas at the end, the sparrow flying over Jesus before he dies, the part where Jesus falls while being carried and getting hung up in his chains, all of these were distractions.  I think the gospel is compelling enough without these distractions.\n\nIf you're ready to divide the "extra-biblical" content in the movie, it would be a good discussion starter.  If not who knows what the result will be.
565921
No. Jesus stated very clearly that Judas was the son of perdition and that it would have been better for him to not have been born.\n\n\nJohn 17:12\nWhile I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.
115398
For the first part it is simple ...\nThink about this: we are all God's creation and one way or another we carry on God's will. One of the assets given to us is free-will, the will to do as we choose. God's purpose now is to guide us on the right path, but it is us who must walk it. Judas did not know God's will at the time, it was much later that people were aware of what Jesus' death actually ment.\nThe fact that God intended it doesn't excuse Judas' act. It was Judas' choice to betray his teacher and this alone makes his act evil, just like any treason. God doesn't mind-control anyone. He chose to betray Jesus to the romans, thus he is a traitor and his treachery is ten-fold since we are talking about the Son of God (something Judas really believed or he wouldn't be an Apostle).\nAlso the fact that he's a traitor doesn't mean christians should hold a grudge against Judas. After all, he was forgiven for his actions did lead on the right path.\n\nAs for the accusations against the Jews, whatever they had done then, it's all done and it subscribes to the same things I've said above.
635724
Yes, thank you for sharing this with us.  I really enjoyed it and felt it tug on my heart.  God bless you.\n\nBrother in Christ, Johnny
230320
Many people seem to have a problem remembering that this book is fiction.  Some Christians take offence because it is important to them that Jesus was a virgin all his life.  I think these people somehow see sex -- even in marriage -- as "dirty" -- otherwise, why would it sully Jesus' purity to have a wife and children?  They seem to think the possibility detracts from His perfection.  \n\nFor me, it makes no difference.  Jesus is the Messiah, the Christ, whether He was married or not.  And the possibility of His bloodline continuing seems to me to be important only to those who think His blood contained some special DNA that would be passed down.  Unless that DNA somehow makes people better people, more likely to love others and change the world -- what difference does it make?  And from what I see of the world, any DNA that makes people better has been as diluted as the Truth He brought (sorry, Christians).  It would be nice if His Teachings existed and were followed in their entirety, but if they were, the world would not be in the state it is in now.\n\nI don't read too much into "The Last Supper" -- it's a painting, not a photograph!  It was done centuries after the fact and the people shown *represent* the people who were there but do not look like them -- since no one knows what they looked like.  If the figure to Jesus' left looks feminine, it is only because da Vinci painted it that way -- and reflects da Vinci's beliefs and/or skill -- not reality.  \n\nI enjoyed the book, but really don't understand the furor.  There are so many books that are more interesting and controversial -- but many of them aren't fiction.  :-)
350946
No. But then i dont believe in anything Christian either. \n\nThe Gospel of Judas shows that the gospels were written not about historical facts, but from the theology of the authors. If a gospel author believed something, he wrote a story to 'prove' what he believed. The author of the gospel of Judas believed Judas was doing the will of Jesus, so he wrote a story to 'prove' it. The same is true with the other gospels in the Christians' New Testament.
551030
in my opinion?\n\nIt was a perfect example of the true way to obtain eternal life- through grace and faith- not through works.\n\nHere you have two criminals- being persecuted for some crimes- and one of them is hurling insults at Jesus- yelling "If you're the King of Kings and the Son of God- why don't you save us and save yourself?"\n\nBut the other one- the other one turns to Jesus and defends Jesus and asks Jesus to forgive him and remember him in Heaven.  And Jesus says: "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise"\n\nThis to me- is absolutely amazing.  Here are two absolutely opposite sinners.  Both of whom sinned and were being punished for their crimes- one who repents- one who doesn't.\n\nThe one who repents- the one who truly believes in Jesus as the Lord and Saviour- is saved right there on the cross.\n\nEternal life and being saved is by the Grace of God alone- through faith and belief in Jesus Christ as His Son.\n\nIt's an incredible story!!!
423159
I agree with Silent Fire.  Well, at least on the bit about including ALL the available gospels and not just the ones that the church decided were "good enough to print."  Personally, I'm all for anything that shakes up the power-base of the church.  \n\nSeing how Aubrey is frightened by this gospel, outlook is good on it rattling a few floorboards!\n\nIf Jesus came back today, you'd see a huge repeat of the "My Father's house/vs/Den of Thieves" debacle.  The only thing more currupt than politics is religion.
544828
I don't think we'll ever be able to make a good judgement because we'll never see all the evidence about the Gospel of Judas. Those who want to use it to change Christianity are only going to show what they can use to help them. Also, so much of the Gospel is gone, it is like trying to read the bible skipping every 2 paragraphs or so.
715374
I think that verse reveals a lot of modern evanglicalism to be out of step with Scripture. We have a very friendly, easy gospel preached in America where salvation is all up to us. John 6 teaches its not up to us at all in fact we contribute nothing to our own salvation including the will to believe. We are so totally depraved in our sin that we cannot even worship God unless he makes us worshippers. Very humbling.
217310
I have watched this movie several times and to tell you the truth, I felt bad after every viewing.  Not bad in the "I shouldn't have watched this" way, but bad that I have a part in nailing Jesus to the cross, even today.  I actually cried when I first watched it, and I am not one of those people that cry at movies, but this was a moving experience for me.  \n\nThe movie was adapted from a book that a num wrote a couple of hundred years ago.  She had visions from Jesus about what the Passion was like, and was told all of this in great detail, including how many times He was whipped, and the crown of thorns and everything else.\n\nI haven't read the book, but am still looking for it, but I have heard, from people who have read it, that the movie is very close to what this nun had written.\n\nI don't think the movie was supposed to "bring people to Christianity", but was meant to show people how Jesus suffered.  I agree that something should have been done about the Resurection, since Passion referes to the crusifixtion, death and resurection, but I did kind of like the ending, showing Him walking out of the tomb.
475472
the gospel of judas was written in 300 ad in egypt, it a gnostic gospel , judas had nothing to do with writing this gospel. the gnostics also wrote other gospels like nathans stevens and marys among others, gnostics could be compared to new age believers today who think knowledge is the ultimate goal of humanity. theyve turned satan, in the garden of eden, into good character , now you want me to believe a gospel from the gnostics about judas is true when they believe satan is a good guy because of his knowledge .. come on
1080723
I know and to be a gospel it had to be written by one of the disciples or their assistant.  The gos[pel of Thomas, Judas etc, were NOT written by them.  The stuff that people will believe!
94885
I have read this book a couple of times and am looking forward to the movie.\n\nI think it is a great piece of fiction.  Sure, there are some truths in it, but for the most part it is pure fiction.  I have been to many of the sites that he pointed to in the book and some just aren't the way he stated.\n\nI think that it makes baseless claims about Jesus being married and having a child, and a few other things, but that is his perogotive as a writer of fiction.\n\nI am Catholic and am not in a hissy or upset or mad that the book was written, but I am upset and mad when people use it as a basis to trash my Catholic faith.  It is FICTION!  He says so himself!  But regardless of being true or not, I look at it this way, if Jesus was married and had a child, what better roll model for me, as a Catholic father to have?
503407
Have ANY of you actually READ the book? \nI never cease to be appalled at the absolute blindness of the Jesus freaks. Not to mention that not one of you has yet answered the main question posed here.\nYes, the main theory behind the premise of the book is that Jesus has actual blood descendants still alive today. And that there is a secret society whose duty it is to trace the blood line through history and present the knowledge at the right time. \nNow, everyone here loves to just immediately scream "It is fiction!" and "Dan Brown made it up!" Well, if they had ANY idea what they were talking about, then they would know that Dan Brown DID NOT make up the theories presented in the book. The plot of course is his own idea, and is fiction, but the historical background he uses, which is what everyone is upset about, is NOT his idea.\nPlease, folks. Educate yourselves, find out WHAT he wrote. How can you say that what he wrote isn't true, if you don't even know what he wrote?\nBecause most of you have put your brain in the hands of various spiritual leaders, and you have made the conscious decision not to think for yourselves.\nSince my personal belief is that Jesus may have existed, but not as the son of God, then I believe that his blood line could still exist. Does a secret society exist for just this reason? Difficult to believe, but a cool idea.\nAnd because this stuff just really gets me going, I have to say something else. If all of the "Christians" truly believed they are following the One True Religion, and they also believe that every word of the Bible is true (my other favorite subject due to all of the discrepancies in it) why  aren't you showing mercy and compassion for all of the misguided?\nInstead you choose to scream for a banning of the book and a worldwide boycott of the movie. These are the actions of scared people. These are the actions of third world leaders who see their power crumbling. Those who have absolute faith in the truth of their beliefs would only grin, slightly amused, at all the turmoil.
302209
If you understand the nature of the "Gospel of Judas" and related works, I think you'll agree that the New Testament gospels are a better bet by far.  (By the way, there are FOUR of them, and all tell of Judas's betraying Jesus.) \n\nThe "Gospel of Judas" was one of a host of "Gnostic gospels" that began to pop up in the second century (decades after the four gospels in the New Testament).  The Gnostics believed that they were a very special elite  (beyond the common, 'run of the mill' Christians) who had been given a very special, secret knowledge that was withheld from everyone else.\n\nWhat that implies is that the REAL truth must be something hidden, a secret that 'ordinary' people (or ordinary Christians) do not and cannot get, only the initiated. \n\nWhat the Gnostic gospels have in common is that they pick ONE person to whom Jesus is supposed to have told "the REAL plan", which was different from what everyone else thought.\n\nInteresting implications of this are\n1) ONLY Thomas, or Judas, or whichever person supposedly had been given this special truth and passed it on, had the truth.  So only ONE of these gospels can be correct. ALL the other gospels (including all the other Gnostic gospels!!) had to be mistaken!\n2) Because it was a SECRET, revealed on the sly to just one person (initially), you could not DISprove it by pointing to all the evidence and teaching that did not fit in with it!\n\nAs for Judas.  Since this "gnosis" or '(hidden) knowledge' was a secret NOT revealed to anyone else, and was beyond the understanding of ordinary 'unenlightened' folk (Gnostics wer real spiritual elitists!) it makes sense for it all be a big surprise (not at all what you would expect from general Christian teaching).  That would make Judas an ideal choice.   You see, the ordinary people THOUGHT that Judas chose to betray Jesus.   Only the enlightened knew the truth!\n\nBASIC GNOSTIC BELIEFS in short: \nElitist (not accessible to most people), can only have ONE gospel (all others false), the special knowledge CANNOT be proven false (historical evidence does not count), and incidentally, thinks VERY negatively about the physical world (Christian view, like the Hebrew was that the physical world was created good... believed in a REAL physical incarnation of Jesus, the hope of a physical resurrection  vs. Gnosticism which holds that the spiritual world is good, the material world is evil)\n\nDo people understand that THIS is what the "Gospel of Judas" and the rest are about??   Is that really what folks want to believe?  (Or maybe the information they are being fed about it doesn't tell them some of these things?)