The Gospel of Judas

[poliphilo]

Without the crucifixion there'd be no salvation and without the betrayal in the garden there'd be no crucifixion: so why is Judas seen as the villain of the piece? I thought this was a modern idea, but the newly discovered Gospel of Judas (a gnostic text from c. A.D. 300) has Jesus telling Judas to betray him.

The gnostics treated theology as an art form. They were happily irresponsible. They invented, speculated, played games.

Then the Church clamped down and it has taken us something like 1500 years to get those freedoms back.

Read more here

Comments

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

There's a pleasing medieval legend that Judas is allowed out of hell once a year. I forget why.

Yes. if God witholds forgiveness from Judas on the grounds that "it's personal" then he's nothing but a whimsical, old tyrant.

[thewayupward.livejournal.com]

That's the legend of St. Brendan, that he's allowed out of hell every year on Candlemas, to ease his torment on sea.

And yeah! word to everything you said. I am celebrating all this Gospel of Judas kerfuffle by watching Jesus Christ Superstar, or, as Andrew Rilstone says, the apocryphal gospel of Andrew and Timothy. (yay!)

[thewayupward.livejournal.com]

!! PS. full text here. It is totally weird so far: Jesus is apparently from 'the immortal realm of Barbarelo' - !!!

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

The full text? This I've got to see!

Barbarelo?

[thewayupward.livejournal.com]

No kidding! Plus, Eve's real name ('in the clouds') is 'Zoe'. HILARITY ENSUES

Re Barbarelo: ... your guess is as good as mine.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Ah yes, St Brendan...

I couldn't quite put my finger on it.