The Gospel of Judas or Judas the Spy?
The Gospel of Judas was so identified and translated around 2005 when John Paul II died.
Maybe it suggested that somebody betrayed the Vatican.
The Gospel of Judas is a Gnostic gospel whose content consists of conversations between the Apostle Judas Iscariot and Jesus Christ.
It is believed to have been written by Gnostic followers of Jesus, certainly not by Judas himself, and, since it contains late 2nd century theology, probably dates from no earlier than the 2nd century. In 180 AD, Irenaeus, the Bishop of Lyons, wrote a document in which he railed against this gospel, indicating the book was already in circulation.
A leather-bound Coptic language papyrus document that surfaced during the 1970s, near Beni Masar, Egypt,[2] was named the Codex Tchacos after an antiquities dealer, Frieda Nussberger-Tchacos, who became concerned about the deteriorating condition of the manuscript. First translated in the early 2000s, the codex contains text that appears to be from the late 2nd century AD,[3] and includes the self-titled "Gospel of Judas" (Euangelion Ioudas)[4] which claims to be the story of Jesus's death from the viewpoint of Judas.
The initial translation of the Gospel of Judas was widely publicized but simply confirmed the account that was written in Irenaeus and known Gnostic beliefs, leading some scholars to simply summarize the discovery as nothing new.It is very interesting that in the second century some people tried hard to interpret what Judas did from a viewpoint of Judas. But what did they gain by justifying the Judas' act?
However, it is argued that a closer reading of the existent text, as presented in October 2006, shows that the writer suggests that Judas was set up to actually betray Jesus out of wrath and anger:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gospel_of_Judas
THE GOSPEL OF JUDAS
Translated by
Rodolphe Kasser, Marvin Meyer, and Gregor Wurst,
in collaboration with François Gaudard
...
When Jesus appeared on earth, he performed miracles and great wonders for the salvation of humanity. And since some [walked] in the way of righteousness while others walked in their transgressions, the twelve disciples were called.
He began to speak with them about the mysteries beyond the world and what would
take place at the end. Often he did not appear to his disciples as himself, but he was found among them as a child.
...
One day he was with his disciples in Judea, and he found them gathered together and seated in pious observance. When he [approached] his disciples, [34] gathered together and seated and offering a prayer of thanksgiving over the bread, [he] laughed.
The disciples said to [him], “Master, why are you laughing at [our] prayer of
thanksgiving? We have done what is right.”
He answered and said to them, “I am not laughing at you.are not doing this
because of your own will but because it is through this that your god [will be] praised.”
They said, “Master, you are […] the son of our god.”
Jesus said to them, “How do you know me? Truly [I]
...
Knowing that Judas was reflecting upon something that was exalted, Jesus said to him,“Step away from the others 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. [36] For someone else will replace you, in order that the twelve [disciples] may again come to completion with their god.”
...
Judas said, “Master, could it be that my seed is under the control of the rulers?”
Jesus answered and said to him, “Come, that I [—two lines missing—], but that you
will grieve much when you see the kingdom and all its generation.”
When he heard this, Judas said to him, “What good is it that I have received it? For
you have set me apart for that generation.”
Jesus answered and said, “You will become the thirteenth, and you will be cursed by the other generations—and you will come to rule over them. In the last days they will curse your ascent [47] to the holy [generation].”
...
“Truly […] your last […] become [—about two and a half lines missing—], grieve
[—about two lines missing—] the ruler, since he will be destroyed. And then the image of the great generation of Adam will be exalted, for prior to heaven, earth, and the angels, that generation, which is from the eternal realms, exists. 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.”
Judas lifted up his eyes and saw the luminous cloud, and he entered it.
...
[…] Their high priests murmured because [he] had gone into the guest room for his
prayer. But some scribes were there watching carefully in order to arrest him during the prayer, for they were afraid of the people, since he was regarded by all as a prophet.
They approached Judas and said to him, “What are you doing here? You are Jesus’
disciple.”
Judas answered them as they wished. And he received some money and handed him over to them.
THE GOSPEL OF JUDASOne possible theory about creation of this Gospel is that as Christianity came to be widely accepted by people in the Roman Empire and citizens of Rome, some scholars at the time checked the background of this religion. And they found that there was a controversial figure, though so negative, in the story of Christ Jesus: Judas Iscariot.
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/lostgospel/_pdf/GospelofJudas.pdf
Such Roman scholars concerned must have further referred to documents that were related to Christ Jesus and Judas Iscariot and kept secretly somewhere in Rome or Palestine. And, in my theory, when they discovered that Judas Iscariot had been a spy sent by the then Roman authority in Palestine to Christ Jesus, they must have been very much embarrassed.
"What if the increasing number of believers in Christ Jesus found that Judas had been a spy of Romans?" The Roman elite had to do something to avoid such possible indictment from Christians who were then gaining influences in Rome. The fact that Judas Iscariot had been a spy under control of a Roman general or governor in Syria or Jerusalem must be kept secret for ever. So, they decided to write the Gospel of Judas.
This is one possible scenario, though the Gospel of Mark must be reexamined in this context, since it is very likely that Christ Jesus Himself wrote this Gospel using the name Mark.
we’re all betrayers of Christ
http://www.aumethodists.org/worship/sermons/2012-spring/what-judas-did-wrong/
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Joh 7:21 Jesus answered and said unto them, I have done one work, and ye all marvel.