Do you think the Bible should be amended to include the Gospel of Judas?

Question

...which says Jesus told Judas to betray him. Why or why not?

Jayelle: The whole bible could be a hoax.

Answer 1

The canon was closed by Constantine and they made sure no one dared open it up again afterwards.

Answer 2

The idea that Jesus told Judas to betray him is not any sort of huge revelation. This idea has been around for quite some time without the Gospel of Judas.

Personally, I believe that the bible as it was assembled by the Council of Nicaea should stand as is for historical reasons. However, I also believe that the Apocrypha (those books that were excluded) are also historically important. I believe that the Gospel of Judas should be counted amount the Apocrypha.

Answer 3

The Bible writes that Jesus dipped the bread in the fruit of the vine and handed it to Judas. This was a sign that Judas would be the one to kick his heal at Jesus. When this happened, Satan entered Judas. This is satanic possession. Pretty bad.

It was prophesied in the old testament that this would happen. So, Judas was the one, and he loved money more than God. And Judas isn't in heaven with the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Gospel of Judas has errors in it, that it contradicts with the NT Gospels. So, it is apocryphal. Apocryphal meaning false (not God inspired).

Answer 4

Because the Gospel of Judas is a late Gnostic work written centuries after the canonical gospels. You might as well include Stephen King's 'Carrie.'

The books of the New Testament are in the Bible because they read in the Christian lectionary. Not because they had the word 'Jesus' in them.

Answer 5

I guess that may happen, at least in some sects, but that's not my decision. First they have to confirm the origin of the Gospel of Judas--it could, after all, be a very old hoax.

Answer 6

Gospel of Judas
Q. What is the Lutheran Church's opinion on the new “Gospel of Judas?” Is this book the inspired Word of God? Should we Lutherans read this?



A. First, we need to know some basic facts about this ancient Egyptian text, which was discovered in 1978 in a cave in Egypt. Since 1978, this manuscript has been circulating in various antiquities markets, but is now being released by National Geographic. The “Gospel of Judas” is a Coptic (language of ancient Egypt) translation made in the third or fourth century of an earlier (likely Greek) text dating sometime in the late second century (perhaps about 180 A.D.). Scholars are agreed that the original text was not written by Judas, but, as was common in ancient times, the name of Judas was attached to this anonymous writing (writings falsely attributed to a famous person are commonly called pseudepigraphic). This “Gospel of Judas” claims to speak about the final days of Jesus' life from the perspective of Judas, whose version differs from what we know from the New Testament Gospels.



The existence of the Gospel of Judas has been known for centuries, and thus is no “new” discovery (only the discovery of the Coptic manuscript is “new”). In writing against ancient heresies, the church father Irenaeus (130-200 A. D.) said that the Gospel of Judas originated in a Gnostic sect called the Cainites. He wrote: “They produce a fictitious history of this kind, which they label the Gospel of Judas.” Ancient gnostics, whose teachings were rejected by early Christians as heretical, generally taught that material creation is evil, entrapping what belongs to the divine or spiritual realm. Souls (spirit) are imprisoned in human bodies and are released (thus “saved”) and ascend to the spiritual realm through knowledge (gnosis).



The New Testament Gospels and Epistles, written in the second half of the first century, were soon circulated and authenticated themselves upon the church (not merely by popular vote in a political process, as is sometimes alleged today). Gradually they achieved canonical status and became the norm for orthodox Christianity. A significant number of apocryphal (non-canonical) works appeared from the second to sixth centuries. The Gospel of Judas is one among many of these non-authoritative books. Irenaeus' rejection of it illustrates the early Christian judgment that such writings were not to be regarded as the inspired Word of God.



On the basis of ancient non-canonical books—some expressly rejected as heretical by the early church—some modern writers have tried to cast doubts on biblical authority and Christian teachings. Best-selling books have achieved popularity by questioning Christian origins. Lutherans need to keep abreast of such developments, and especially in this age of general biblical illiteracy, become better informed regarding foundational biblical truths as they “make a defense” of the hope that is within them (1 Peter 3:15).

Answer 7

If it helps eradicate the Evil characterestic Judas Represents....ENVY..This is the Sin that leads ultimately to Murder. Every prophets fate came to demise because of this Disease of the heart infected by ENVY

Answer 8

Nope, that debate was made years ago by Catholic priests who decided what was divine and what was not.

Do I agree with them, no, but changing the Bible now would cause too many more problems. Denominations would split even further, and a new subset of Christianity would probably appear calling themselves the Newly Inspired Truth Holders. That would lead to debate and potentially war.

Leave it as it is, haven't we had enough trouble.,.....

Answer 9

Well it doesn't conflict with the other gospels as much as it contains extra information. Some people just don't think the message flows with Paul's teachings so they leave it out.

I ask who the Hell is Paul...

Answer 10

Not a good idea!

Rev. 22:18-29

If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

Answer 11

So much has been lost in translation and lost books, who really knows what the true gospel is anymore. The church decides what should go in, and be taken out.