Did Jesus Ask Judas to Betray Him?

Question

Did Jesus Ask Judas to Betray Him?

Was there ever a Gospel According to Judas? An ancient book found in an Egyptian cave could be just that--and have an explosive message for Christians.
About three decades ago, a 2,000-year-old mystery surfaced when a farmer looking for treasure in an Egyptian cave instead found a decaying leather-bound book, called a Codex, written in ancient Coptic. Not realizing what he had, he sold it to an antiquities dealer.
Five years after the Codex was found, a scholar named Stephen Emmel was asked to look at it, but under the condition he not photograph it or make any notes. He told ABC's "Primetime" that he leafed through it and spotted a dialogue between Jesus and Judas and his disciples. "The name Judas came up again and again," he recalled. Then for 16 years it sat crumbling in, of all places, a safe-deposit box in a Long Island, N.Y., Citibank. In 2000 it was sold to former antiquities dealer Frieda Nussberger-Tchacos, who told "Primetime," "I think the circumstances of this manuscript coming to me were predestined. Judas was asking me to do something for him."
National Geographic and ABC News report scholars now think this is the long lost Gospel of Judas that was banned by the early church as blasphemous and ordered destroyed. Deciphering it was a monumental task since the 13 pieces of papyrus were in more than 1,000 pieces. Swiss restorer Florence Darbre and her partner painstakingly fit the tiny pieces together like an ancient jigsaw puzzle. Then Emmel and another scholar, Rodolphe Kasser, were called in to authenticate the text. "I've looked at hundreds of papyri, Coptic papyri, in my career, and this is absolutely typical of ancient Coptic manuscripts," Emmel told "Primetime." "I'm completely convinced." The final task was to use radio carbon-dating to authenticate it, which meant destroying tiny pieces of the precious document. The result? The text was written between the third and fourth century and is believed to be a copy of a much older document written in Greek in the second century.
What it has to say could shake Christianity to its core: The Bible says that Judas is the one who betrayed Jesus Christ for 30 pieces of silver, handing him over for crucifixion, an act that damned him for all time. But this Gospel of Judas tells it differently: Jesus asked Judas to betray him.
"Now, the Gospel of Judas also has Judas say to Jesus in fear and terror that he has a dream that the other disciples will hate him and will stone him to death, will attack him, Elaine Pagels, a professor at Princeton University and one of the world's foremost experts on ancient religious texts, told "Primetime." "And Jesus says, 'Yes, in fact, they will think that you are a terrible person because of what you did. This is part of the burden that you bear. But they will be wrong about that.' So it is an extraordinary transformation of the ordinary understanding of Judas Iscariot."
What does it mean? Pagels says that it shows Judas's betrayal of Jesus was not a reprehensible act or the act of a traitor. "It's a secret mystery between him and Jesus."
Herbert Krosney, author of "The Lost Gospel: The Quest for the Gospel of Judas Iscariot," goes even further. He calls Judas "the favored disciple of Jesus," adding, "He is the one whose star shines in the heavens and in the skies, and Judas, therefore, becomes unique. He is Jesus's best friend rather than his betrayer."
Pagels admits there is no historical proof for the Gospel of Judas, just as there is no historical proof for the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. However, she is quick to say, "The Christian message is a message about faith and hope and, you know, the relationship between God and human beings. It's not a matter of historical fact."
--From the Editors at Netscape

Answer 1

Now what in the world? Would YOU ask YOUR best friend to betray you? I dont think so.That makes no sense. This is another ploy of National Geographic (like they did with the secret lives of Jesus) to yet again pull down the validity of Jesus. Seems like the spirit of Judas is still influencing today. SO we are to believe some book found in some cave supposedly, but when we believers bring up the fact that the ancient dead sea scrolls were found, oh no-theres holes in that - we get flack. Those cant be valid but this one is? This is hypocritical and a desperate attempt to discredit God and His work on the cross.

Answer 2

"the favored disciple of Jesus," adding, "He is the one whose star shines in the heavens and in the skies, and Judas, therefore, becomes unique. He is Jesus's best friend rather than his betrayer."


See, in John it says he was the disciple whom Jesus loved.
That's a contradiction. The Bible doesn't contradict itself. If Judas' "gospel" was in the Bible that would contradict what the gospel of John said which is why the "gospel of Judas" wasn't included, most likely because it was false, as many documents historical or not are.

Answer 3

There were two people that betrayed Jesus Christ that night long ago. One was Peter and the second was Judas. Both of them repented of their sin and you know that Our Lord forgave them both.

Do you really think God would choose 12 men to later become His Apostles and then allow them to do Him harm if it was not already predestined to happen.

The Word apostle means, sent forth ones.
In these final days of this world age that we live in, I would be very careful of what just happens to come to the surface that claims to be the Word of God.><>

Answer 4

Yes...Jesus knew Judas would betray Him all along and accepted him as a disciple. He also told Him "do what you must" before He went to the San Hedrin.

Answer 5

Jesus knew Judas would betray him. Since it was his Father's plan he had to allow it. But after Judas betrayed him he realized that they were going to kill him and he commited suicide. Jesus purpose is to give life not take it so why would he ask Judas to betray him knowing that he would kill himself afterwards?

Answer 6

Judas betrayed Jesus as prophesy foretold...
30 pieces of silver......
Judas sold out---pure and simple--the Devil that Jesus called him..

Answer 7

woah! that was a lot! Anyways, Judas did what had to happen, jesus had to be turned in, in order for him to be crucified, in other words judas was an instrunment of god.

Answer 8

That's really interesting. I'll have to look more into it.