From Deseret News archives:

BYU panelists question value of Gospel of Judas

They doubt that it has actual sayings of Jesus or Judas

Published: Sunday, April 16, 2006 12:00 a.m. MDT
PRINT | FONT + - 
PROVO — The newly translated "Gospel of Judas" doesn't contain the actual sayings of either Jesus or Judas, according to a panel of religious scholars who spoke at Brigham Young University on Saturday.

On that, they agreed.

There was slightly less agreement about how the document will, or should, be of interest to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

S. Kent Brown, Frank F. Judd, Gaye Strathearn and Thomas A. Wayment spoke as part of the university's annual Easter Conference. Professor Richard Neitzel Holzapfel introduced his fellow professors, saying they are the school's premier New Testament and Gnostic experts.

Holzapfel also said that, in his entire life, he has never seen such interest in an ancient text. People e-mail him and stop him in the grocery store, he said. Everyone, including his Jewish friends, wonder what LDS scholars will make of the Gospel of Judas.

The National Geographic Society has the rights to the document and, last week, released two books and a television special explaining where this latest discovery fits into the history of Christianity. At BYU, in the first half of their 45-minute discussion, the scholars summarized the story.

They said the leather-bound codex is thought to have been found in a desert cave in Egypt 18 years ago. Since then, because of the way it was stored, it has disintegrated greatly. During the discussion, the BYU scholars did not question the age or translation of the document.

Holzapfel noted the gospel describes a conversation in which Jesus tells Judas, "You will exceed all of them, for you will sacrifice the man who clothed me."

By this, according to the text, Jesus means Judas will help to liberate him from his physical body.

"The gospel also suggests Judas will be despised by other disciples but that, in the end, he will be exalted over them," Holzapfel observed.

He noted the abrupt ending to the gospel. There is no mention of the Crucifixion or the Resurrection. Judas hands over Jesus and the story is done.

"This is a key word. Instead of 'betrayed,' it says 'handed over,' " Holzapfel said.

Judd contrasted the Gospel of Judas with the biblical, or "canonical," gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The Bible says Judas did not care for the poor. It says he stole. The Bible says it was Satan, not Jesus, who convinced Judas to accept money in exchange for his master's life.

About this ad

View Comments

DeseretNews.com encourages a civil dialogue among its readers. We welcome your thoughtful comments.

– About Comments

rss icon

Recommended in Utah

Story

Three people were hospitalized Friday after a propane gas leak sparked an explosion on Old Bingham Highway.

Story

A public funeral for Charlie and Braden Powell will be held Saturday, at 11 a.m. (PST), in Tacoma, Wash.

Story

Officials confirmed Friday that a man and a woman were killed in a plane crash near the Morgan County Airport.

No. Utah sees a major earthquake every 350 years. Last one? 350 years ago.