by kwintestal 10 Replies latest watchtower bible
What are your thoughts on it?
The link to the National Geographic research of it.
Link to the translated document of the Gospel of Judas. (in .pdf)
I read the account and I must say it really sheds a different light on the whole story. Did Jesus really conspire with Judas to have himself killed?
Kwin
thanks for the links kwin.
i am glad that gnostic groups who were silenced by the church, or by the desert, are finally having a say.
tetra
I always wondered why some of the "Gospel" are said to hold more water then others. At first, I thought it was believed that the other Gospels were either proved to be written latter and then determined false. Then I wondered how you prove how old a 2000 year old document is when you deny carbon dating for everything else.
underaglassmoon ~
I can see why it was left out.
Imagine the WTS trying to explain it -
Shame portions were lost
bernadette
I know the standard history is that gnostic christianities came in strong about the 2nd century. So the present protestant, orthodox, and catholic churches harp on that to discredit it.
I find some aspects of gnosticism very appealling though. I also think there's a strong case for early forms having roots going right back to around the time of Paul,
But it looks like this copy of the Gospel of Judas, fits the description of a version used by the Cainites. So unlike, say, the Gospel of Thomas, I don't really think this gospel holds any genuine early traditions. It might also not be properly interpreted so I'm waiting for the alternative.
Besides my general interest in variant forms of christianity, I also luv this gosple for a very unintellectual reason. Its gotten the local dub CO and elders, as well as some local fundies I've come across riled up and its fun to discuss it with them.
http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/10/116729/1.ashx (note Leolaia's recent link at the end of first page, which shows that the interpretation of the Gospel of Judas is still debated).
I just bought the dvd put out by National Geographic. and have had google news alerts, minimum 1/day, everyday for at least the past 5-6 months. Its very much still being debated.
Personally, I don't see what the big deal is, why this story doesn't just go along with the others. Except for the way history has used the Judas figure as a scapegoat, if the whole life, death and resurrection of Jesus was prophesized, foretold, and expected, events would HAVE to happen for it all to be fulfilled.
and what if he didn't commit suicide? but was murdered to have him silenced?
as far as gnostism goes, there are extremists in every school of thought. I can see where the 1st century governing body (hahahahahah) would want to extinguish that way of thinking. Can't be the powers that rule if everyone is believing in the symbolic/spiritual/mystical - those human LORDS would not be nece$$ary.
wp
Non Christian gospel!
I've had some interesting encounters on Usenet with folks who like to paint Judas as this evil, wicked character. My reply to them is along the lines that someone needed to betray Jesus in order for him to fulfill the prophecies about him. In other words, GOD selected someone to do this. How could Judas, then, be wicked and evil if he was chosen by God to set in motion the actions that resulted in Jesus' sacrificial death? If it were not for Judas' betraying Jesus, there would be no salvation in Christian doctrine as we know it today.
They should be regarding Judas as one of Christianity's MVPs, not as a pariah.
I just looked at the PDF, and, hot dang, there are a ton of ellipses [...] in that document!
