THE
DISCOVERY OF MANUSCRIPTS FROM LATE ANTIQUITY
AND
ITS IMPACT ON THE CONTEMPORARY[1]
Is the
discovery of the Gnostic and Apocryphal gospels as
a "weapon" against Christianity? The case of the gospels of Judas and
of Maria Magdalena.
Dr
Eirini Artemi
Post
Doc of Ancient Greek and Byzantine Philosophy of University of Patras. Ph.D.
& MA of Theology of National and Capodistrian University of Athens.
Theologist
& Classical Philologist, Lecturer in the Hellenic Open University.
email:
eartemi@theol.uoa.gr
Abstract
People are instantly fascinated by the suggestion of conspiracies and cover-ups; this has become so much the stuff of our imagination these days that it is only natural, it seems, to expect it when we turn to ancient texts, especially biblical texts. In this paper, we are going to investigate the role that the Gnostic and Apocryphal gospels of Judas and of Maria Magdalena. These gospels are used by the polemics of Christianity in order to prove that Christ was not real enfleshed (sesarkomenos) God without sin. By presenting the Gospel of Maria Magdalena, we will focus on the fact that the content of the book has been altered on purpose in order to show that Mary was not a holy woman but She was just a woman. Also, in contemporary times the controversy surrounding Dan Brown's novel «The Da Vinci Code» has intensified interest in Mary Magdalene. On the other hand we will speak about the gospel of Judas. In contrast to the canonical gospels, which paint Judas as a betrayer who delivered Jesus to the authorities for crucifixion in exchange for money, the Gospel of Judas portrays Judas's actions as done in obedience to instructions given to him by Christ. As a conclusion we try to explain which role is served by the use of these texts mainly in documentary films in period of Easter or Christmas.
Keywords: Apocryphal gospels, gnostic, gospel of
Maria Magdalena, gospel of Judas, illuminative, Da Vinci Code.
My dearest professors, my dearest
colleagues,
It is a great honour for me to be with you
in San Juan of Argentina for the second International congress on patristic studies
in March 2017. The subject of my paper has to do with the use of the apocryphal
gospels in modern time in order to cause trouble to Christian Church and to
present that Christ was not total god and total man simultaneously but he had
human passions as any man.
Introduction
The
apocryphal biblical texts
It is quite difficult to be given a precise
definition of “apocryphal texts”. Generally, apocrypha means «hidden thing» in
Greek[2]
and something which is guarded carefully. In Colossians epistle Paul writes
that Christ “in whom are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge hidden”[3],
which means the word “treasure” is, literally, “storehouse”, or “treasury”, or “vault”
a place where something that is precious is kept for safety. Christ is the
treasury of wisdom and knowledge. Those precious and priceless gems are to be
found in Jesus Christ. If a believer is to have wisdom and knowledge as his
own, he must find them in the Christ of the Scriptures. He must be brought to
attachment to Jesus Christ, the attachment of faith. He must have access to
Christ. He must have the key to Christ if these treasures are to be opened up
unto him. Christ’s mind, by grace, must be in the believer. His word must teach
any believer. His Spirit must rule over believers. All other wisdom and
knowledge are counterfeits, they are mere imitation jewelry, and they are
frauds[4].
The term “apocrypha” didn’t have only one
meaning, in the beginning of Christian theology. In this case, this term had
unreservedly positive meaning, which was a secret revelation. By this way, the
term was used in some church fathers’ writings as Clements’ of Alexandria or of
some heretics’. Church fathers used the specific word in negative sense. “Apocrypha”
was also applied to writings that were hidden not because of their divinity but
because of their questionable value to the church[5]. In general use, the word “apocrypha”
came to mean “false, spurious, bad, or heretical”. This meaning also appears in
Origen's prologue to his commentary on the Song of Songs, of which only the
Latin translation survives: “De scripturis his, quae appellantur apocryphae,
pro eo quod multa in iis corrupta et contra fidem veram inveniuntur a majoribus
tradita non placuit iis dari locum nec admitti ad auctoritatem”[6]:
“Concerning these scriptures, which are called apocryphal, for the reason that
many things are found in them corrupt and against the true faith handed down by
the elders, it has pleased them that they not be given a place nor be admitted
to authority”.
The Apocrypha books of the Bible fall into
two categories: texts which were included in some canonical version of the
Bible at some point, and other texts of a Biblical nature which have never been
canonical[7].
The title Apocrypha comes from a Greek word meaning concealed or hidden away,
as we referred above. It was first applied by Jerome (c. 340-420AD) because the
books concerned were not included in the original Hebrew canon of Scripture.
There is also a collection of apocryphal books for the New Testament. This is a
rather indefinite body of writings, including some additional “gospels” and “letters”
attributed mainly to various New Testament personalities. Following Jerome,
some Christians supported that these books were of lesser value than those
generally accepted as Scripture[8].
Some of these books, which have to do with the time before coming of Christ,
are sometimes referred to as the Deuterocanonical books, meaning second or
secondary canon. This term is applied when they are inserted in the main body
of the Old Testament, as is the general practice in Roman Catholic and Orthodox
Greek and Russian Bible.
The apocryphal writings should, more
correctly, be called “pseudepigrapha” since, in order to secure their
acceptance and circulation, they were published under the names of famous
Biblical characters. Reaffirming «national» hopes, as they did, they had a
great vogue, whether as portending a great future for the Jewish nation or as
proclaiming the glories of the future Messias. Christians, too, seeing the
fulfillment of such predictions in the person of Christ, and eager to emphasize
their prophetical character, inserted in these writings details taken from the
life of Christ. Hence St. Paul's repeated condemnations of the craving for such
esoteric knowledge1, «These
writings» Origen says, «seem to speak too openly concerning the life of the
Blessed Hereafter»2. Yet despite their legendary character the Apocrypha do
contain historical statements often of great value; they also afford us an
insight into the ethical and religious notions current at the time they were
composed. Hence scholars have been at pains to discover so far as possible at
what dates these Books were first in circulation.
So,
the title “Christian apocryphal texts” conventionally applies to certain early
Christian or Gnostic texts that are written either in imitation of the genre «gospel»
as applied to the New Testament canon or in telling of events and sayings in
the life of Jesus, his family, and his disciples[9].
Sometimes, the apocrypha texts are used by Gnostics in order to support that
they had the real knowledge[10]. The apocryphal books were sometimes
highly regarded or cited for their antiquity or for their historical, moral, or
literary value, and they involved stories about Christ’s childhood, His
relatives’ daily life, His mother’s life. Also, they presented novel beliefs
about Gods, the Bible and the world which differed from those of other
Christian groups and new “revelations” as orthodox and hidden from the humanity
and the rest of the universe of which the general
population was unaware[11].
The
Church tried to face up those false stories about Christ, holy Virgin Mother
and the apostles with supporting the revelation of its one real truth and its
genuine orthodox Tradition[12]. Ignatius of Antioch was
one of the first fathers who tried to overcome the falsehoods and the deviation
of the content of apocryphal texts and to reveal the actual, truth and
authenticity of the canonical texts of the New Testament especially[13].
Although
their false content of these texts for Christ and people who were near Him,
apocrypha had a significant role of church literary. The New Testament Apocrypha, though less
influential than the Old Testament Apocrypha, have contributed to the
traditions about Jesus and the travels and fate of the apostles, not to mention
the development of the Christian concept of hell, most notably through the
Inferno of Dante, and they gave many information about historical and folklore
tradition and facts[14].
1. The apocrypha text of
the “The Gospel of Mary Magdalene”.
The “Gospel of Mary Magdalene” is an apocryphal book discovered in 1896 in a 5th-century papyrus codex written in Sahidic Coptic. This very important and well-preserved codex was discovered somewhere near Akhmim in upper Egypt. The codex Papyrus Berolinensis 8502 was purchased in Cairo by German scholar Karl Reinhardt, and then taken to Berlin. The manuscript contains Coptic translations of three very important early Christian Gnostic texts: the “Gospel of Mary”, the “Apocryphon of John”, and the “Sophia of Jesus Christ”. The texts themselves date to the second century and were originally authored in Greek. Also, there are saved only eight pages form the “Gospel of Mary Magdalene” and two additional fragments in Greek have come to light in the twentieth century.
Although the work is popularly known as the «Gospel of Mary», it is not canonical nor is it technically classed
as a gospel by scholastic consensus. For example, Andrew Bernhard notes in his
text-critical edition of non-canonical gospels that “the term gospel is used as a label for any
written text that is primarily focused on recounting the teachings and/or activities
of Jesus during his adult life”[15].
Some scholars support that the named Mary is the
central character of the “Gospel
of Mary”. Some have suggested that she
may represent Mary the mother of Jesus[16].
Generally, the “Gospel of Mary”
exalts Mary Magdalene over the male
disciples of Jesus. The Gospel of Mary provides important information about the
role of women in the early church. In the
“Gospel of Mary” it is the apostle Peter, who is opposed to Mary’s
words, because she is a woman. Peter has the same role in the «Gospel of Thomas» and in “Pistis Sophia”[17].
In “Pistis Sophia” the Mary
concerned is identified as Mary Magdalene and not as the mother of God,
Theotokos[18].
Karen King underlines that:”Yet these pages of
the gospel of Mary provide an intriguing glimpse into a kind of Christianity
lost for almost fifteen hundred years. This astonishingly brief narrative
presents a radical interpretation of Jesus' teachings as a path to inner
spiritual knowledge; it rejects his suffering and death as the path to eternal
life; it exposes the erroneous view that Mary of Magdala was a prostitute for
what it is-a piece of theological fiction; it presents the most straightforward
and convincing argument in any early Christian writing for the legitimacy of
women's leadership; it offers a sharp critique of illegitimate power and a
utopian vision of spiritual perfection; it challenges our rather romantic views
about the harmony and unanimity of the first Christians; and it asks us to
rethink the basis for church authority. All written are in the name of a woman”[19].
The content of this work refers the
description by Mary of special revelation given to her by the Savior[20].
The text is separated in two parts. In the first part, there is the
conversation of Christ with his disciples[21].
In the second part, there is the confrontation of Mary with Peter. The latter denies
the validity of esoteric revelation and reject the authority of women to teach.
Mary reveals this hidden truth to the disciples. She insists that Christ showed
to her this secret knowledge and says to the other disciples to accept it[22].
In the text of the gospel of Mary, we can
underline that there is any direct reference that Mary was the wife of Christ. Unlike
the controversial Jesus' Wife gospel fragment, the Gospel of Mary does not
claim about the marriage of Mary with Jesus Christ. But it does show her to be
an important disciple to whom Jesus' male disciples turn for advice and wisdom.
Indeed, the apostle Peter specifically asks Mary to interpret the words of
Jesus: «Peter said to Mary, “Sister, we
know that the Savior loved you more than the rest of women. Tell us the words
of the Savior, which you remember -- which you know but we do not, nor have we
heard themˮ, Mary answered and said, “What is hidden from you I will proclaim
to youˮ»[23]. So, Peter asks Mary to preach
any words of the Savior which she might know but that the other disciples have
not heard or understood. His request underlines that Mary was preeminent among
women in Jesus' esteem, and the question itself suggests that Jesus gave her
private instruction[24]. Mary agrees and gives an
account of "secret" teaching she received from the Lord in a vision.
The vision is given in the form of a dialogue between the Lord and Mary; it is
an extensive account that takes up seven out of the eighteen pages of the work.
At the conclusion of the work, Levi confirms that indeed the Savior loved her
more than the rest of the disciples. While her teachings do not go unchallenged,
in the end the Gospel of Mary affirms both the truth of her teachings and her
authority to teach the male disciples. She is portrayed as a prophetic
visionary and as a leader among the disciples[25].
Generally, the “Gospel of Mary” portrays Peter as being jealous of the
revelations that the Magdalene got from the Risen Christ[26]. She is never addressed
that she is the wife of Christ. Later this apocrypha gospel was used by
erroneous and misinterpreting way to become the base on supporting different
opinion from the content of this apocrypha text, which many Illuminati expressed
and later novelists and screenwriters try to insert something salacious into
the life of Jesus. All of these addressed that Mary of Magdalene was the wife
of Christ, in order to present Christ not as the incarnate God, but as a common
man, and they had children together. So the “Gospel of Mary” is presented as “the
lost Gospel” which claims Jesus married Mary Magdalene and had children and the
descendants of these children are “the Illuminati”.
In modern times, this erroneous
opinion was used by novelists, directors, film historians and producers as Dan
Brown, William Phipps, Martin Scorsese and many others. All of these people
when they are looking for a lover or wife for Jesus, they all chose Mary
Magdalene. It’s not surprising. Mary Magdalene has long been recognized as one
of the New Testament’s more alluring women. Most people think of her as a
prostitute who repented after encountering Jesus. In contemporary British
artist Chris Gollon’s painting of “The Pre-penitent Magdalene”. Mary appears as
a defiant femme fatal adorned with jewelry and make-up. Of course these
thoughts are far away for the truth for the person of St. Mary Magdalene as it
will be analyzed in the next chapters.
2. The erroneous
portrait of Mary’s Magdalena as an accusation against Christianity
The erroneous portrait of
Mary’s Magdalena was created in order Christ to be though as total mortal and
not as the incarnate Word of God, and Christianity to be considered as a simple
fiction and not as revelation of God. Mary,
according to the four gospels[27],
was one of the women disciples of Christ. She became one of the first witnesses to the Resurrection.
Now, all scholars agree that she was a woman whose name and reputation have
become so misunderstood, misinterpreted, and misconstrued over the centuries
that she is more commonly, though erroneously, remembered as a prostitute than
as the faithful woman disciple who was the first messenger of the resurrection.
Mary of Magdala is being rectified as real disciple and holy woman[28].
Now
that scripture scholars have debunked the myth that she and the infamous
repentant sinner who wiped Jesus’ feet with her tears are one and the same
woman, word is trickling down that Mary Magdalene’s penitent prostitute label
was a misnomer. Instead, her true biblical portrait is being resurrected, and
this “apostle to the apostles” is finally taking her rightful place in history
as a beloved disciple of Jesus and a prominent early church leader[29].
Dan
Brown with his controversial novel and the film which based on this book, The
Da Vinci Code misused on purpose the apocrypha gospel of Mary Magdalena as
the lost gospel of Mary in order to present Maria Magdalena as Jesus' wife.
This novel advocates the thesis that Jesus was in fact married to the woman we
now as Mary Magdalene, that they had a child together, and that this “truth”
was covered up by the church for self-serving reasons. Through the gospels and
acts, there is no evidence that Mary Magdalena was wife of Jesus. Neither in
the New Testament has it pointed to a sexual or spousal relationship between
Jesus and Mary nor in the apocrypha gospel of Mary of Magdalena. On the
opposite, there is only the testimony that Christ trusted in Mary secret
revelations. Jesus’ love for Mary leads him to reveal special truth to her, not
to take her as his wife: “Andrew responded to her revelation by saying “I at
least do not believe that the Savior said this. For certainly these teachings
are strange ideas”[30]. Then Peter asked, “Did
he really speak privately with a woman and not openly to us? Are we to turn
about and all listen to her? Did he prefer her to us?” But Levi speaks up for
Mary, “Peter, you have always been hot-tempered. Now I see you contending
against the woman like the adversaries. But if the Savior made her worthy, who
are you indeed to reject her? Surely the Savior knows her very well. That is
why he loved her more than us”[31].
Unfortunately, a lot of people, not only non believers but also Christians have been led to believe that Jesus was probably married to Mary, and that there are lots of non-canonical evidence for this marriage. All those people were influenced by Dan Brown book and film. Others used this erroneous idea in order to prove that Jesus is not the incarnate Word of God or to prove that they were descendants of Jesus, so illuminati. All these are total mistakes. Christ, the incarnate of Logos is indeed a real man, a whole and perfectly complete man with a human mind, soul and body. But he is the man which the Son and Word of God has become. As a man Jesus experienced all normal and natural human experiences such as growth and development, ignorance and learning, hunger, thirst, fatigue, sorrow, pain, and disappointment. He also knew human temptation, suffering, and death. He took these things upon himself “for us men and for our salvation”[32]. Christ has entered the world becoming like all men in all things except sin[33]. Not only did Jesus never sin, sin was never a possibility for him: He -being God- could not commit sin, a personal act, which only a created hypostasis can commit. He never got married. The incarnate Word didn’t assume the fallen and, indeed, corrupt nature of Adam after the fall of the first created humans. He assumed the human nature before the fall so he didn’t have the declination “concupiscentia” to the sin[34]. His humanity is indeed the restored, perfect, incorruptible humanity, of which we partake in the Eucharist. “Your life”, writes Paul, “is hid with Christ in God”[35]. The assumption of the human nature by Logos was the Prototype, the Model related to the whole of humanity which was created according to His image.
Finally, John Meyendorff underlines why Christ couldn’t be married: “Thus St John of Damascus excludes the possibility for Jesus to marry and to have children, for two reasons: that “sonship”, and not “fatherhood”, is the exclusive divine hypostatic characteristic of his personal identity, and that marriage is possible only between hypostasis of the same nature, whereas the humanity of Jesus had no human hypostasis. One may take such speculations as naive, unless one considers also their authentic spiritual dimension. It is precisely because Jesus was neither “husband” nor “father” that one can better seize the whole dimension of a christological image which stands at the center of the biblical messianic ideas: that of a marriage between God and humanity[36]. The Incarnation is an assumption by the Son of God of humanity in its fullness, including all men and women. However, in this assumption masculinity and femininity are not suppressed”[37].
The sexual desire didn’t exist
in the original state of Adam and Eve. The ordination in the sexual life began
only after the fall. So Christ who had assumed the human nature as it was
created by God in it original state and not the fallen human nature didn’t have
any tendency to the sexual life, so he didn’t have the need of any marriage[38].
3. The apocrypha text of the “The Gospel of Judas”.
On April 7, 2006, the National Geographic Society announced the discovery of Codex Tchacos which includes what is called “The Gospel of Judas”. The gospel of Judas is included in a 62-page papyrus. The real discovery of this apocrypha text became during the 1970s decade in Egypt, in a cave in the desert near El Minya. But its existence was made public in 2004. The most remarkable feature of this text is its thoroughly Gnostic character. The substance of this gospel bears virtually no resemblance to orthodox Christianity–a fact which explains why the early church recognized this writing for what it is, and rejected it as neither authoritative nor authentic. Generally, there is an undoubtful gnostic character of this gospel. In his supposed conversations with Judas, Jesus speaks in Gnostic categories such as “aeons”[39] and an “eternal realm”[40]. Judas is identified as the “thirteenth spirit”[41] who was appointed by God to be the agent of releasing Jesus from the physical body in which He was trapped in the incarnation.
The “Gospel of Judas Iscariot” was written before 180AD and was in use among the Cainites according to the testimony of St. Irenaeus of Lyon: “Others again declare that Cain derived his being from the Power above, and acknowledge that Esau, Korah, the Sodomites, and all such persons, are related to themselves. On this account, they add, they have been assailed by the Creator, yet no one of them has suffered injury. For Sophia was in the habit of carrying off that which belonged to her from them to herself. They declared that Judas the traitor was thoroughly acquainted with these things, and that he alone, knowing the truth as no others did, accomplished the mystery of the betrayal; by him all things, both earthly and heavenly, were thus thrown into confusion. They produce a fictitious history of this kind, which they style the Gospel of Judas”[42]. By this passage of the writing of Irenaeus of Lyon, it is underlined that gospel was an “invented historic event” which was used by heretics and people who denied the divinity of Christ.
In the “Gospel of Judas”, the writer had adopted the Sethian Gnostic teachings. The Sethian Gnostics as Valentinian Gnostics seem to be influenced by Plato, Middle Platonism and Neo-Pythagoreanism academies or schools of thought and of course by the christian teaching[43]. In their teaching, the Unknown God was the high source of the pleroma[44], the region of light. Seth, the third son of Adam and Eve, and Christ were identified as “bearers of the true image of God who had recently appeared in the world as the Logos to rescue Jesus from the cross”[45].
The central teaching of the Gospel of Judas was that Judas Iscariot should become the betrayer of Jesus in order to Jesus’ plan be fulfilled: “You will exceed all of them (the mystic truths) For you will sacrifice the man that clothes me”. Jesus asked Judas to betray him. So, the Gospel of Judas gives a different view of the relationship between Jesus and Judas. Judas wasn’t the disciple, “son of perdition”[46], who doubted the goal of Jesus’ coming in the world. He was the person who gave the ability to Jesus to reach the heavens. Judas knew who Jesus truly was “I know who you are and where you have come from. You are from the immortal realm of Barbelo. And I am not worthy to utter the name of the one who has sent you”[47]. According to the Sethian Gnostics Barbelo was the first emanation of the Highest God[48].
First of all, the Gospel of Judas, speaks about a secret truth that only Christ shared it with Judas, his favorite disciple. The secret truth has to do with the influence of gnosticism to the writer of this gospel. In fact, the gospel was not written by Judas, but by a later Gnostic sect in support of Judas. This is easily proved by the date of the writing of the gospel according to scientists. The date was between 150-180 AD. Also the existence of this gospel is referred to the work of Irenaeus of Lyon, so the context of the gospel wasn’t a hidden secret for Christian Church that period of time. On the contrary, this text was properly rejected by the early church as an unreliable and inaccurate depiction of what really happened concerning Judas.
Despite all of these which were known to the scholar community of Christianity, the gospel was presented in a period near Easter 2006. The National Geographic Organization tried hard to anticipate the opinion of people, Christians and non-Christians that the discovery of this gospel could change the “truth” of Christianity. Specifically, in the channel of the National Geographic it was said that: “One of the most significant biblical finds of the last century a lost gospel that could challenge what is believed about the story of Judas and his betrayal of Jesus”[49].
The Gospel of Judas is a Gnostic gospel, espousing a Gnostic viewpoint of Christianity. The core theme, found in the Gospel of Judas, is secret knowledge (gnosis) that leads to salvation. So the gospel of Judas was another gnostic text and has nothing to do with the real meaning of Christianity. The Church of Christ based on the testimony of Peter: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God”[50]. It preaches the salvation of the believer connected with the incarnation, death and resurrection of Christ. So, Christian theology and evangelism centers on the “good news” that Christ's death and resurrection opened up the way for salvation.
For the Christianity the goal of a man is the salvation and theosis. He tries to become God with the help of God and this path comes through the salvation of Christ Te fact of incarnation of the Word of God is unique. Christianity is not a religion, which was “invented” by a man. It is one of a kind. It is the singular reality of God's activity to restore mankind from their fallen condition through His Son, Jesus Christ. Christianity is not the propagation of a philosophy. It is the teaching of the supernatural revelation of God to man. It is not the performance of religious procedures. It is not the perpetuation of an organizational program. Christianity is the reception of a Person, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, God Himself, into one's being and behavior. Into Christianity the believer can obtain the knowledge of God through the mystical theology of the prayer, of the faithful. In all other religions the human tries to reach the God; in Christianity the God comes to the man. The abyss that existed between the God and the man after the exile of the latter of the paradise, was disappeared with a formidable way, by the incarnation of the Word of God. Although God could save man and restore His relation with him with a thousand ways[51], He chose Word’s incarnation, passion, crucifixion and resurrection to save his favourite creature, man; “because God is love”[52]. Because all of these, the salvation for Christians doesn’t have any relation with the secret gnosis of the gnosticism. So the whole teaching of the New Testament, Church Fathers is quite opposite with the context of the Gospel of Judas.
In this gospel, Jesus seems to underestimate all the other disciples and to think that only Judas is worthy to know the secret of Jesus for his coming in earth: “When Jesus heard this, he laughed and said to him, “You thirteenth spirit, why do you try so hard? But speak up, and I shall bear with you”[53]. Jesus revealed him some of secrets: “I (Jesus) have explained to you the mysteries of the kingdom and I have taught you about the error of the stars; and […] send it […] on the twelve aeons”[54]. The key of the human’s salvation is the secret knowledge which was shared by Jesus to Judas.
To sum up, according to this Gospel,
Jesus was “a bearer of a deep secret that apparently he revealed to no other
disciple except Judas; and then got his help to die that his spirit may be
released to some heavenly realm. Recruited for this purpose, Judas then betrays
the Master as an act of intimate friendship”[55].
This, of course, contradicts what was written by the apostles in their gospels
of Matthew and John as well as those gospels written by Mark and Luke who are
under the direction of Peter and Paul.
4.
Judas, a hero or a traitor?
The question raised is why now
after two thousand years of the incarnation and resurrection of Christ there is
such addressed attempt of some “scholars” to persuade us that Judas wasn’t the
traitor but he was the real hero in Christianity and Christ used Judas for the
success of his goal. The gospel of Judas is used to present Judas as a victim of the present
Christian theological system. National Geographic tried hard to rehabilitate
Christ’s betrayer, Judas, transforming him from the rogue he was, into a
character deserving of adulation. The question is left hanging as to whether Judas was primarily a traitor
or a hero.
Origen
of Alexandria, in his Commentary on John's Gospel, reflected on Judas's
interactions with the other apostles and Jesus' confidence in him prior to his
betrayal[56].
However, in John's Gospel, Judas's outlook was differentiated - many of Jesus'
disciples abandoned him because of the difficulty of accepting his teachings,
and Jesus asked the twelve if they would also leave him. Simon Peter spoke for
the twelve: “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal lifeˮ,
but Jesus observed then that although Judas was one of the twelve whom he had
chosen, he was “a devilˮ[57].
In Matthew's gospel directly states that Judas betrayed Jesus for a bribe
of “thirty pieces of silverˮ by identifying him with a kiss – “the kiss of
Judasˮ – to arresting soldiers of the High Priest Caiaphas, who then turned
Jesus over to Pontius Pilate's soldiers[58].
According to the Gospel of Judas, Judas was the most enlightened and knowledgeable of Jesus' disciples. Both Judas and Jesus realized that for Jesus to attain his purpose in life, his soul had to be liberated through the death of his body. The tragedy in Judas’ life was that he didn’t understand Christ’s divinity, nor Christ’s mercy. The most unforgiving sin that he did was the voluntary death, his suicide. He left place in his personality for the Satan to operate and he himself was a devil[59].
In the Passion according to St. Mark we notice something else: the parallel between Judas[60] and Peter[61]. The Gospel of Luke tells us what happened after the denial of Peter: “The Lord turned and looked at Peter. ..... And he went out and wept bitterly”[62]. Not only did Jesus predict His denial by Peter but also His betrayal by Judas. He did not just look at Judas, but even kissed him. Judas left and hanged himself[63]. Superficially, Peter and Judas have the same fate. Both betrayed Our Lord, both recognized their own guilt and felt remorse, both received Jesus’ love even after the betrayal: A look. A kiss. Where is the difference? Why do we have such dramatically different endings given the seemingly equal fate of both apostles? The difference lies in this only: Peter trusted in God’s mercy - Judas did not. So Peter became the hero and Judas remained the traitor.
Generally, the figure of Judas in the gnostic gospel of Judas can be analysed in two different ways. According to one point of view, Judas was the hero. As we referred above, he knew the real existence of Christ and his goal for the salvation of human race. He is the only who can understand Christ and his mission. He is favoured by Jesus with a special revelation about “the divine realm and about the origins and structure of cosmos”[64]. He is driven by Jesus himself to put into practice the secret plan of the liberation of Jesus from his earthly body. This would become true only with the handing Jesus over to the authorities – Pharisees, Romans, Scribes. This work was for someone who could understand the deeper knowledge of the mission of Jesus. This man was only Judas. This is the portrait of Judas according to his gospel. On the other hand, the Church supports that Judas was the most villain and evil disciple, the traitor.
In the gospel of Judas, it is found the same motive of some other gnostic gospels, such as Thomas and Maria Magdalene, Secret book of James. In all these books the basic figure of the writings is near Jesus, he/ she becomes the beloved disciple and Christ trusts him/her the secret knowledge. This knowledge will lead them to the vision of God and to the salvation. The difference is that the disciples presented less intelligent than the gospel of Judas[65]. They are unable to understand the truth which is revealed to us. They live in a lie and they are beyond the redemption. They worship the wrong God and lead others astray too. On the contrary Judas is granted the real truth, the real knowledge that is forbidden to other disciples[66].
Judas overcomes his doubts and his fears and do the best that he can for the best of the whole world, he betrays Jesus. This is the best message of the gospel of Judas. So “the death of Jesus with the assistance of Judas is taken to be the liberation of the spiritual person withinˮ[67].
5. The use of the gospels of Mary
Magdalene and Judas as direct and indirect polemic against Christianity.
It is undoubtful that many people refused the divinity of Christ. Many others tried to misinterpret the meaning of his message and the revelation that He was the Messiah, the incarnate person of the Triune God. Christianity is the religion of love, Christ sacrificed Himself for the man. Many “scholarsˮ denied he was a real historic person. Others denied his resurrection; other rejected his total humanity or his total divinity. But He has existed here in the stage of all these centuries, because He is real God who incarnate for our salvation. People are like the Gadarenes of the gospel of Matthew[68]. They saw the miracle with the two demon-possessed men and instead of accept Christ, they asked from Him to leave away their village. The Church is charged with the greatest cover-up in human history by its enemies and the charges are based on the gospel of Maria Magdalene and of Judas.
Additionally, Mark Roberts supports: “There’s also nothing whatsoever in the biblical material to suggest that Mary was Jesus’ wife, or, as some have suggested, that he had a sexual relationship with her outside of marriage. If Jesus and Mary had been married, then we should expect that he would have entrusted her into the care of the Beloved Disciple at the cross, just as he did with his mother[69]. The absence of this action strongly suggests that Jesus and Mary were not marriedˮ[70].
All these years the enemies of Christ couldn't reduce his fame so they invented ways to humiliate Him and all his believers. They interpreted erroneously the apocrypha gospel of Mary Magdalene in order to present Jesus one of us. A man, who got married with a woman and had children. Later the discovery of the gospel of Judas “transformedˮ the traitor into hero in order to show that everything was planned by Jesus Himself and Judas was his helper in order to put into practice his plan about the redemption of human beings. We should not wonder, because John in his revelation said: “They will wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph over them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings--and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followersˮ[71].
By all these attempts, Christ is reduced to mystic by the enemies of Christianity among many others, and the content of Bible remains a real obstacle for the spiritual maturation of man. Perhaps the Messiah, Jesus Christ is for them someone who must be replaced Him with a material God; A god who is going to serve their passions and their sins. Perhaps this has to do with the fear of people for the only truth, which is Jesus Christ, the incarnate God.
It is a general rule that people try
to refuse everything which is true, everything which they afraid of. The person
of Jesus is a barrel to those who wanted to create false gods and to govern
people and make them servants and slaves of material things and passions
without any hope of salvation. Truly, it is undeniable that Jesus was not simply a prophet or lawgiver, He is God
the Son incarnate who lived a sinless life and suffered a death that atones for
our sins, if we have true faith in Him. Judas betrayed and sold Him and
He is still being sold. Books, movies, new gospels, Da Vinci codes and Jesus
seminars market him often trying desperately to change and domesticate him.
They want to make him like us or less than us, or, at least as bad as us.
The supporters of the apocrypha texts explain have completely misrepresented and twisted church history. It seems their real goal is to promote Gnosticism, which believed the physical world was evil and that men needed to seek enlightenment by finding secret knowledge. Simultaneously they wanted to prove that Jesus was a common man of if he was married, they wanted to prove that they are his descendants and by this way they would exploit the divinity and the glory of Jesus for their sake. By this way, the “raceˮ of illuminati will be established.
Conclusions
All these centuries Christ was and is “a sign that will be rejectedˮ[72]. The incarnate Logos, Christ, came as total man and total God to bring salvation to all men, yet he will be sign of contradiction because some people will obstinately reject him -- for this reason he will be their ruin. But for those who accept him with faith Jesus will be their salvation, freeing them from sin in this life and raising them up to eternal life. During the centuries, the Church of Christ defended many heretics. Some of them rejected the divinity of Christ, some other refused his humanity. There were people who said that Mary the mother of Jesus, was not Theotokos but only Christotokos. All these heretic opinions and teachings were contracted by the Ecumenical Councils.
In nowadays some other heretic teachings appeared. They were based on apocrypha texts or in other fiction texts. By this way, many enemies of Christianity tried hard to prove that Jesus Christ was married to Maria Magdalene and they had children together. Besides that, some other preached that Judas was not the traitor but the beloved student of Christ who did all the dirty work for Jesus' success to get rid of his human cloak.
All these things are confuted by scholars of Christian Church. Maria Magdalene was not the wife of Jesus. Jesus died on the cross and he resurrected from the dead. Otherwise we could not have earned the objective salvation. Neither the ancient Gnostics with their “Gospel of Judas”, nor Hollywood with its perversion of history, nor the National Geographic Society with its anti-Christian agenda, can alter the facts of antiquity. History is what it was, and nothing can change that. And of that traitor, Christ hauntingly said: “The Son of man goes, even as it is written of him: but woe unto that man through whom the Son of man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born”[73]. As for Mary Magdalene, who is according to John 20:17–18 and Mark 16:9–1 was commissioned by the risen Jesus to inform the disciples of his resurrection, is called “the apostle to the apostlesˮ. Mary neither was the wife of Jesus, not the sinful woman who anointed Jesus in Luke had been a virtuous woman all her life, even before her conversion. As for Jesus, it is accepted by Christians that Jesus Christ is the incarnate Word of God is one person in two natures, both fully divine and fully human, perfectly God (τέλειος Θεός) and perfectly man (τέλειος άνθρωπος). Jesus of Nazareth is the promised Messiah of the Jews, the God of Israel come to be with His people, the Redeemer of the human race who saves the world from sin and its effects, the comprehensible self-revelation of the incomprehensible God, and the pre-eternal Son begotten of the Father before all ages: “the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds (æons), Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Fatherˮ[74]. He is said to have been begotten timelessly as God without a mother and begotten in history as man without a father.
Thank you
[1] This paper was presented in The Second International Conference on Patristic Studies which was held in San Juan, Argentina from March 28 to 31, 2017.
[2] J. Karavidopoulos, “What are the apocrypha christian texts”, Enateniseis, p. 12-15, esp. p. 12, http://www.kykkos.org.cy/imkt.cy.net/09/T09-012.pdf
[3] Col. 2:3
[4] J. Karavidopoulos, “What are the apocrypha christian texts”, Enateniseis, p. 12-15, esp. p. 12, http://www.kykkos.org.cy/imkt.cy.net/09/T09-012.pdf
[5] Ibid.
[6] Origen of Alexandria, In Canticum Canticorum, Prologue, PG 3, 83A.
[7] J. Karavidopoulos, “What are the apocrypha christian texts”, Enateniseis, p. 12-15, esp. p. 12, http://www.kykkos.org.cy/imkt.cy.net/09/T09-012.pdf
[8] C. R. Henry, “Apocryphal Literature”, in Chisholm, Hugh. Encyclopædia Britannica. 2 (191111), Cambridge University Press. p. 175–183.
[9] St. Shoemaker, “Early Christian Apocryphal Literature”, in The Oxford Handbook of Early Christian Studies, ed. S. Ashbrook Harvey and David G. Hunter, Oxford University Press, Oxford 2008, p. 521–48. H. H. Koester, “One Jesus“One Jesus and Four Primitive Gospels”, HTR 61 (1968): 211; Also, Idem, “Apocryphal and Canonical Gospels”, HTR 73 (1980): 105–30.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0017816000002066.
[10] St. Papadopoulos, Patrologia I, Athens 20004, p. 203.
[11] Ibid.
[12] St. Papadopoulos, Patrologia I, Athens 20004, p. 202.
[13] Ibid.
[14] Ibid.
[15] An. E. Bernhard, Other Early Christian Gospels: A Critical Edition of the Surviving Greek Manuscripts, Library of New Testament Studies 315, T & T Clark, London-New York 2006, p. 2.
[16] St. J. Shoemaker, «Rethinking the “Gnostic Mary”», in Journal of Early Christian Studies
9 (2001), p. 555-595; K. L King, «Why All the Controversy? Mary in
the Gospel of Mary», in St. Jones, ed. Which
Mary? The Marys of Early Christian Tradition” Brill,
2003, p. 74.
[17] E. A. de Boer, The Gospel of Mary Listening to the Beloved Disciple, Continuum. London 2006, p. 14–18
[18] Apocrypha or Deuterocanonical, books evident the special role of the Theotokos in the oikonomia of salvation. In fact, the Orthodox Fathers cite passages quite effectively to discuss the Church's understanding of the role of the Theotokos. Greek Orthodox Diocese of Denver Bulletin, vol. 3.3. (March 1995), 14-17, especially p. 15.
[19] K. L. King, The Gospel of Mary of Magdala. Jesus and
the First Woman Apostle, Polebridge Press Santa Rosa, California 2003, p. 3.
[20] The Gospel of Mary of Magdala, NHC BG 8502, 101-23, 151-192 J. M. Robinson, ed., The Nag Hammadi Library in English, Revised edition, Harper & Row San Francisco 1988, p. 526-527.
[21] Ibid, 18,141-155.
[22] Ibid
[23] The
Gospel of Mary of Magdala, NHC BG 8502.1.101-8. J. M.
Robinson, ed., The Nag Hammadi Library in English, Revised edition,
Harper & Row San Francisco 1988, p. 525.
[24] Ibid. K L. King, “Women In Ancient Christianity: The New Discoveries”, in Frontline - From Jesus to Christ, April 1998, http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/religion/first/women.html.
[25] Ibid.
[26] The Gospel of Mary of Magdala, NHC BG 8502.1.17.7ff. J. M. Robinson, ed., The Nag Hammadi Library in English, Revised edition, Harper & Row San Francisco 1988, p. 526-527.
[27]In Matthew’s version (28:1-10) Mary Magdalene and “the other Mary” first learn of Jesus’ Resurrection from an angel at the tomb, who tells them to “go quickly and tell his disciples.” As they leave they are met by Jesus, who also instructs them to spread the Good News to the others.
Likewise in Mark’s account (16:1-8) Mary Magdalene is accompanied by Mary, the mother of James, and Salome to anoint Jesus’ body. But inside the empty tomb they find an angel who tells them Jesus has been raised from the dead. Again, Jesus first appears to Mary Magdalene, but when she tells the disciples, they do not believe her.
Luke (24:1-12) says the three women are Mary Magdalene; Mary, the mother of James; and Joanna, and that they first find the stone rolled away and are told by two men “in dazzling clothes” that Jesus has risen from the dead. The other disciples do not believe their “idle tale,” and Peter runs to the tomb to see for himself the burial cloths.
In John’s Resurrection account (20:1-18) Mary Magdalene goes to the tomb alone, sees that the stone has been rolled away, and runs to get Peter. What follows are parallel stories: Verses 3-10 describe how Peter and the disciple Jesus loved witness the burial cloths, but “they did not understand”; while verses 10-18 tell the story of Jesus’ appearance to Mary of Magdala.“Woman, why are you weeping?” Jesus asks his beloved friend, who is lost in her grief. Mary Magdalene initially mistakes Jesus for the gardener, who had just asked the same question of her. But then she turns and in her recognition calls out, “Rabbouni” (meaning “rabbi” or “teacher”). Then Mary of Magdala goes to tell the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”. cf H. Schlumpf, “Who framed Mary Magdalene?”, in U.S. Catholic vol. 65, No. 4, (2000), p. 12-16, esp. p. 15.
[28] Ibid. p. 13.
[29] Ibid.
[30] The Gospel of Mary of Magdala, NHC BG 8502. 1. 179. J. M. Robinson, ed., The Nag Hammadi Library in English, Revised edition, Harper & Row San Francisco 1988, p. 527.
[31] Ibid, NHC BG 8502. 1.18, p. 527-528.
[32] “Since, therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same nature, that through death he might destroy him who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong bondage. For surely it was not with angels that he is concerned but with the descendants of Abraham. Therefore he had to be made like his brethren in every respect . . . to make expiation for the sins of the people. For because he himself has suffered and been tempted, he is able to help those who are tempted”, Heb 2: 9–18.
[33] “He committed no sin; no guile was found on his lips. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten; but he trusted to him [God the Father] who judges justly”, 1 Pet 2:22; Heb. 4: 15).
[34] Isidore Pelousiotae, Epistolarum
I – CCCLX: Theoni, PG 78, 388Α. N.
Xexakis, Orthodox Dogmatic Theology. The theology of homoousion, publ.
Ennoia, Athens 2006, p. 255. S. Papadopoulos, Saint Cyril of Alexandria, Apostoliki Diakonia,
Athens 2005, p. 84. E.
Artemi, The triadological teaching of Isidore of Pelusium and its relation
to the Cyril's Alexandria teaching for the Triune God, Athens 2012, p. 57. Cyril of Alexandria, In
Johannem, ΙΙ, 1, P.E. Pusey, Sancti patris nostri
Cyrilli archiepiscopi Alexandrini in D. Joannis evangelium, I vols, Bruxelles 19652, p. 18419-21
(=PG 73, 205Β).
[35] Col 3:3. J. Meyendorff, “Christ's Humanity: The Paschal Mystery”, in St Vladimir’s Theological Quarterly, (p. 1-40), esp. p. 29. https://afkimel.files.wordpress.com/2016/06/christs-humanity.pdf
[36] J. Meyendorff, “Christ's Humanity: The Paschal Mystery”, in St Vladimir’s Theological Quarterly, (p. 1-40), esp. p. 36. https://afkimel.files.wordpress.com/2016/06/christs-humanity.pdf. John Damascenes, De duabus in Christa voluntazibus, PG 95, 176CD.
[37] J. Meyendorff, “Christ's Humanity: The Paschal Mystery”, in St Vladimir’s Theological Quarterly, (p. 1-40), esp. p. 39. https://afkimel.files.wordpress.com/2016/06/christs-humanity.pdf.
[38] Cyril of Alexandria, In Johannem, ΙΙ, 1, P.E. Pusey, Sancti patris nostri Cyrilli archiepiscopi Alexandrini in D. Joannis evangelium, I vols, Bruxelles 19652, p. 18419-21 (=PG 73, 205Β).
[39] Section 43, transl. by R. Kasser, M. Meyer & Gr. Wurst in collaboration with Fr. Gaudard, Published in book form complete with commentary by The National Geographic Society 2006, http://www.nationalgeographic.com/lostgospel/document.html
[40] Section 45, transl. by R. Kasser, M. Meyer & Gr. Wurst in collaboration with Fr. Gaudard, Published in book form complete with commentary by The National Geographic Society 2006, http://www.nationalgeographic.com/lostgospel/document.html
[41] Section 46, transl. by R. Kasser, M. Meyer & Gr. Wurst in collaboration with Fr. Gaudard, Published in book form complete with commentary by The National Geographic Society 2006, http://www.nationalgeographic.com/lostgospel/document.html
[42] Irenaeus Episcopus Lugdunensis et Martyris, Contra Heareses, I, 31,1, PG 7, 704B: “ Alii autem rursus Cain a superior principalitate dicunt; et Esau, et Core, et Sodomitas, et omnes tales cognates suos confitentur; et propter hoc a factore impugnatos, neminem ex eis male acceptos. Sophia enim illud, quod proprium ex ea erat, abripiebat ex eis ad semetipsam. Et haec Judam proditorem diligenter cognovisse dicunt, et solum prae caeteris cognoscentem veritatem, perfecisse proditionis mysterium: per quem et terrena et coelestia omnia dissoluta dicunt. Et confictionem afferunt hujusmodi, Judae Evangelium illud vocantesˮ. The english translation was done by Al. Roberts and W. Rambaut, From Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 1. ed. by Al. Roberts, J. Donaldson, and A. Cleveland Coxe Christian Literature Publishing Co., Buffalo - NY 1885. revised and edited for New Advent by K. Knight: http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0103131.htm.
[43] J. D. Turner, Sethian Gnosticism and the Platonic Tradition, Presses Université Laval 2001, p. 59.
[44] God and the aeons comprise the sum total of the spiritual universe, known as the Pleroma
[45] J. D. Turner, Sethian Gnosticism and the Platonic Tradition, Presses Université Laval 2001, p. 259.
[46] Jn 17:12.
[47] Section 3, transl. by R. Kasser, M. Meyer & Gr. Wurst in collaboration with Fr. Gaudard, Published in book form complete with commentary by The National Geographic Society 2006.
[48] J. D. Turner, Sethian Gnosticism and the Platonic Tradition, Presses Université Laval 2001, p. 60.
[49] http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/gospelofjudas
[50] Matt.16:16. Mark. 8:29.
[51] Cyril of Alexandria, That
Christ is One, Sources Chréttienes
97, 75421 (=PG 75,
[52] 1 Jn 4:8.
[53] Section 44. transl. by R. Kasser, M. Meyer & Gr. Wurst in collaboration with Fr. Gaudard, Published in book form complete with commentary by The National Geographic Society 2006.
[54] Section 45-46. . transl. by R. Kasser, M. Meyer & Gr. Wurst in collaboration with Fr. Gaudard.
[55] Th. G. Stylianopoulos, Iakovos, archbishop of America, “A Gospel In The Gospel Of Judas?” CERC (Catholic Education Research Center) (April 26, 2006), http://www.catholiceducation.org/en/controversy/common-misconceptions/a-gospel-in-the-gospel-of-judas.html.
[56] Origen Alexandrinis, Commentarii in evangelium Joannis, PG 14, 773D-777D. S. Laeuchli, “Origen's Interpretation of Judas Iscariotˮ, Church History, vol. 22, No. 4 (Dec. 1953), p. 253–68, available at http://www.jstor.org/stable/3161779), accessed 10 March 2017.
[57] Jn 6:67-71.
[58] Matt. 26:14.
[59] Peter betrayed and denied Our Lord, although he was saying that he would be always with Him. Also he was absolute certain when he said that he loved his master, Christ. Although Judas was chosen to be one of the twelve (John 6:64), all scriptural evidence points to the fact that he (Judas) never believed Jesus to be God. He even may not have been convinced that Jesus was the Messiah (as Judas understood it). Unlike the other disciples that called Jesus “Lord,” Judas never used this title for Jesus and instead called him “Rabbi,” which acknowledged Jesus as nothing more than a teacher. While other disciples at times made great professions of faith and loyalty (John 6:68; 11:16), Judas never did so and appears to have remained silent. This lack of faith in Jesus is the foundation for all other considerations
[60] Mark 14: 20-21.
[61] Mark 14:66-72
[62] Lk. 22:61
[63] Mt. 27:5
[64] E. Thomassen, “Is Judas really the Hero of the Gospel of Judas?”, in proceedings of the first International conference on the Gospel of Judas, Paris, Sorbonne, October 27th-28th, 2006, vol. 62, publ. Brill, Leiden – Boston 2008, p. 157-170, esp. p. 157.
[65] Ibid., p. 160.
[66] Section 35. transl. by R. Kasser, M. Meyer & Gr. Wurst in collaboration with Fr. Gaudard, Published in book form complete with commentary by The National Geographic Society 2006.
[67] M. Meyer, “Judas and the Gnostic Connectionˮ, in R. Kasser, M.
Meyer & Gr. Wurst, The Gospel of Judas, The National Geographic
Society, Washington 2006, p. 137-169, esp. p. 167.
[68] Matt. 8:28-9:8.
[69] Jn 19:27.
[70] M. Roberts, “Was Jesus Married? A Careful Look at the Real Evidenceˮ, http://www.patheos.com/blogs/markdroberts/series/was-jesus-married-a-careful-look-at-the-real-evidence/, accessed 10 March 2017.
[71] Rev. 17:14.
[72] Lk, 2:34.
[73] Matt. 7:36-50.
[74] St. Papadopoulos, Patrologia II,
Athens 1992, p. 451. J.
Karmiris, the dogmatic and Symbolic monuments of the Orthodox Catholic
Church, I, Athens 1960, p. 52-63.
