Listen to Interview on Gospel of Judas

The Gospel of Judas

Rewriting Biblical History?

April 10, 2006, Redlands, CA— Lost since antiquity, the Gospel of Judas was discovered in 1970 in Egypt. Now this lost Gospel is published in a new book by the National Geographic Society, and the story is highlighted in an accompanying two hour television special on the National Geographic Channel. Is this the Lost Gospel of the Bible? Does this challenge our deepest beliefs? Does it turn the story of Christ’s betrayal on its head? Was Judas really a hero? Will it create a crisis of faith?

Christian apologist Elgin Hushbeck, Jr. author of the Consider Christianity Series and founder of Consider Christianity Week points out that despite all the hype, there is really nothing here to concern the average Christian. While the Gospel of Judas is a significant find to historians it is of little value or interest to Christians.

• The Gospel of Judas was known to the early Church. Irenaeus, mentions it in his book Against Heresies.
• Irenaeus clearly labeled it as a “fictitious history”  (Against Heresies, 1.31.1)
• The Gospel of Judas dates from the middle of the second century, and thus could not have been authored by any apostle, much less Judas.
• Scholars who have studied the Gospel label it a gnostic gospel.  Gnosticism was not Christian, but rather a competing religion with Christianity.

Hushbeck says, “What this Gospel shows is the tremendous double standard that exists. No scholar would say that Judas actually wrote this Gospel, while there are scholars who do claim that Matthew, Mark, Luke and John wrote their Gospels. In what way could a Gospel of fiction ever challenge the Gospel of Truth? Likewise, Gnosticism, which nobody today would say is true, is somehow automatically a more valid form of Christianity than what Christians have historically believed. Gnosticism is really a different religion, and one that tended to borrow freely from other religions.”

Elgin L. Hushbeck Jr. founded Consider Christianity Week in 1993 with the main goal of equipping Christians with the knowledge and ability to "always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks" (1 Pet 3:15 - NIV). Another goal is to promote interest among non-Christians in Christianity as a viable religion in the twenty-first century. Individuals and churches can become involved through the Web site, www.consider.org.

See www.consider.org for additional information.

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