Exciting “New” Gospels?
Exciting “New” Gospels?
W
W
hat Catholics need to know
hat Catholics need to know
about the Gospel of Judas
about the Gospel of Judas
and other apocryphal writings
and other apocryphal writings
Religious Education Congress
Religious Education Congress
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Felix Just, S.J.
Felix Just, S.J.
http://catholic-resources.org
Introduction:
Introduction:
Apocryphal Books
Apocryphal Books
There are MANY ancient Jewish or Christian
writings not found in the OT or NT!
Have you read the
entire
text of…
…the Gospel of James? …of Peter?
…the Gospel of Thomas?
(both?)
…the Gospel of Mary
(Magdalene)? …of Judas? –
really?
…the Letter of Barnabas? …the Didache?
…the 1
stBook of Enoch? …the Book of Jubilees?
Have you read
ALL
of the four NT Gospels?
Introduction:
Introduction:
Apocryphal Books
Apocryphal Books
Should Catholic-Christians read these
books?
Yes!
(If you wish!)
But for what purpose?
Historical knowledge:
Jesus & apostles?
–
NO!
Historical knowledge: How
early Christian beliefs
developed in the first few centuries? –
Yes!
Theological understanding:
Our faith today?
–
–
Only indirectly!
(learning about anything helps us)
It's OK to read non-canonical books!
I) Important Definitions
I) Important Definitions
"gospel"
= "good news" = oral
preaching
from Gk. Ευ̉αγγέλιον =
Evangelion
(cf. Eng."Evangelist")
eu = "good"; angelos = "messenger"
"Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee,
proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, 'The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.' " (Mark 1:14-15; NRSV)
"Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, set
apart for the gospel of God, which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy scriptures, the gospel
concerning his Son…" (Romans 1:1-3; NRSV)
"But the birthday of the god (Caesar Augustus) was… the
I) Important Definitions
I) Important Definitions
"
Gospel
" = "written account about Jesus"
Mark was first to use "gospel" in this sense:
"The beginning of the
good news
of Jesus Christ,
the Son of God." (Mark 1:1)
NT Gospel Titles
(added in 2nd Cent.):
"Gospel
according to
Mark; Gospel
according to
…"
"
Canon
"
"Official List" of writings ("scriptures") considered
foundational by some group: HB canon, NT
canon…
Usually
religious, but not only:
I) Important Definitions
I) Important Definitions
Four "
Canonical Gospels
"
Matthew, Mark, Luke, John
Dates: 1
stcentury
(60's – 90's)
Order? Mark probably first,
then Matthew, Luke; John last
"
Non-canonical Gospels
"
Many other short books
mostly from 2
ndto 4
thcent.
I) Important Definitions
I) Important Definitions
"
Apocryphal
" = "hidden, secret"
Cf. English "crypt," "cryptic"
MANY ancient Jewish or Christian books
outside of HB or NT, overall called "Apocrypha"
Apocryphal Gospels, Acts, Epistles, Apocalypses Not "canonical"; i.e., not in anyone's Bible
Caution:
Protestants refer to OT "
Apocrypha
":
Tobit, Judith, 1 & 2 Maccabees, Wisdom, Eccl., Baruch Called "Deutero-canonical" by Catholics & Orthodox
Don't confuse with "
Apocalyptic
"
I) Important Definitions
I) Important Definitions
"
Pseudepigraphic
"
Writings "falsely attributed" to famous figures
of the past (esp. biblical, but not only)
Actual authors anonymous; written (much) later
"
Gnostic
"
Religious systems related to Judaism & Christianity Dualistic: good vs. evil; spirit vs. matter; M vs. F ! Human life = "divine spark" trapped in mortal body Salvation = freeing soul/spirit from its bodily prison,
II) Canonization of the NT
II) Canonization of the NT
Long Process of Development:
writing, sharing, collecting, editing, translating,
debating, interpreting the books/letters now in NT
1st Cent.
– individual writings composed
2nd Cent.
– writings collected
(4 Gospels; Paul’s Letters)4th Cent.
– early canon lists
some with fewer than books: 2 Peter? Revelation? some with more: Didache, Shepherd of Hermas, etc. 367 – Easter Letter of St. Athanasius – first list of all 27
16th Cent.
– Council of Trent
First "official" listing of all 46 OT & 27 NT books
End of Luke & Beginning of John
II) Canonization of the NT
II) Canonization of the NT
Main Criteria for Inclusion:
1)
Apostolic Origin
–
attributed to and/or based on preaching/teaching of
first-generation apostles (or their closest companions)
2)
Universal Acceptance
–
acknowledged by all major Christian communities in
the Mediterranean world (by end of 4th century)
3)
Liturgical Use
–
read publicly along with OT when early Christians
gathered for Lord's Supper (weekly worship services)
4)
Consistent Message
–
containing theological ideas compatible with other
II) Canonization of the NT
II) Canonization of the NT
Reasons for Non-Inclusion in NT Canon
(opposites of the four criteria):
1) Apostolic Origin?
– written by later generations
2) Universal Acceptance?
– rejected by some
communities
3) Liturgical Use?
– too esoteric, obscure, private
4) Consistent Theology?
– present God/Jesus differently
Christology
(Who is Jesus?)
:
III) Non-canonical Gospels
III) Non-canonical Gospels
We know of at least 30 "Gospels" not in NT
many different origins, styles, theologies
some positively influenced Church tradition
others rejected as "Gnostic" and/or "heretical"
some texts complete, others badly damaged/
fragmentary, others known only by title!
Arabic Infancy Gospel
Gospel of Matthias
Gospel of the Lord
Gospel of the Nazareans
Gospel of Gamaliel
Gospel of James Gospel of the Egyptians
Gospel of the Birth of Mary Gospel of
Nicodemus
Gospels of the 12 Apostles
Gospel of the Ebionites
Gospel of Basilides
Infancy Gospel of Thomas
Coptic Gospel of Thomas
Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew
Gospel of
Bartholomew Gospel of Mary (Magdalene)
Gospel of the Hebrews
III) Non-canonical Gospels
III) Non-canonical Gospels
III) Non-canonical Gospels
III) Non-canonical Gospels
Some of the most famous or influential:
Gospel of James:
mid-2nd Cent.
mainly about Mary (of Nazareth) as the mother of
Israel's salvation
Gospel of Peter:
late 2nd Cent. (discovered 1886)
earliest non-canonical narrative account of Jesus'
passion & resurrection
Infancy Gospel of Thomas:
late 2nd Cent.
strange & miraculous events from Jesus'
childhood,
from ages 5 to 12
Sayings Gospel of Thomas:
2nd – 3rd Cent.
III) Non-canonical Gospels
III) Non-canonical Gospels
Nag Hammadi Library:
Over 50 texts in 13 codices, Coptic, mostly gnostic,
discovered in 1945 near Nag Hammadi, Egypt
Gospel of Thomas:
Orig. 2nd – 3rd Cent.; some old fragments in Greek;
Collection of 114 short sayings & teachings of Jesus
Gospel of the Egyptians
Gospel of Philip
Gospel of Truth
Many other books, including various Acts,
Nag Hammadi Codices
Nag Hammadi – Codex IV
III) Non-canonical Gospels
III) Non-canonical Gospels
More recent texts:
Secret Gospel of Mark
(1958, Morton Smith) – forgery?
Gospel acc. to Peanuts
(1965, Robert L. Short)
Gospel acc. to the Simpsons
(2001/2007, Mark I. Pinsky)
"Bigger and Possibly Even Better! Edition: With a New Afterword Exploring South Park, Family Guy, and Other Animated TV Shows"
Gospel acc. to Harry Potter
(2002, Connie Neal)
"Spirituality in the Stories of the World's Most Famous Seeker"
Gospel acc. to Doctor Seuss
(2004, James Kemp)
III) Non-canonical Gospels
III) Non-canonical Gospels
"Are you serious?"
(I hear you cry!)
How are these modern texts related to
the ancient Apocryphal Gospels?
Similarities:
they are mostly authors’
attempts
to understand the teachings or meaning of
Jesus,
or of other spiritual themes more broadly
Excerpts:
Excerpts:
Gospel of James
Gospel of James
(mid-2nd Cent.; Engl. trans. Andrew Bernhard)
Chap. 1: In the histories of the twelve tribes of Israel,
Joachim was an extremely rich man . . . As the great day of the Lord was drawing near and the children of Israel were bringing their offerings, however, Reubel stood in his way, saying, "You cannot offer your gifts first because you have not conceived a child in Israel." . . .
Then, Joachim was extremely frustrated and did not
appear to his wife, but gave himself to the desert and pitched his tent there. He fasted forty days and forty nights. All the while, Joachim was saying to himself, "I will not go down for food or drink until the Lord my
Excerpts:
Excerpts:
Gospel of James
Gospel of James
Ch. 2: Then, his wife Anna mourned and lamented
greatly for two reasons, saying, "I lament that I am a widow and I lament that I am childless."
…she petitioned the Lord, saying, "God of my ancestors, bless me and hear my prayer, just as you blessed our mother Sarah and gave her son Isaac to her."
Ch. 4: Suddenly, an angel of the Lord stood in front of her, saying, "Anna, Anna, the Lord God has heard your
prayer. You will conceive and give birth and your child will be spoken of everywhere people live." And Anna said, "As the Lord God lives, whether I give birth to either a male or a female child, I will bring it as an
Annunciation to
Annunciation to
Joachim & Anna
Joachim & Anna
Gaudenzio Ferrari
Gaudenzio Ferrari
(1544–45)
(1544–45)
Next, two angels came, saying to her, "Look your husband Joachim is
coming with his flocks." For an angel of the Lord had gone down to
Joachim, saying, "Joachim, Joachim, the Lord God has heard your prayer. Go
down from here. Look, your wife Anna has
Excerpts:
Excerpts:
Gospel of James
Gospel of James
Ch. 5: …After nine months, Anna gave birth and she said to the midwife, "What is it?" The midwife said, "A girl." Anna said, "My soul exalts this day." And she put her baby to bed. After her days were completed, Anna cleansed
herself and gave her breast to the child and gave her the name Mary.
Ch. 6 – At 6 months, Mary walks. At one year, she is blessed by the high priests.
Ch. 7 – At age 3, Mary is taken to live in the temple.
Ch. 8-9 – At age 12, Mary is given to Joseph, a widower.
Ch. 11-12 – At age 16, Mary is visited by the Angel Gabriel; then she visits her cousin Elizabeth.
Ch. 13-14 – Joseph discovers her pregnant; Joseph's dream
Excerpts:
Excerpts:
Gospel of James
Gospel of James
Ch. 17-18 – They go to Bethlehem, and Jesus is born.
Ch. 19-20 – A midwife attests that Mary is still a virgin.
Ch. 21-22 – Magi come visit; Herod kills all the infant boys near Bethlehem; Mary hides Jesus; Elizabeth hides John
Ch. 23-24 – Still seeking John, Herod murders Zechariah
(see Matt 23:35 & Luke 11:51 – "…the blood of Zechariah son of
Zarachiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar.
Ch. 25 – "I, James, wrote this history when there was unrest in Jerusalem, at the time Herod died. I took myself into
the desert until the unrest in Jerusalem ceased. All the while, I was glorifying God who gave me the wisdom to write this history. And grace will be with all who fear the Lord. Amen.“
Gospel of James
Gospel of James
Evaluation of this text:
Not accepted as "canonical" – but why not?
Yet also not "gnostic" nor "heretical"
Popular / traditional / influential in Christian
history
Parallels parts of Matthew 1–2 and Luke 1–2
But also adds material
(both earlier & filling in gaps): Birth of Mary to Joachim & Anna Some episodes in Mary's childhood Her marriage to Joseph
More details surrounding her pregnancy
Infancy Gospel of Thomas
Infancy Gospel of Thomas
(Mid-2nd Cent.; Engl. trans. Andrew Bernhard)
(1)
I, Thomas the Israelite, am reporting to you, all
my brothers from the nations, to reveal the
childhood and the greatness of our Lord Jesus
Christ, what he did in
my country after he was born. This is the
beginning of it.
Infancy Gospel of Thomas
Infancy Gospel of Thomas
(2)
(2)
(2 cont.) And after he made clay, he molded twelve sparrows from it. And it was the Sabbath when he did these things. . .Then, a certain Jew saw what Jesus was doing while playing on the Sabbath. Immediately, he departed and reported to Jesus' father, Joseph, "Look, your child is in the stream and he took clay and formed twelve birds and profaned the Sabbath?"
And Joseph went to the area and when he saw him, he shouted, "Why are you doing these things that are
not permitted on the Sabbath?" Jesus, however, clapped his hands and shouted to the sparrows, "Depart, fly, and remember me now that you are alive."
And the sparrows departed shrieking.
Infancy Gospel of Thomas
Infancy Gospel of Thomas
(3)
(3)
(3) The son of Annas the scribe was standing there with Jesus. Taking a branch from a willow tree, he dispersed the waters which Jesus had gathered.
When Jesus saw what had happened, he became angry and said to him, "You godless, brainless moron, what did the ponds and waters do to you? Watch this now: you are going to dry up like a tree and you will never produce
leaves or roots or fruit."
And immediately, this child withered up completely. Then, Jesus departed and returned to Joseph's house. The parents of the one who had been withered up,
however, wailed for their young child as they took his remains away.
Infancy Gospel of Thomas
Infancy Gospel of Thomas
(4-8)
(4-8)
(4) Next, he was going through the village again and a running child bumped his shoulder. Becoming bitter, Jesus said to him, "You will not complete your journey." Immediately, he fell down and died.
Then, some of the people who had seen what had happened said, "Where has this child come from so that his every word is a completed deed?"
And going to Joseph, the parents of the one who had died found fault with him. They said, "Because you have such a child, you are not allowed to live with us in the village, or at least teach him to bless and not curse. For our children are dead!"
Infancy Gospel of Thomas
Infancy Gospel of Thomas
(9)
(9)
(9) And after a few days passed, Jesus was up on a roof of a house. And one of the children playing with him died after falling off the roof. . . When the parents of the one who had died came, they accused Jesus, "Troublemaker, you threw him down."
But Jesus replied, "I did not throw him down, rather he threw himself down. When he was not acting carefully, he leaped off the roof and died." Jesus leaped off the roof and
stood by the corpse of the boy and cried out with a loud voice and said, "Zeno," - for that was his name - "rise up, talk to
me: did I throw you down?"
And rising up immediately, he said, "No, Lord, you did not throw me down, but you did raise me up."
Infancy Gospel of Thomas
Infancy Gospel of Thomas
(10-11)
(10-11)
(10) – another miracle, after which the witnesses worship him
(11)
When Jesus was
six years old
, his mother sent
him to draw water to carry into the house. But he
accidentally let the water go in the crowd, and
crashing, the water jar broke. But unfolding the cloak
which was thrown around him, he filled it with water
and carried it to his mother.
Infancy Gospel of Thomas
Infancy Gospel of Thomas
(12-15)
(12-15)
(12) Then again, in the season of sowing, the child went
with his father to sow grain in their field. And as his father was sowing, the child Jesus also sowed one measure of grain.
And after he harvested and threshed it, it produced one hundred measures. And calling all the poor of the village to the threshing floor, he gave them grain freely. And Joseph carried the remaining grain away.
Jesus was eight years old when he did this sign.
(13) – another miracle, after which Joseph is grateful
Infancy Gospel of Thomas
Infancy Gospel of Thomas
(16-19)
(16-19)
(16) Then, Joseph sent his son James to tie up wood andbring it into his house, but the child Jesus also followed him. And while James was collecting the bushes, a viper bit his hand. And as he lay on the ground dying, Jesus approached and blew on the bite. And immediately, his anguish ceased and the animal broke apart and at once James was healthy.
(17-18) – more miracles, after which everyone is amazed
(19) – Jesus, at age 12, goes to Jerusalem with his parents (see Luke 2:41-52)
Jesus
Jesus
in the Temple
in the Temple
at age 12
at age 12
Gustave Dor
Infancy Gospel of Thomas
Infancy Gospel of Thomas
Evaluation of this text:
Fills in biblical gaps: Jesus' childhood
(esp. ages 5-9) Not accepted as "canonical" – Why not?
How does it portray the young Jesus?
Cruel? Curses people, and they immediately die? Powerful? Miraculous healings & raising the dead! Wise? Better than anyone who tries to teach him!
What can we learn from this text?
Anything about (the historical) Jesus? –
No!
Gospel of Peter
Gospel of Peter
(late 2nd Cent. text; discovered 1886; fragmentary begin & end)
The text begins near at the end of Jesus' trial,
narrates the crucifixion fairly briefly, with some
elements similar to the canonical Gospels, but some different.
Jesus is condemned to death (Herod gives the orders!)
Joseph (of Arimathea) asks for Jesus' body (before he dies!) Jesus is mocked & scourged, is crucified, and dies.
His body is taken down from the cross and buried. Jewish leaders & people lament and repent.
The Empty
The Empty
Tomb
Tomb
Gustave Dor
Excerpts:
Excerpts:
Gospel of Peter
Gospel of Peter
Par. 9-10 (trans. Sam Gibson):
During the night before the Lord's day dawned, as
the soldiers were keeping guard two by two in every
watch, there came a great sound in the sky, and
they saw the heavens opened and two men
descend shining with a great light, and they drew
near to the tomb.
The stone which had been set on the door rolled
away by itself and moved to one side, and the tomb
was opened and both of the young men went in.
Now when these soldiers saw that, they woke up the
Excerpts:
Excerpts:
Gospel of Peter
Gospel of Peter
While they were yet telling them the things
which they had seen, they saw three men come
out of the tomb, two of them sustaining the
other one, and a cross following after them.
The heads of the two they saw had heads that
reached up to heaven, but the head of him that
was led by them went beyond heaven.
And they heard a voice out of the heavens
Excerpts:
Excerpts:
Gospel of Peter
Gospel of Peter
The story continues:
Soldiers report back to Pilate; he tells them to say nothing. Mary of Magdala & other women go to the tomb to weep: They're afraid of being seen by the Jews;
and wonder who will roll away the stone for them.
They find the tomb open, and see a young man inside.
Final paragraph:
Now it was the last day of Unleavened Bread, and many
were returning to their homes since the feast was ending. But we, the twelve disciples of the Lord, continued
weeping and mourning, and each one still grieving for what had happened, left for his own home. But I, Simon Peter, and Andrew my brother, took our fishing nets and went to the sea. With us was Levi, the son of Alphaeus, whom the Lord...
Gospel of Peter
Gospel of Peter
Evaluation of this text:
Again, fills in a few biblical gaps
(esp. Eastermorning)
Not accepted as "canonical" – Why not?
What can we learn from this text?
What really happened on Easter morning,
how Jesus was raised from the dead? –
No!
Some early Christians' beliefs about Jesus? –
Ex:
Ex:
Coptic Gospel of Thomas
Coptic Gospel of Thomas
Greek fragments from 2nd – 3rd Cent.;
4th Cent. Coptic text discovered 1945 near Nag Hammadi
Collection of 114 Sayings of Jesus; excerpts here from
"The Scholar's Translation," by S. Patterson & M. Meyer.
0)
These are the secret sayings that the living Jesus
spoke and Didymos Judas Thomas recorded.
1)
And he said, "Whoever discovers the
Ex:
Ex:
Coptic Gospel of Thomas
Coptic Gospel of Thomas
2)
Jesus said, "Those who seek should not stop seeking
until they find. When they find, they will be
disturbed. When they are disturbed, they will
marvel, and will reign over all.
[And after they have reigned they will rest.]"3)
Jesus said, "If your leaders say to you, 'Look, the
(Father's) kingdom is in the sky,' then the birds of
the sky will precede you. If they say to you, 'It is in
the sea,' then the fish will precede you. Rather, the
kingdom is within you and it is outside you. When
you know yourselves, then you will be known, and
you will understand that you are children of the
Ex:
Ex:
Coptic Gospel of Thomas
Coptic Gospel of Thomas
4)
Jesus said, "The person old in days won't hesitate
to ask a little child seven days old about the place
of life, and that person will live. For many of the
first will be last, and will become a single one."
6)
His disciples asked him and said to him, "Do you
want us to fast? How should we pray? Should we
give to charity? What diet should we observe?"
Ex:
Ex:
Coptic Gospel of Thomas
Coptic Gospel of Thomas
7)
Jesus said, "Lucky is the lion that the human
will eat, so that the lion becomes human. And
foul is the human that the lion will eat, and the
lion still will become human."
8)
And he said, The person is like a wise
fisherman
who cast his net into the sea and
drew it up from the sea full of little fish. Among
them the wise fisherman discovered a fine
Ex:
Ex:
Coptic Gospel of Thomas
Coptic Gospel of Thomas
9)
Jesus said, Look, the
sower
went out, took a
handful (of seeds), and scattered (them).
Some fell on the road, and the birds came
and gathered them. Others fell on rock, and
they didn't take root in the soil and didn't
produce heads of grain. Others fell on thorns,
and they choked the seeds and worms ate
them. And others fell on good soil, and it
produced a good crop: it yielded sixty per
measure and one hundred twenty per
Ex:
Ex:
Coptic Gospel of Thomas
Coptic Gospel of Thomas
48)
Jesus said, "If two make peace with each other
in a single house, they will say to the mountain,
'Move from here!' and it will move."
56)
Jesus said, "Whoever has come to know the
world has discovered a carcass, and whoever
has discovered a carcass, of that person the
world is not worthy."
77)
Jesus said, "I am the light that is over all
things. I am all: from me all came forth, and to
me all attained. Split a piece of wood; I am
Ex:
Ex:
Coptic Gospel of Thomas
Coptic Gospel of Thomas
Last saying
(possibly added late):
114)
Simon Peter said to them, "Make Mary
leave us, for females don't deserve life."
Jesus said, "Look, I will guide her to make her
male, so that she too may become a living
spirit resembling you males.
Coptic Gospel of Thomas
Coptic Gospel of Thomas
Evaluation of this text:
Not accepted as "canonical" – Why not?
Heretical? Gnostic? Not universally accepted.
How does it portray the teachings of Jesus?
Familiar? Strange?
What can we learn from this text?
Anything about (the historical) Jesus? –
Yes, a
bit!
Some of the 114 sayings may date to the 1
stCent.;
similar in wording and style to the Synoptics
IV) Gospel of Judas
IV) Gospel of Judas
Ancient Origins:
Originally written in Greek, mid-2nd Cent.
Known & rejected by Irenaeus of Lyons (ca. 180)
“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 declare 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.”
IV) Gospel of Judas
IV) Gospel of Judas
Modern Re-discovery:
Codex Tchacos, late 3
rdCent., Coptic, found 1970's
66 pages, with four texts, badly fragmented in part:
1) Letter of Peter to Philip; 2) James (First Apocalypse of)
3) Gospel of Judas; 4) Book of Allogenes (frag.)
Languished on antiquities market for decades.
Published by National Geographic Society
in 2006, with huge marketing blitz!
Press Conference: April 6, 2006
National Geographic Magazine, May 2006 Three books published by NG
Gospel of Judas
IV) Gospel of Judas
IV) Gospel of Judas
Sensational Claims by NGS:
Judas was Jesus' favorite disciple!
Jesus asked Judas to betray him!
“The Gospel of Judas gives a different view of the
relationship between Jesus and Judas, offering new insights into the disciple who betrayed Jesus. Unlike the accounts in the canonical Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, in which Judas is portrayed as a reviled traitor, this newly
discovered Gospel portrays Judas as acting at Jesus’ request when he hands Jesus over to the authorities.” (http://
www.nationalgeographic.com/lostgospel/)
Really?
Can mid-2
nd-cent. texts give us reliable
new
info
IV) Gospel of Judas
IV) Gospel of Judas
More Careful Statements by Scholars:
Scholars say the text not only offers an alternative
view of the relationship between Jesus and Judas
but also illustrates the diversity of opinion in the
early Christian church.
"I expect this gospel to be important mainly for
the deeper insight it will give scholars into the
thoughts and beliefs of certain Christians in the
second century of the Christian era, namely the
Gnostics
," said Stephen Emmel, a Coptic studies
professor at the University of Münster in Germany.
IV) Gospel of Judas
IV) Gospel of Judas
Other Cautions:
The text is very fragmentary; codex badly
damaged
Translations of some passages are still disputed
Theology is obviously Gnostic; but to
understand such texts at all, we need to know
what ancient Gnosticism believed and taught!
Literary Form :
Mostly
dialogues
between Jesus and Judas,
Gospel of Judas
IV) Gospel of Judas
IV) Gospel of Judas
(Intro)
(Intro)
Excerpts from The Gospel of Judas, edited by R. Kasser, M. Meyer, and G. Wurst. National Geographic Society, 2006.
The
secret account
of the revelation that Jesus
spoke in conversation with
Judas Iscariot
during a
week three days before he celebrated Passover.
When Jesus
appeared
on earth, he performed
IV) Gospel of Judas
IV) Gospel of Judas
(Scene 1)
(Scene 1)
… Judas [said] to him, “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.”
Knowing that
Judas
was reflecting on something
that was exalted, Jesus said to him, “Step away
from the others and I shall tell you the mysteries
of the kingdom. It is possible for you to reach it,
but you will grieve a great deal. For someone
IV) Gospel of Judas
IV) Gospel of Judas
(Scene 3)
(Scene 3)
Judas said, “Master, as you have listened to all of
them, now also listen to me. For I have seen a
great vision.” 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.”
Jesus said, "[Come], that I may teach you about
[secrets] no person [has] ever seen. For there
IV) Gospel of Judas
IV) Gospel of Judas
(crucial part)
(crucial part)
Judas
said to Jesus, "Look, what will those who
have been baptized in your name do?"
Jesus
said,
"Truly [I] say to you, this baptism […] my name
[
ca. 9 lines missing
]
to me. Truly [I] say to you, Judas, [those who] offer
sacrifices to Saklas […] God
[
3 lines missing
]
everything that is evil. But you will exceed all of
IV) Gospel of Judas
IV) Gospel of Judas
Conclusion of the Text:
[ . . . ] Their high priests murmured because [he]
had gone into the guest room for his prayer. But
some scribes were there watching carefully in
order to arrest him during the prayer, for they
were afraid of the people, since he was regarded
by all as a prophet.
They approached Judas and said to him, “What are
you doing here? You are Jesus’ disciple.”
Judas answered them as they wished. And he
received some money and handed him over to
them.
V)
V)
What Can These Texts Teach Us?
What Can These Texts Teach Us?
About early Gnosticism:
We learn a little more, recovering texts of previously
lost ancient writings (albeit often very fragmentary); but nothing really new or different.
They mostly confirm Irenaeus' reports about their
contents, and why the early Church rejected them.
About Jesus and his apostles:
We learn nothing historically about the 1st Century.
About Early Christianity:
We learn more about the beliefs that some groups,
V)
V)
What Can These Texts Teach Us?
What Can These Texts Teach Us?
So why all the fuss?
Good question!
Modern anti-Christian bias?
Selling more books and magazines?
Learn about these texts
But
beware the "hype"!
Learn to
ask intelligent questions
So you'll be better informed about such issues,
and not as susceptible to wild or false claims!
P.S.
Don’t forget to read the BIBLE
V)
V)
What Can These Texts Teach Us?
What Can These Texts Teach Us?
What should we teach others about all this?
What should we , as Catholic Religious Educators,
teach our children, RCIA Candidates, and others?
1) Criteria for Canonicity:
WHY the Four Gospels were included, but others not? 2) Existence of MANY OTHER ancient religious books,
not included in either the OT or NT:
WHEN / WHERE they come from, in time & theology? 3) Differences between Christianity & Gnosticism:
Xnty: Jesus as fully human and fully divine!
Bibliography
Bibliography
W. Schneemelcher, ed.
New Testament Apocrypha
.
2 vols. Louisville: Westminster/John Knox, 1991-92.
J.K. Elliott, ed.
The Apocryphal New Testament
.
New York: Oxford University Press, 1993.
H. Koester.
Ancient Christian Gospels
. Harrisburg,
PA: Trinity Press International, 1990.
R.J. Miller, ed.
The Complete Gospels
: Annotated
Scholars Version
. Sonoma, CA: Polebridge Press,
1992.
http://www.earlychristianwritings.com
http://wesley.nnu.edu/biblical_studies/noncanon/
X) Gospel of Philip
X) Gospel of Philip
From Nag Hammadi
(Codex II,3)
– Valentinian
loosely compiled sayings of Jesus; mostly on life
& death
Two texts referring to
Mary Magdalene
:
(mentioned in the daVinci Code)
1)
"There were three who always walked with the
Lord: Mary, his mother, and her sister, and
Magdalene
, the one who was called his
companion. His sister and his mother and his
companion were each a
Mary
."
Gospel of Philip:
Gospel of Philip:
Ref. to M.Mag.
Ref. to M.Mag.
2) As for the Wisdom who is called "the barren," she is the mother [of the] angels.
And the companion of the [. . .] Mary Magdalene. [. . . loved] her more than [all] the disciples [and used to]
kiss her [often] on her [. . .]. The rest of [the disciples . . . // . . .].
They said to him, "Why do you love her more than all of us?" The Savior answered and said to them, "Why do I not love you like her? When a blind man and one who sees are both together in darkness, they are no
different from one another. When the light comes, then he who sees will see the light, and he who is blind will remain in darkness." (63.30b-64.9; J. Robinson, NHL, p. 145)
X) Gospel of Mary (Magdalene)
X) Gospel of Mary (Magdalene)
PB 8502; discovered 1896; not publ. until 1955!
Pages 1-6 (ch. 1-3) and 11-14 (ch. 6-7) are lost!
Ch. 5: But they were grieved. They wept greatly,
saying, “How shall we go to the Gentiles and preach the gospel of the Kingdom of the Son of Man? If they did not spare Him, how will they spare us?”
Then Mary stood up, greeted them all, and said to her
brethren, “Do not weep and do not grieve nor be
irresolute, for His grace will be entirely with you and
will protect you. But rather, let us praise His greatness, for He has prepared us and made us into Men.”
When Mary said this, she turned their hearts to the
X) Gospel of Mary (Magdalene)
X) Gospel of Mary (Magdalene)
Peter said to Mary, “Sister we know that the Savior
loved you more than the rest of woman. Tell us the words of the Savior which you remember which you know, but we do not, nor have we heard them.”
Mary answered and said, “What is hidden from you I
will proclaim to you.” And she began to speak to them these words: “I,” she said, “I saw the Lord in a vision and I said to Him, ‘Lord I saw you today in a vision.’ He answered and said to me, ‘Blessed are you that you did not waver at the sight of Me. For where the mind is
there is the treasure.’ I said to Him, ‘Lord, how does he who sees the vision see it, through the soul or through the spirit?’ The Savior answered and said, ‘He does not see through the soul nor through the spirit, but the
X) Gospel of Mary (Magdalene)
X) Gospel of Mary (Magdalene)
Ch. 9: When Mary had said this, she fell silent, since it was to this point that the Savior had spoken with her.
But Andrew answered and said to the brethren, “Say
what you wish to say about what she has said. I at least do not believe that the Savior said this. For certainly
these teachings are strange ideas.”
Peter answered and spoke concerning these same
things. He questioned them about the Savior: “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?”
Then Mary wept and said to Peter, “My brother Peter,
what do you think? Do you think that I have thought this up myself in my heart, or that I am lying about the
X) Gospel of Mary (Magdalene)
X) Gospel of Mary (Magdalene)
Levi
answered and said to Peter,
“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. Rather let us be ashamed and put on the
perfect Man, and separate as He commanded us and
preach the gospel, not laying down any other rule or
other law beyond what the Savior said.”
And when they heard this they began to go forth to