The DaVinci Code
and The Gospel of Judas
By Gary Kah - May 10, 2006
See also Refuting The Gospel of Judas and The Gnostic Apostle Thomas
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Not since the early years of Christianity has our
faith been under such an all-out assault. In rapid succession books, films, and
critical essays are being released in a seemingly coordinated effort to redefine
the person of Jesus Christ and to cast doubt upon his divine purpose. First, The Da Vinci Code book and resulting movie, and now The Gospel of Judas; all of
which are being propped up by a massive volume of secondary writings and sources
rooted mainly in Gnosticism and the occult. Why are these heresies coming to the
forefront now? Who is driving these attacks? And, what do they hope to
accomplish? The answers to these questions will become clear as we probe a
little deeper.
When Dan Brown first published his book The Da Vinci Code, few Christians thought that a mere novel would produce such a large response. But the world was ready for a new gospel – one that undermined the divinity of Christ and the need for redemption, while placing man in control of his own destiny.
With support from the media The Da Vinci Code has become an overnight
phenomenon. The book and movie will be read and seen by tens, if not hundreds,
of millions – in spite of the fact that it is admittedly a fictional story
containing very little truth. This reaction should remind us of Paul’s words to
Timothy:
"For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables." (II Timothy 4:3-4) [Italics added]
When I first became aware of The Da Vinci Code in 2003, it immediately reminded me of an earlier book Holy Blood, Holy Grail written by Michael Baigent, Richard Leigh, and Henry Lincoln two decades ago (printed in 1983).
Unlike The Da Vinci Code, Holy Blood, Holy Grail was presented and is
still promoted as a true historical account, even though there isn’t a shred of
solid evidence to support its main thesis. The book maintains that Jesus and
Mary Magdalene were married and had children, and that there has been a
continuous bloodline of their descendants to the present day. It claims that
various secret organizations have carefully guarded this esoteric knowledge,
passing it from generation to generation – until it is finally revealed to the
public by Michael Baigent and his co-authors.
Not surprisingly, Holy Blood, Holy Grail is enjoying
a major revival in its sales due to the interest generated by The Da Vinci Code
and the lawsuit which Baigent has leveled against Dan Brown for allegedly using
his material without permission. Brown in his version however, places a strong
emphasis on Leonardo da Vinci and his alleged role in preserving these “secrets”
of Jesus – hence the title The Da Vinci Code.
The single most important effect of these writings is that they have fueled
speculations that Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection were faked.
If this were true and Jesus never died on the cross, he could not have atoned
for the sin of man; which means there would be no redeemer to believe in.
Advocates of this heresy would also have us believe that there is no hell to
avoid, and no final judgment before a Holy God/Creator. Man can do as he pleases
without eternal consequence. He can be his own God – at least in this life.
The Gospel of Judas
Like The Da Vinci Code, The Gospel of Judas is a frontal assault on the
divine purpose of Jesus Christ. However, there is one huge difference.
Unlike The Da Vinci Code, which is presented as a novel, The Gospel of Judas is
portrayed as a real Gospel that had been lost for centuries. A growing number of
“scholars” are giving it status as an equal or even greater writing than the
four Gospels of the New Testament.
Uncovered near El Minya, Egypt in the late 1970s, the leather-bound codex
containing The Gospel of Judas made its way into Cairo’s antiquities market, and
eventually into the hands of its current owner, the Maecenas Foundation, located
in Basel, Switzerland.1 It is being hailed by some as the most significant
religious archaeological find since the Dead Sea Scrolls, uncovered in 1947.
Assisted by a grant from Gateway founder Ted Waitt, The National Geographic
Society has been involved in restoring the manuscript and translating it from
Coptic into English.2 Upon completion of this task, the National Geographic
Channel presented a special 2-hour documentary on the subject which aired on
April 9th. Here are the narrator’s opening remarks:
"National Geographic reveals the lost gospel of the Bible’s greatest villain. He’s the one who handed over his friend. He’s the one who brought about the crucifixion. And he’s the one who’s damned for all time. He is one of the most hated men in history – the apostle who betrayed Jesus Christ.For centuries his name has meant treachery and deceit: Judas Iscariot.
"Now, hidden for nearly 2,000 years, an ancient gospel emerges from the sands of Egypt. It tells a different story – one that could challenge our deepest beliefs. This account turns the story of Christ’s betrayal on its head. Here, the villain becomes a hero, and Jesus Christ arranges his own execution.…
"Discovered by chance, sold twice, and stolen once – the race is on to preserve its pages before they turn to dust. Is this an authentic account, or an ancient heresy that should be left in the grave? …Now, we read it for the first time. It is The Gospel of Judas."
The program goes on to interview ten esteemed experts from various fields of study in an attempt to validate this ancient text. A well-crafted case is made for why The Gospel of Judas is authentic.The document is repeatedly compared with the Nag Hammadi texts, a series of more than 30 ancient writings found in Egypt in 1945. These texts include numerous other purported gospels such as the Gospels of Thomas, Phillip, and Mary Magdalene which never made it into our New Testament. They were rejected because they were not considered to be divinely inspired by early church fathers. The Gospel of Judas, like a majority of the Nag Hammadi Library, was written by Gnostics from the same time period.
The carbon-dating process has revealed that the Coptic version of The Gospel of
Judas was produced between 220 and 340 A.D., most likely around the year 280.
The original text, which came into existence some time prior to 180 A.D., is
believed to have been written in Greek. From the Greek it was then translated
into Coptic, a language directly descended from the ancient Egyptian of the
Pharaohs.
After examining the evidence, National Geographic’s team of experts unanimously
concludes that the codex containing The Gospel of Judas is not a forgery. It is
a genuine document from the third century. However, the fact that it is
authentic does not mean that it is true!
The Gospel of Judas was known to already exist in 180 A.D. because this is when Irenaeus, together with other church leaders, vigorously refuted and rejected its inclusion into the New Testament. Only the four Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John were deemed as worthy and divinely inspired accounts of the Savior’s life and ministry. The “other” gospels were written or strongly influenced by leaders of the early Gnostic movement. Could it be that Irenaeus denounced Judas and the other Gospels for this very reason?
National Geographic’s scholars readily admit that these texts were produced by
the Gnostics. Yet, the documentary makes no mention of the fact that the
Gnostics were the chief persecutors of the Apostle Paul and the early Church.
They often pursued Christians to their deaths, handing them over to the Roman
authorities for execution. The Gnostics did everything in their power to prevent
the message of salvation from going forward. In spite of these historically
established facts, the documentary consistently presents Gnosticism in a
favorable light, even identifying Gnostics as Christians.
The truth is – they were anything but Christians. They were occult mystics
strongly influenced by pantheistic ideas. They perpetuated themselves and their
anti-Christian teachings largely through secret societies. It is my personal
belief that Paul may have been referring to these very groups when he warned of
“the secret power of lawlessness” that was already at work (2 Thessalonians
2:7).
Incredibly, the documentary goes into considerable detail about some of the
Gnostics’ beliefs. Similar to New Agers and Eastern Mystics of today, Gnostics
relied heavily on intuitive feelings and believed they had divine knowledge
within themselves. This knowledge flowed from a “divine spark” or “divine
spirit” dwelling within the body. According to some branches of Gnosticism,
Jesus’ death was a good thing because it freed his spirit from the prison of his
body; and Judas’ act of betrayal was really an act of obedience (as The Gospel
of Judas tenaciously points out). Judas is therefore viewed as the champion and
is thus envied, cursed and resented by the other disciples.
Dr. Marvin Meyer, a Coptic expert who along with Dr. Rodolphe Kasser (the
world’s pre-eminent authority on Coptic language) translated The Gospel of Judas
into English, elaborates further. The Gnostics he reasons, were convinced that,
"the serpent in the Garden of Eden was a good figure. In fact, the Gnostics turned the story of the Garden of Eden upside-down, because the serpent was a rather engaging character. After all, the serpent said to Eve, “Take some of the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” And to Gnostics, that sounded like a wonderful invitation. – Wouldn’t you like to have a bite of an apple of knowledge, and have all the juice of knowledge in your being?"
At this point, anyone viewing this National Geographic special should have recognized the Gnostics’ disregard for God’s command to Adam and Eve to not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The Gnostics approved of Eve’s sin against God even though her actions caused the fall of mankind.
Consequently, the source of Gnosticism – and therefore of The Gospel of Judas –
must be Satan himself. Given this background, any Christian, even with limited
knowledge of Scripture, should understand why Irenaeus and the early Church
fathers wisely rejected the Gnostic Gospels.
The documentary continues by sharing some actual passages from The Gospel of
Judas which are interlaced with comments from its team of experts. Their
comments are heavily tilted in favor of Judas and Gnosticism. The Gospel opens
with the following words:
"This is the secret account of the revelation that Jesus spoke with Judas three days before he celebrated Passover…"
The narrator interjects: "The Gospel of Judas uses
familiar scenes to convey unfamiliar ideas."
The Gospel of Judas continues: "One day he was with his disciples in Judea, and
he found them gathered together and seated in pious observance. When he
approached his disciples offering a prayer of thanksgiving over the bread, he
laughed."
Dr. Bart Ehrman, University of North Carolina, explains: "He’s laughing because
they think that they’re worshiping the true God; but in fact, they have it wrong
– they’re worshiping the god who created this world, who is not the true God.
The only one who understands is Judas."
Narrator: "To the Gnostics, the god who created earth wasn’t worthy of worship;
only the true God, a being beyond comprehension was sacred. Jesus laughs at what
he sees as false piety. But the apostles don’t understand and grow angry with
him…"
Jesus comments in the Gospel: "Why have you been provoked to anger? Let any one
of you who is strong enough stand and reveal to me the true spiritual person
within."
The disciples reply: "We are strong enough!"
Narrator: "Their spirits did not dare to stand before him; except for Judas
Iscariot."
Judas stands and speaks: "I know who you are and where you came from. I am not
worthy to utter the name of the one who has sent you."
Jesus approaches Judas and responds quietly, saying: "Step away from the others,
and I shall tell you the mysteries of the kingdom. It is a great and boundless
realm which no eye of an angel has ever seen, no thought of the heart has ever
comprehended, and it was never called by name."
Dr. Marvin Meyer, Chapman University, comments: "Jesus issues a challenge to the
disciples. He says, 'Let the perfect person inside of you step forward and face
me.' And that perfect person within is the inner person, the spiritual person
that truly knows, the person that ought to have a knowledge of God and a
knowledge of oneself. And the disciples say, 'Well, we can do that.' But they
couldn’t do it. And so Judas steps forward, and he was able to stand before
Jesus."
Dr. Craig Evans, Acadia Divinity College, Canada adds: "But he doesn’t just
stand up, he’s also modest; he doesn’t stare Jesus in the face, but sensitive to
the cultural norms of this time, he averts his glance. So he’s got what it
takes; he has you might say the spiritual backbone to stand up, but he has the
good grace and modesty to know his place when he stands before Jesus."
Dr. Elaine Pagels, Princeton University, remarks: "Jesus, if he were like other
Jewish teachers would have probably taught one way to the crowds and other
things to his disciples in secret. The Gospel of Mark in the New Testament says
exactly that. If so, he taught the way teachers in antiquity ordinarily taught,
and many still do today."
Judas says to Jesus: "Master, in a vision I saw myself. The disciples were
stoning me to death."
Jesus responds to Judas: "You will become the apostle cursed by all the others.
It is possible for you to reach the kingdom of heaven, but you will grieve a
great deal."
Judas asks: "But what good is it to me?"
Jesus replies: "Your star’s brilliance will eclipse all the others. You will be
greater than them all. Judas, you will sacrifice the man that clothes me. Judas,
the star that leads the way is your star."
Dr. Evans theorizes:
"Judas has had a vision which I think confirms his choice. But he doesn’t
understand the vision until Jesus explains it to him. Judas understands now his
mission, and he has the strength, the stamina to carry it out; which is to
betray Jesus. But it’s not a bad thing that he does; it’s actually an act of
sacrifice, it’s like an act of worship, it’s a good thing, it’s a pious thing."
Dr. Ehrman speculates: "Jesus reveals these truths to Judas, and Judas alone.
Among these truths are that people in this world have a divine spark trapped
within them that needs to be set free. Jesus himself represents a divine spark
that needs to be set free."
Narrator: "Unlike the New Testament Gospels, The Gospel of Judas contains no
crucifixion scene. It ends abruptly with Judas’ betrayal. By omitting the
crucifixion, Judas’ Gospel added to tensions between the emerging Orthodox
Church and the Gnostics."
Dr. Ehrman adds: "In the early Gospels it was the death and resurrection of
Jesus that really matters for salvation. His body dies, and then God raises his
body from the dead. This resurrection of the body is very important, so that
Jesus in the Gospels of Matthew, Luke and John actually appears to his followers
to show that he’s still living – his body is still alive. That stands completely
at odds with what happens in The Gospel of Judas, where there’s no account of
his death because his death isn’t what really matters, and there’s especially no
account of his resurrection. What matters is that the body is going to die, and
the spirit is going to live on."
Narrator: "For the Gnostics, Jesus had to die to free himself of the prison of
his body. But in the eyes of the Orthodox Church, that interpretation sealed
their fate as heretics."
The narrator reasons: "Almost all experts believe the four Gospels of the New
Testament were written between 60 and 100 A.D. Because of Irenaeus we know that
The Gospel of Judas existed in 180 A.D. But we have no way to know when the
original was written. Deciding how The Gospel of Judas stacks up against the New
Testament Gospels may depend not on when it was written, but on what you
believe."
Dr. Pagels argues: "So it’s not that these are necessarily opposites; it’s not
that you have to choose Mark, or The Gospel of Thomas or Judas. The Gospels from
Nag Hammadi and The Gospel of Judas are puzzling and, in fact, they’re probably
not meant to be publicly read. They were meant to be advanced level teaching. So
they don’t have the same function as the Gospels Matthew, Mark and Luke."
Narrator: "Whether advanced course or heresy, The Gospel of Judas forces us to
recognize that early on there wasn’t just one Christianity. There were many."
Dr. Ehrman comments: "Largely because of discoveries of ancient gospels like The
Gospel of Judas and like the Nag Hammadi Library, scholars have learned about
other forms of Christianity that didn’t make it; that ended up being squelched
and marginalized, and they eventually disappear."
Dr. William Klassen, University of Waterloo, Canada remarks: "The value of The
Gospel of Judas comes first from the fact that it’s a source for our
understanding of Gnosticism. It’s secondly a very important source for our
understanding of what the early Church did with the figure of Judas; that there
were some, as there have been actually all throughout history, who could
celebrate the existence of Judas."
The narrator concludes: "The Gospel of Judas will always fuel debate. Its
uncanny journey through time is a story about human passions, to challenge
authority, to make a buck, to preserve the past, and ultimately, to understand
God. This lost Gospel has emerged to become part of our history, to reveal the
diversity of early Christianity, and to challenge us to ask why we believe what
we do."
These are only a few of the misleading passages and comments from The Gospel of
Judas manuscript and documentary. But they are enough to give us a clear sense
of their purpose which, like The Da Vinci Code, is to undermine the integrity of
Christ and counter the true Gospels of the Bible.
The fact that major film and documentary makers are willing to cast Gnosticism
and Judas in such a positive light demonstrates a bold audacity and complete
disregard for the Christian faith and the person of Jesus Christ. If anything
comparable were presented about Muhammed, Muslims would call for the heads of
the producers. While we should not wish harm upon the creators of these films,
will we as Christians tolerate these accounts and fail to expose such flagrant
misrepresentations of the truth?
I am afraid that this is just the beginning of what will become a growing
movement to elevate Judas and redefine Jesus Christ. A group of Jesuit priests
in Germany are already leading an attack to make Judas the Betrayer, a Saint.3
If The Gospel of Judas becomes widely accepted as a legitimate writing, it will
be only a matter of time before the other so-called gospels of the Nag Hammadi
Library are accepted as well. When this happens, the momentum away from
biblical/historical truth toward sinister Gnostic myths will be unstoppable.
As we enter the last days before Christ’s return, we should not be surprised
that such lies of Satan are proliferating with speed and intensity. Satan is not
called the master deceiver for no reason. Jesus Himself warned that at the end
of time, there would be unprecedented deception (Matthew 24). In Luke 18:8 He
posed the question, “When the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the
earth?” We are witnessing the signs of the times which testify to the fact that
the unveiling of the antichrist is near, and Christ’s return is drawing closer.
In the days ahead, as God’s truth comes under ever-increasing fire, we need to
be prepared to stand under pressure. As The Da Vinci Code and The Gospel
of Judas generate questions and discussions in the workplace, neighborhood, home
and church, we must be able to speak knowledgeably on this subject as the Lord’s
ambassadors. If we are unable to offer factual and compelling arguments in
defense of God’s Word and His truth, countless individuals will be lost, and we
ourselves could be deceived.
For this reason, I am urging you to educate people as quickly as possible about
these developments. I am recommending that everyone obtain a copy of Dr. Irwin
Lutzer’s important book, The Da Vinci Deception. It will equip you with
the facts you need to effectively contend for your faith on this subject. If
used together with the Bible – as Dr. Lutzer strongly urges – you will be
prepared to defend your beliefs and to “argue persuasively” for the truth.
We will also be posting this article on our Website so that you can prompt
others to read it. If you do not have access to the Internet, please make copies
of this newsletter and spread it among your friends and cohorts.
With God’s help we can all contend for the faith in some way. Now is the time to
stand up and be counted for the Lord!
Gary Kah is a former Europe & Middle East Trade Specialist for the Government of Indiana and is author of the Christian best-sellers En Route to Global Occupation and The New World Religion. He also publishes an excellent research news journal and has produced several quality videos. All of his materials may be purchased online at www.garykah.org or by dialing his orderline number: 1-317-290-4673
To order your copy of The Da Vinci Deception, visit our Website at www.garykah.org, call the above number, or write to us at Hope for the World, P O Box 899, Noblesville, IN 46061. ($12 per book which includes shipping and handling).
Endnotes:
1. Jay Tolson, "Was This Villain Really a Hero?" U.S. News &
World Report, April 17, 2006, pp. 52-53.
2. Ibid.
3. The National Geographic Channel, "The Gospel of Judas,"
Produced and Directed by James Barrat, April 9, 2006.
See also Refuting The Gospel of Judas and The Da Vinci Code
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