Judas gospel: Rewriting history?

IN THEORY

Judas gospel: Rewriting history?

Q: Many biblical scholars are hailing the unveiling of a long-lost copy of the Gospel of Judas. They say the text gives an insight into a period of history when there were differing versions of the story of Jesus. In fact, they say the text puts Judas in a more positive light than what the Bible portrays, suggesting that Jesus gave Judas special, elevated status among the disciples. How significant is this find, in your opinions?

A: Let's imagine I wrote a story about the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, which took place about 150 years ago. And let's say, in order to give credence to a particular viewpoint regarding the Confederacy and my personal agenda, I embellished the story with transcripts of a conversation between Lincoln and the murderer, John Wilkes Booth. Most historians and Civil War scholars would be quick to reject my thesis and dismiss my writing as fiction.

Now fast-forward 2,000 years and imagine someone finding a hard drive and after painstakingly cleaning the disk surfaces, they assemble portions of my story. Now, I ask, how accurate would it be to base the history of the United States of America on that story?

It's extremely important to put this find in perspective. You can't give the Gospel of Judas the same weight as the traditional four Gospels when defining Christianity. However, the Gospel of Judas gives us a chance to look back in time at the concerns of the early Christian communities. The character of Judas has always provoked speculation and wonder because of fundamental issues between free will and determinism.

From the Christian perspective, we are free to choose between good and evil, as did Judas. It is for this reason that we reject fatalism -- that evil is inescapable -- and we work and struggle for the good and peace. It is for this reason we believe in a resurrection beyond all the crucifixions in life. Happy Easter!

FATHER VAZKEN MOVSESIAN

Armenian Church

Youth Ministries