I just finished watching a National Geographic Documentary on the Gospel of Judas. The gospel of Judas was found in 1979 in Egypt, sold twice. The second time being sold to someone who then took it to Yale where she discovered what she was truly in possession of. Fast forward to 2006, it had been pieced together and scholars from all over (the States, England, Germany, to name a few) came to authenticate this ancient writing. 13 pages front and back on Paparus paper. They all agreed that this was authenicate.
Okay - essentially, when the Bible was being put together, the Gospel of Judas was rejected from being included along with about 30 other gospels, per this documentary. Judas was a discipline of Jesus, as we know, and has been labeled a Heretic. Judas tells a different story of his betrayal of Jesus. Essentially, it alleges that Jesus told him to do it. Jesus death goes rather quickly in this writing and there is no mention of a resurrection because the point was - the body dies, but the spirit lives on.
Some religious leaders and scholars do not believe Judas holds any merit and they disbelieve what it contains, while others believe it gives a different take on what we believe today in terms of Christianity.
I bring up this topic to see what others think. Is it possible that there is another version to the story we are familiar?
When I read about Jesus, I read about a man who was/is loving and kind. In present terms, this was a man who went to places no one else would dream of going and helped them, He gave people hope, fed them, clothed them. Teachings were held outside in (on) the home (Mother Earth) that God gave us, not inside a building of brick and mortar. Jesus taught us how to live, how to treat one another and other living things. I do not believe that Jesus is a myth, but I have struggled with the almost magical story telling that comes of his storys taken literally. I see some of the Bible as allegorical in nature - such as walking on water. I believe Jesus was a man who taught us how to teach others. He loved God so much, "he took it to the streets" (early evangilism maybe?) to teach us to be a person we all needed to be. Is it possible, that Jesus really did tell Judas to betray him, to teach yet another lesson? And if so - would it have been as simple as "the body dies, but the spirit lives on"?
Here are 2 sites to look at:
http://www.nationalg...spel/index.html
http://ngm.nationalg...cockburn-text/6
And I'm just reading this one myself but here you go -
http://www.nationalg...spelofJudas.pdf
I look forward to hearing everyone's thoughts!