Fudge on Judas

My thirteen-year-old son came home from school yesterday asking about "The Gospel of Judas." It seems one of his classmates - a regular antagonist of Christians at Eastside Jr. / Sr. High School - told him about the National Geographic special that aired Sunday night claiming a vastly different historical perspective on Judas, the disciple who betrayed Jesus.

You can always count on the media to take shots at Christ every March or April, depending on when Easter occurs.

Church of Christ theologian and attorney Edward Fudge has an informative perspective on the "Gospel of Judas" at his website. The National Geographic special proclaimed the document to be "authentic," and for many folks, this translates as "the document is true." More accurately stated though, the ancient text is not a recent fraud. Frankly speaking it is an ancient fraud written, not by Judas the disciple, but by a Gnostic heretic living well after Judas' death. Early church fathers condemned it. At its earliest, it cannot be dated before 150 A.D., well after the apostles' deaths.

To read Fudge's analysis, click here.

Fudge also has an insightful follow up to his original post.

Thanks to Eric Riddle, Pastor of Christ's Hope Church, for pointing out this informative analysis.