Exciting “New” ? What Catholics need to know about the of Judas and other apocryphal writings Religious Education Congress – March 2, 2008

I. Introduction & Definitions: MANY ancient Jewish & Christian writings, not in OT or NT! • Apocryphal – writings with “hidden/secret” teachings, not accepted as canonical scriptures • Pseudepigraphic – writings “falsely attributed” to famous figures of the past, but written later • Gnostic – religious systems related to Judaism & Christianity; salvation based on esoteric “knowledge” • Gospel – “good news” about Jesus’ life & teachings; titles of four canonical books & many others • Canon – an “official list” of writings considered foundational by a certain (religious) group

II. Canonization of Christian Scriptures: • Long Process: writing, editing, collecting, translating, debating, interpreting the works now in NT; 1st Cent. (individual writings); 2nd Cent. (collecting); 4th Cent. (early lists); 16th Cent. (Council of Trent) • Main Criteria: Apostolic Origin, Universal Acceptance, Liturgical Use, Consistent Theology; Reasons for Non-Inclusion (opposites of the above): too late, local, esoteric, and/or different

III. Non-canonical Gospels: • We know of at least 30 “Gospels” not in the NT, of many different origins, styles, theologies; some positively influenced Church tradition; others were rejected as “Gnostic” and/or “heretical”; some surviving texts are complete, others badly damaged/fragmentary, others known only by title! Arabic Infancy Gospel Gospel of the Nativity of Mary Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew Gospel of Matthias Gospel of the Lord Gospels of the Twelve Apostles (Magdalene) Gospel of the Nazareans Gospel of the Ebionites Gospel of Gamaliel Gospel of Gospel of Mani, etc. • Some of the most famous and influential in Christian history (excerpts on back): – : ca. 150 A.D., mainly about Mary of Nazareth as mother of Israel’s salvation – Infancy : late 2nd Cent., strange accounts of Jesus’ childhood up to age 12 – : late 2nd Cent., earliest non-canonical account of Jesus’ passion & resurrection • Dozens of texts, in Coptic, were discovered in 1945 near Nag Hammadi, Egypt: – Gospel of Thomas: 2nd – 3rd Cent.; frag. Greek; 114 short sayings & teachings of Jesus – Also Gospel of the Egyptians, , , many Acts, Apocalypses, etc. • More recently published texts: – (modern forgery); Gospel acc. to Peanuts; Gospel acc. to the Simpsons; etc.

IV. : The Latest “New” Bombshell ? • Ancient Origins: orig. Greek, mid-2nd Cent., quoted/rejected by St. Irenaeus of Lyons • Modern Re-discovery: Coptic codex, late 3rd Cent., found 1970’s, published by NGS in 2006 • Sensational Claims: Judas was Jesus’ favorite disciple; Jesus asked Judas to betray him • Problems & Cautions: text fragmentary, translations disputed, theology clearly late/Gnostic

V. What Can These “New” Gospels Teach Us? • A bit more about the Gnostic groups that produced these writings, but nothing new or different; they mostly confirm Irenaeus’ reports about their content, and why the early Church rejected them. • They tell us nothing about Jesus, nor about the apostles (neither historically nor theologically), but only about new beliefs certain people, writing centuries later, began developing about Jesus. • So why all the fuss? Good question! Modern anti-Christian bias? or mostly about making money, selling more books and magazines? Learn about these texts, but beware the “hype”! Learn to ask intelligent questions about such issues!

Felix Just, S.J., Ph.D. http://catholic-resources.org Sample Texts from Apocryphal Gospels

Gospel of James (circa 150 A.D.; mainly about Mary of Nazareth as mother of Israel’s salvation) [Joachim’s wife Anna] 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.” … 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.” … 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. (from Chap. 3–5; trans. Andrew Bernhard) Infancy Narrative of Thomas (late 2nd Cent.; strange accounts of Jesus’ childhood up to age 12) [Jesus, age 5] 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.” (from Ch. 4) Then, Joseph sent his son James to tie up wood and bring 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. (Ch. 16; trans. Bernhard) Gospel of Peter (late 2nd Cent.; earliest non-canonical account of Jesus’ passion and resurrection) 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 centurion and the elders (for they also were there keeping watch). 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 saying, “Have you preached unto them that sleep?” The answer that was heard from the cross was, “Yes!” (9.35–10.42; trans. Sam Gibson) Gospel of Thomas (2nd – 3rd Cent.; 114 sayings of Jesus, many similar to the Synoptics; others very different) 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 there. Lift up the stone, and you will find me there.” 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. For every female who makes herself male will enter the kingdom of Heaven.” (trans. S. Patterson and M. Meyer) Gospel of Judas (3rd – 4th Cent.; Gnostic teachings, in form of dialogues between Jesus and Judas) 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 else will replace you, in order that the twelve [disciples] may again come to completion with their god.” Jesus said, “[Come], that I may teach you about [secrets] no person [has] ever seen. For there exists a great and boundless realm, whose extent no generation of angels has seen, [in which] there is [a] great invisible [Spirit],…” 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 them. For you will sacrifice the man that clothes me.” (from The Gospel of Judas, edited by R. Kasser, M. Meyer, and G. Wurst. National Geographic Society, 2006) BIBLIOGRAPHY: * Wilhelm Schneemelcher, ed. . 2 vols. Louisville, KY: Westminster/John Knox Press, 1991-92. * J. K. Elliott, ed. The Apocryphal New Testament. Oxford: Clarendon Press; New York: Oxford University Press, 1993. * Helmut Koester. Ancient Christian Gospels. Harrisburg, PA: Trinity Press International, 1990. * Robert J. Miller, ed. The Complete Gospels: Annotated Scholars Version. Sonoma, CA: Polebridge Press, 1992. Online: http://www.earlychristianwritings.com or http://wesley.nnu.edu/biblical_studies/noncanon/

Felix Just, S.J., Ph.D. http://catholic-resources.org