The Gospel of Judas and the Eucharist

[john76]

I just finished Elaine Pagel's book on the Gospel of Judas. The exposition regarding self-sacrifice was very interesting.

The part I thought as being particularly interesting from the perspective of the canon was how she connected the valoration of the spirit and negation of the body in Judas to the line in chapter 6 of the Gospel of John where it reads "The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.".

This is a very interesting pasage, but due to its positioning in chapter 6 of the Gospel of John, I am wondering if the author of Judas also thought this passage bears on the Eucharist, which is discussed just before it in John.

Maybe the point the author of Judas saw the author of the Gospel of John making is that while, as Jesus explains to the Jewish people in the temple in John chapter 6, the body and blood of Jesus, what he will do for humanity, provide real food for the soul, the author of John is not, in further response to those followers who object to the idea of consuming body and blood in chapter 6, and in difference with the synoptics and Paul, advocating actually consuming a Eucharist.

Maybe this is why in the Gospel of Judas Jesus laughs at the eucharist at the beginning, and why no one actually eats the eucharist in the Gospel of John, even at the last supper:

53Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. 56Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. 57Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. 58This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this bread will live forever." 59He said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.

60On hearing it, many of his disciples said, "This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?"

61Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, "Does this offend you? 62What if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before! 63The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.

 

[Free]

The problem with the Gospel of Judas is that it is Gnostic. Elaine Pagels heavily promotes Gnosticism as though it was some form of legitimate, competing Christianity when in fact that is not true at all. To say that one needs to take the Gospel of Judas and Elaine Pagels with a grain of salt is a huge understatement.

It is interesting stuff but truth it is not.

 

[Ed the Ned]

We are warned about false teachings, why even try and discuss something that is clearly false and obviously dangerous to ones walk with God. It is so strange that one would try and understand something outside Gods word when there is so much to be gained from within the Bible. Toss it in the fire, thats where it belongs. (Sorry I never even read your post, it is no disrespect to you, just the irrelevance of the Gospel of Judas)

 

[Sakari]

Gnostic it is, that's for sure. Besides that, what is left of the original text, is hopelessly fragmentary and it is very difficult to get an idea of the whole. However, I wouldn't right away toss it in the fire, as I don't do that for any other books of different religions. Besides Gnosticism isn't any more really a religion but, rather, a curiosity that some people find interesting. It is no threat to Christianity any more, as it once was.

Ed, I understand your point of view and I kind of agree. There's so much in the Bible to study that it would be terrible waste of time  for a Christian  to go deeply into something like old Gnostic texts.

On the other hand, before one can say Gnosticism is trash, one should know what it teaches. But this, I'm sure, is taken up somewhere in another thread.

 

[Ed the Ned]

It is no threat to Christianity any more, as it once was.

- Sakari

Gnostic gospels are more dangerous today than ever before. They have lead to millions questioning their God and the Lord Jesus Christ. Books like the da Vinci Code have been written, and although a novel, it claims certain truths in it that are based upon the gnostic gospels. It has opened discussion on paganism and the promotion of paganistic and new age beliefs. It has lead to the worship of Mary and not Christ.

on a personal note. I have recently been reading a book that is against my beliefs in order to get insight into this false doctrine. I never covered myself with enough prayer and I never read enough of the truth and it started leading me away from Christ. (not my beliefs in Christ, my relationship with Christ) luckily I became aware of it. But many others won't become aware of these things and it will lead them down the wrong path.
Eugene Peterson wrote the book called "the message". It is seen by many as a Bible yet it is covered with new age and gnostic thinking. I do believe there are Christian scholars who can read and expose the heresies in these gospels, but there are others that will fall by the wayside because of these teachings.
God Bless you and thanks for your comments.