As I was the New Testament, I wondered if Judas was really the traitor history has portrayed, or if he was actually helping Jesus. Okay, I know it sounds a bit odd. Really, I thought that Peter's actions were worse. Yes, I have the characters straight. Peter denied Jesus 3 times, Judas turned Jesus in to the soldiers which led to his death. Knowing that all the books did not make it into the Bible, I decided to dig a bit. Since I am sick (yes again; that whole curse God and die thing had to have been pretty tempting to Job), I decided to check out Netflix and there is was: National Geographic: The Gospel of Judas. This is an interesting documentary about how the gospel was found and the work that has taken place. It turns out that this story makes Judas into the good guy; the favored one.
So, why is it left out of the canon? It was labeled as heresy during a time when Christians were being used as gory entertainment for the Romans. One of the most interesting parts of this documentary, for me, was learning more about the redactor. Can you imagine having to make the choice about what is and is not allowed to be in the Bible? People sacrifice their lives for their religion. As the film points out, he had to make it clear what they were giving their lives for. Redactors, I am beginning to see you in a better light. Maybe you were not all out to only accomplish your own questionable agenda. Some may have actually been trying to strengthen people's faith and give them a better idea of what is important to their religion. This does not mean I completely agree with them. I would really like to see every story that was omitted from the canon.
The gospel of Judas was nearly destroyed by placing it in a bank vault in the 1990's. How many other books have been destroyed? I have come to the conclusion that this is just part of what happens with the Bible. So many people have translated, added, subtracted, and twisted this one book or library of books depending on how you look at it. There has been so much living and dying over these words and these questions. I am completely fascinated by it. The journey this one book has led me on just over the course of a few months is amazing. Of course, many books have led me to read others and have caught my interest and taught me things beyond their pages, but not like this. My curiosity is at an all time high. When I am feeling better, I plan to do more research into the other books. I can't wait to see where the Bible leads me next.
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