Apostle Judas Iscariot






	The Apostle Judas Iscariot / Betrayer of Christ According to the New Testament, Judas Iscariot was one of the 12 original Apostles of Christ, and the one who betrayed him. Interestingly, for all his notoriety, he isn't mentioned often in the New Testament, although there were a number of other people who were sometimes referred to as Judas. According to the Gospel account, Judas was the treasurer, and betrayed Jesus for "thirty pieces of silver" by identifying him with a kiss to arresting soldiers of the High Priest Caiphas, who then turned Jesus over to Pontius Pilate's soldiers. The plan to betray Jesus was put into his heart by Satan. During the 1970s, a Coptic papyrus was discovered near Beni Masah, Egypt. This has been translated and appears to be a text from the 2nd century A.D. describing the story of Jesus' death from the viewpoint of Judas. The conclusion of the text refers to the text as "the Gospel of Judas." According to a 2006 translation of the manuscript of the text, it is apparently a Gnostic account of an arrangement between Jesus and Judas, who in this telling are Gnostically enlightened beings, with Jesus asking Judas to turn him in to the Romans to help Jesus finish his appointed task from God. This is not the accepted Christian view. There is, however, a legitimate question as to his motive for betrayal. As thirty pieces of silver was not a large sum of money, many question whether this would have been sufficient motive for a betrayal of such huge proportions. After seeing the popularity of Jesus declining, was his motivation for handing Him over to the Romans an attempt to force his hand into action? Furthermore, the Scriptures tell us that Satan entered him shortly before the events leading to the crucifixion, so is it reasonable to assume that Judas was not acting entirely according to his will at the time? Most Christians still consider Judas a traitor. Indeed the term Judas has entered many languages as a synonym for betrayer.

Judas: Images of the Lost Disciple (Hardcover), by Kim Paffenroth
Judas is a name that lives in infamy: very few have not at least heard his name as a byword for betrayal, and our other images (suicide, or perhaps Dante's vision of his eternal punishment) are scarcely more pleasant. Scholar Paffenroth's work, while not a rehabilitation, adds considerably to this store of images. Effectively a comparative literary study, it tours us gracefully through historical fiction, poetry, drama, belles-lettres, and theology, revealing Judas as a mirror of the anxieties of every age. Hardcover.

The Innocent Blood and Judas Iscariot (Paperback), by Festus Enumah
Enumah masterfully narrates the life and death of both Judas and Christ and explains their relationship in a unique way. His combination of scriptural references with narrative form create a very readable, interesting, and thought-provoking novel. Paperback.

Classic Sermons on Judas Iscariot (Kregel Classic Sermons Series) (Paperback), by Warren W. Wiersbe (Compiler)
Warren Wiersbe has compiled meaningful sermons from the church's great preachers in this topical series. Filled with illustrative materials for pastors. Also an excellent resource for personal devotions. Included are sermons by Clovis Chappell, Joseph Parker, Robert Murray McCheyne, and Alexander MacLaren. Paperback.

Judas: A Biographical Novel of the Life of Judas Iscariot (Paperback), by Kenneth W. Smith
Judas is an intimate story of the disciple who betrayed Jesus Christ. His birth in Kerioth, and family relationship to the Shepherds of Kerioth, the shepherds of the sacred Temple flock begin his life. As a young man he follows, along with other disciples and ultimately bears the responsibility for betraying the Lord. Each Bible reference to Judas is incorporated in the historical narrative along with much of typical life of a Hebrew youth of his day. The results of the betrayal lead to a surprising ending and an influence that extends into today's Christian movement. Live with Judas as he falls in love, learns to hate, is forced to forgive, sharpens his skills, serves in the fulfillment of Scripture and serves as the Master has appointed him. Paperback.

The Lost Gospel of Judas Iscariot: A New Look at Betrayer and Betrayed (Hardcover), by Bart D. Ehrman
Ehrman tells the lively tale of the modern discovery of the Gospel of Judas and its significance for us today. In order to differentiate the Judas of the newly discovered text from the character in the canonical gospels, he examines the portrayal of Judas in Mark, Matthew, Luke and John, as well as in other early Christian gospels such as the Gospel of Nicodemus. He chronicles the events surrounding the discovery of the text and its transmission since its discovery. Ehrman also provides a helpful overview of the content of this once lost gospel, which depicts Jesus teaching Judas about a divine realm that no one has ever seen and to which Jesus must return. Ehrman concludes that the discovery of the Gospel of Judas is significant not only because it adds to our knowledge of the diversity of early Christianity but also because it portrays a Judas who is not a traitor to the cause but one who is instrumental in fulfilling Jesus' divine mission. Ehrman's fast-paced study introduces us engagingly to the Gospel of Judas. Hardcover.

The Lost Gospel: The Quest for the Gospel of Judas Iscariot (Hardcover), by Herbert Krosney
Judas Iscariot.
Once it was denounced as heresy, the Gospel of Judas faded from sight, one of history’s forgotten manuscripts. Until now. In this compelling and exhaustively researched account, Herbert Krosney unravels how the Gospel of Judas was found and its meaning painstakingly teased from the ancient Coptic script that had hid its message for centuries. With all the skills of an investigative journalist and master storyteller, Krosney traces the forgotten gospel’s improbable journey across three continents, a trek that would take it through the netherworld of the international antiquities trade, until the crumbling papyrus is finally made to give up its secrets. The race to discover the Gospel of Judas will go down as one of the great detective stories of biblical archaeology. Hardcover.

The Gospel of Judas (Hardcover), by National Geographic Society
This volume is the first publication of the remarkable gospel since it was condemned as heresy by early Church leaders, most notably by St. Irenaeus, in 180. Hidden away in a cavern in Middle Egypt, the codex containing the gospel was discovered by farmers in the 1970s. In the intervening years the papyrus codex was bought and sold by antiquities traders, hidden away, and carried across three continents, all the while suffering damage that reduced much of it to fragments. In 2001, it finally found its way into the hands of a team of experts who would painstakingly reassemble and restore it. The Gospel of Judas has been translated from its original Coptic in clear prose, and is accompanied by commentary that explains its fascinating history in the context of the early Church, offering a whole new way of understanding the message of Jesus Christ. Hardcover.

Judas and the Gospel of Jesus: Have We Missed the Truth about Christianity? (Hardcover), by N. T. Wright
Joining other recently found and publicized "gospels," the Gospel of Judas has found its way into the limelight. The ancient manuscript appears to be genuine--so what are we to make of the claims therein? Claims such as: Judas was doing what Jesus asked him to do when he betrayed Jesus; Jesus came to offer secret knowledge of how to escape this earthly world, rather than to usher in God's kingdom on earth; Jesus felt no pain on the cross. This timely response to the Gospel of Judas is the authoritative, orthodox word on what the Gospel of Judas really tells us--and does not tell us-about Jesus, Judas, early Christianity, and Gnosticism. Tom Wright, as both a bishop and a historian, is uniquely qualified to speak on the subject. In Judas and the Gospel of Jesus, he clearly and fairly answers your questions about this "new gospel." Hardcover.