Is the so-called “gospel of Judas” an authentic document?
Is it a Gospel with implications for Christianity? The release of the text of the gospel of Judas has been widely reported by the secular media. Though mentioned by St. Irenaeus in the second century, the gospel of Judas disappeared from the record. This is likely due to its rejection by the Church, as its contents were not in accord with the authentic Christian faith. A copy of it surfaced in the latter half of the 20th century, and it has been undergoing translation and preparation for publication in the last few years. The National Geographic Society released the document April 6, including English translations of portions of the text (see www.nationalgeographic.com). The gospel of Judas is likely a genuine ancient document. However, the gospel of Judas was not written by Judas. Further, it does not preserve authentic historical information about Judas or his relationship with Jesus, and it does not provide reliable information about Christianity. Indeed, the “gospel” is not really
