With all the hoopla surrounding the newly-chic Gospel of Judas, one might think that such a revolutionary document had never before been imagined, and that its bursting upon the media scene has blindsided Christendom into a state of shock.
Think again.
Gnosticism, the doctrine of salvation by knowledge, originated centuries prior to the Christian church. The etymology of the Greek word gnosis is "knowledge." Hence, the familiar term "agnostic" means one who believes God is unknowable. Anyone who has studied the early Church in any depth is aware of gnostic writings. In a nutshell, gnostics believed that they were "in the know" to an extent that other believers were not. There was an inside secret to salvation in gnostic philosophy, meaning that you needed the gnostic password to get to heaven. This exclusionary concept is on display in the Gospel of Judas. Another gnostic gospel is one attributed to Thomas .
Gnosticism was a highly elitist approach to the mysteries of life and death, an approach that is completely contrary to the universal inclusiveness and accessibility of the Christian message. Gnosticism set some favored believers apart as superior to others by virtue of their privileged access to the "truth." The so-called Gospel of Judas is a perfect example of gnostic snobbery. No wonder MSM can't seem to get enough of it.
UPDATE: This article from Fox News provides significant information on the silliness of taking this "gospel" so seriously.
