thesoulpurposedotorg

There is much ado being made about The Gospel of Judas , and rightly so I suppose. One can read excerpts from this gospel at the National Geographic website and I’ve just begun to do that. An Interview with the author Marvin Meyer on NPR’s Talk of the Nation today was well done, in my opinion. Since I have yet to read the gospel itself, I can’t comment on it with any integrity. However, I’d like to share some of my first impressions.

I was raised in a Bible church. Although the current form of Bible churches are not a place I am readily comfortable, I have to say I am very thankful to have been raised in one. First of all because it was through the Bible church of my infancy that I came to knowing Jesus Christ within my own being. Secondly, because I learned to read, love and respect the Bible as an instrument through which God speaks – not only to church leaders but to any person who reads it.

It was in that very same Bible church that I heard that Judas had submitted to God’s will in playing the role of betrayer. Our very faith depended on someone playing that role and being forever reviled. The logic is inescapable. This has also been the understanding of Christian mystics of whom Gnostics were only one type.

The Canon of 66 sets of writings that we call the Bible were chosen as the only scriptures to be read as part of public worship. This was long before the printing press and long before anyone imagined the scriptures being available to anyone and everyone to read. The sorts of teachings in the so-called “Gnostic Gospels” ( a term currently being used to describe any writings outside of the canon rather than the technical term of gnosticism) were teachings for persons of devotion and practicioners of rigorous spritual disciplines. The spiritual truths (as opposed to historical facts) contained are not for the masses.

To give an analogy: I try to walk several miles a day whenever possible. Sometimes I can walk a few blocks and sometimes I can walk three miles. However, I cannot run a marathon. If that were my goal, I would have to truly discipline myself with rigorous physical practice over a long period of time. I may or may not reach that goal. I wouldn’t expect to just walk out the door and run a marathon.

In the same way, spiritual truth requires daily spiritual discipline in order to be “seen.” This sort of truth is beyond words or logical argument. It doesn’t even have much to do with theology. It is only secret in the sense that the experience of running a marathon is a secret experience. This sort of discipline is required not because God wants to make it hard for us to know God, but rather because our fragile egos can’t handle knowing God unless we “abide” in Christ:

“Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me.” John 15:4

There are a variety of spiritual pracrtices and exercises designed to melt away the layers of delusion (sin) by abiding in Christ. When you do this, nothing will shake your faith because you will know

“the true light, which enlightens everyone, (has come) into the world.” John 1:9