-

The human pathos of the Gospels is dependent upon Judas--and other betrayals

Date published: 4/21/2006

THE ARTICLE BY Reg Henry ["Gno way, gno how: Gnostics gnot to be trusted in Judas' rehab," April 15], gleefully bashing Judas Iscariot, appears both misleading on Judas' controversial role and factually spurious.

The word "Gnostic" in Greek does not mean "troublemaker"--rather, it means "pertaining to knowledge." A spiritual fusion of Christianity with Neo-Platonism and Jewish mysticism in late antiquity, Gnosticism was an important source of philosophical inspiration and religious lore.

From the Pythagorean doctrine of the pagan philosophy, the Gnostics inherited the idea of reincarnations of the soul, wandering in search of her eternal home, where the Christian Savior--Soter --frees the soul from her earthly bondage. Salvation is achieved through the union of the soul with the savior--a "sacred marriage," hieros gamos, of the ancient mysteries.

Gnostic mythology has a female counterpart of the Christ--the Soul of the World, the Holy Wisdom (Sophia)--the ultimate source of life (not unlike Shekhinah of the Jewish Cabbalistic tradition).

The Gnostic trend, sublime and profound, reverberates in the centuries of religious search, philosophy and literature, deserving more respect than the giddy "Gno way, gno how."

Having disparaged the Gnostics, the author makes his case against the universal culprit: "Judas has to be the villain of the New Testament because being betrayed by a friend adds a human poignancy to the story that eternally touches us all. I cannot believe Jesus conspired in his own death."

And yet, reducing the story of Jesus to that of a good guy betrayed by his buddy obliterates the Gospels' essential message. It does not take a believer--much less a religious scholar--to see that Judas' betrayal is instrumental to the act of salvation.

Jesus is well aware of his destiny: "Jesus said unto them, the Son of Man shall be betrayed into the hands of men" (Matthew 17: 22-23).

Moreover, Jesus knows the exact time of the forthcoming betrayal: "After two days is the feast of the Passover, and the Son of Man is betrayed" (Matthew 26:2).

He even knows that the traitor will be one of the apostles: "Assuredly I say to you, one of you who eats with Me shall betray Me." (Mark 14:18).

Date published: 4/21/2006