The Death of Judas in Matthew & Luke-Acts

2004

The very title given by tradition to the second volume of Luke's work, the Acts of the Apostles, is an indication of the status the apostles acquired early on in the history of the Christian Church, as great heroes whose wonderful deeds would serve as a foundation and an example for generations of disciples ever after. Among the apostles is, of course, counted Paul but the object of this study \vil1 be restricted to the Twelve, focusing in particular on the composition and significance of the group after the death of Judas. We shall be asking questions ~ibout the theological validity of the Twelve and seeking to establish whether, as the narrator, Luke intended his audience to approve of their decision tci replace Judas or whether, on the contrary, he meant to express some criticism of their action. In undertaking this investigation, the traditional understanding of Acts as a book of praise of the apostles' deeds will be challenged, but it is important to bear in mind that the apostles are not thereby diminished-ratht:r they are enhanced as real people instead of cardboard cutouts. The key text under scrutiny will be the opening section of the book of Acts where the replacement of the twelfth apostle is narrated (Acts 1:15-26), with reference also to the first half of the chapter (1:l-14) and the corresponding final verses oF the Gospel (Lk. 24:46-53), as well as the account of the Last Supper (22:24-34). The situation that prompts the election of a new apostle is the loss of Judas after the death of Jesus, leaving the apostolic circle as an incomplete number of Eleven. Although the majority of exegetes find no difficulty with the story of Judas' replacement, it is, in fact beset with problems, not least because it goes against the order Jesus gave to the apostles before his ascension, namely, to wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit (Lk. 24:49; Acts 1:4). Instead of obeying the cornmand, Peter initiated a formal action of the utmost significance, both

Journal of Religion and Violence, 2018

This essay problematizes the often repeated claim that Jewish and Christian traditions have always and unambiguously opposed suicide. By examining the suicide narratives in the Hebrew Bible and late Second Temple texts, alongside early Christian martyr texts which demonstrate not only enthusiasm for death, but suicide martyrdom, I argue that many Jewish and Christian self-killings conform to Greco-Roman patterns Noble Death. Finally, I consider the death of Judas Iscariot, and having removed any a priori reason to interpret his suicide negatively, I argue Matthew’s account of his self-killing compares favourably with Luke’s narrative, in which he is the victim of divine execution. Moreover, I conclude that Matthew’s main concern is to transfer the blame for Jesus’ death from Judas to the Jewish authorities, and that he has Judas impose on himself to the appropriate and potentially expiatory penalty for his action. Thus, I conclude, even Judas’s iconic suicide can be read quite plausibly as an example of Noble Death.

2008

On the evening of 9 April 2006, the National Geographic Society aired a documentary, The Gospel of Judas: The Lost Version of Christ's Betrayal. The movie showed the scholars who were members of the National Geographic team tell their stories about the recovery, reconstruction and interpretation of the 'found' Gospel of Judas. They said that this gospel presents us with a very different story of Judas Iscariot, one in which Judas is the hero, not the villain. As Jesus' 'soul-mate', Judas was asked by Jesus to kill him in order to release Jesus' spirit and bring about salvation. This opinion formed the basis for the team's book, The Gospel of Judas, released on the same day. In many ways, this line of interpretation reclaimed and affirmed the opinion of Epiphanius who said that Judas, in his gospel, betrayed Jesus because he was a strong Power from above whose knowledge was supreme. Judas knew if he betrayed Jesus, that Christ's crucifixion would d...

2012

More than a decade after its publication, the enigmatic Gospel of Judas continues to raise perplexing questions about its purpose, meaning, and original context. Among its persistent mysteries is a strange word in the opening description of Jesus' ministry: