Gospel of Judas

Hi Manpreet,

I find it a very intriguing text too, so many possible different meanings, and how many more to discover yet, and unfortunately, so many lines are missing.

In my understanding, sacrifice of Jesus in its simplest meaning, shows victory of evil and lie over light and truth, which takes places when son of God is crucified...for what?...But it is not possible for shadow to defeat ultimately the Light it comes from and Jesus ressurects finally. Yes, I think this drama can be possibly seen in terms of injustice by those who have power and abuse it, and also in the sense of helping others, living not only for personal benefit, stepping over others, but helping others, like Jesus was doing all the time, everywhere.

But certainly, as we have learned here, Drama of Christ has a much deeper esoteric significance, showing specific Initiations to pass through in superior planes, darkness we need to face and to overcome. Cross means unity of opposites and transmutation as well as "carrying own cross" on the shoulders, and sacrificing material for spiritual to be born, done with suffering and pain.

Studies of Gospel of Judas help me to understand better that great spiritual drama while I wonder how little I "really" understand and how much more is to discover yet!

Regarding your questions, some thoughts from me.

"Why do we see disciples getting angry when Jesus laughs at their thanksgiving prayer?"

Could it be that they prayed from their egos (because they supposed to do it and their ego got fed through doing it), Jesus pointed it out directly, hahaha, and disciples got angry.

"Why Jesus says to them, that their god has provoked them to anger within their souls? "

Maybe "your god" meant in that context not the real God, or particle of it within us, but image of God...ego in other words.

"No one has the strength to stand before Jesus when ask them to bring a perfect man to stand before him, (because their spirits are weak?) and they did not dare to stand before him. Judas alone stands up. (Is this because he had the courage to face those powers that subdued others, so he had a will stronger than the rest?)"

Yes, probably it can mean that Judas was the most advanced disciple...makes sense why he got such a challenging role to play later.

"(Were they following some god that was not the God Jesus had? Were they doing what they were taught by their tradition and their scriptures? The last page of text hints that these sacrifices are to Saklas) The cattle sacrificed were the disciples that they misled. (By following that god?). The generation of pious will remain loyal to him (who is him here – that god whom they pray to?)"

In my opinion it could relate that disciples were not advanced yet and followed the teachings of Christ in a very artificial way, "following their god", and they also taught the doctrine to others. Teaching means a great responsibility, but here it seems that they are still not ready for it, "blind lead blind" and they are shown it in a dream. The deviation from the truth brings a horrible results (text mentions all kinds of horrible things) and still this stubborness to hold on to these beleifs is so stong ("Stop struggling with me", says Jesus). Eventually while being loyal to egos and pseudo-esotericism, "it is the Lord, the Lord of the universe, who commands", the "last day" of shame will come, karmic consequences of misdeeds would manifest.

"The mention of stars and angels having already come to conclusion – is that about things decided already for the humanity?"

Yeah, maybe he means that disciples need to stop whatever they are doing, as well as the rest of "human generation" because the "free trial" is over and consequences are about to come from above.

"Who are the creations that a baker cannot feed?"

Could it be in the context that we are not fed only by material food, spiritual is fed only by spiritual, not by a baker. Many lines are missing, wonder if it can be something else...

"I think about the cosmology we have to read similar texts as lines here are missing, and Saklas is said to have created humanity. But I like to read about such cosmological descriptions in the context of the explanation in the courses, that humans are sparks from absolute that has divided in dimensions, and the world is a model created for purpose of learning (and that is why worshipping to powers that created it and rule it makes no sense to me), we have to get out of that cycle that repeatedly keeps us in this material world."

Aeons, luminaries...I think it's basically a different way to explain the same thing we have learned from the courses. Dimensions had been created from the most highest and supreme light knowing no darkness. There are beings helping their maintenance, as levels become lower, deviation from the process increses, etc.

"God ordered Michael to give the spirits of people to them as a loan, so they might offer service" Here is psychological gymnasium and responsibility to learn in it.

Also there is an opportunity to get free -"but the Great One ordered Gabriel to grant spirits to the great generation with no ruler over it."

"There is a mention of terrible things waiting for humanity at the end of times, when the stars bring matter to completion, when Saklas completes the span of time assigned for him, then their first star will appear with the generations(means anti-Christ?), and they will finish what they said they would do. They will do horrible things."

It seems that all prophets mention some horrible things to come both to the world and humanity we are part of, for example this Hercolobus thing. For me an important meaning is on the personal level also, in the sense of personal apocalypse, spiritual failure to avoid.

"So, it comes ot me that only having faith will not do - one has to understand what Jesus really came to teach and what he meant by following him."

Yes, so true!

Intriguing and very advanced too. And perhas people advanced on path can know what it is about - and perhaps we have to discover them with our efforts only.

-shows victory of evil and lie over light and truth, which takes places when son of God is crucified???
I think that is what the path does - and this is how one frees of the cycle - I wouldn't describe crucifixion of Christ in that way.

What do you mean by image of God? That image of God makes one pray, you are equating it with ego? That quote about baker also seems to be saying something else but what?

Personal apocalypse is an interesting term.

Thanks for your first impressions, if you come up with something else feel free to share

The disciples said to [him], "Master, why are you laughing at [our] prayer of thanksgiving? We have done what is right."

He answered and said to them, "I am not laughing at you. You are not doing this because of your own will but because it is through this that your god [will be] praised."
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Yes, for now I can relate to it in the sense that it's so easy to pray, do practices and rituals not objectively, because that's what you really want and need to do to follow Divine within and without, but because of a different egos taking benefit from these spiritual exercises.

Why I am here? Why I am still doing all of this?

"Because I was told that Gnosticweb is cool and everyone is nice", "because I want to live in this spiritual world and not face that miserable everyday reality", "because I want to have a nice life where everything will work out in my way and perhaps God can help me with that if I do enough of that spiritual stuff", "because it feels good to have a reputation of a spiritual person", "because...".

Is it doing spiritual for spiritual, or spiritual for material?
Is it really God to whom I am walking, or some inner god, the idol created by egos, image of God, which has nothing in common with the real One and is obstacle for the progress towards Him?

Perhaps, with my primary impressions, the beginning of Gospel of Judas shocked me the most, helped me to reflect on some things and was very relevant to where I am now...

All the best!

Perhaps that image of God is called demiurge, the creator god, a false God by some gnostics. It is really a slavery to pray with desires - for materialistic things, for success in wordly pursuits etc.

When have seen the word "demiurge" the first time, I checked wikipedia and that's what it says:

"The term also appears in Gnosticism. In Gnosticism, the material universe is seen as evil, and the demiurge is the creator of the material universe. Therefore, as the creator of the material universe, the demiurge must be evil."

It sounded quite logical and still confused me...who is that evil creator-god?

Have not studied  Pistis Sofia Unveiled, but from what I've seen there, it seems to me that "Demiurge" just means divine creative principle.

Page 242: "...The Great Tripple-Powered God is the Demiurge Creator of the Universe..."
Page 249: "...Christ is the Demiurge Architect of the Universe..."

So, I don't think it is that "your god" which Jesus referred to his disciples in "Gospel of Judas".

It must be some two years since I last gave a thorough read to Pistis Sophia. Of what I remember, the creation myth is not explained in that book, but we can read about it in other texts such as Apocryphon of John. Pistis Sophia explains the repentance of Sophia but why is she repenting?

Can it be that she repents because we degenerated internally, don't listen to her, don't do all the work required to merge with her and raise her to Absolute she longs for so much.

hi, great dialog you two are having.

I just started reading "Pistis Sophia Unveiled" and from what I understand so far, shes repenting for having the desire for the light she have seen long ago. It is her desire that trick her into the darkness (she was instructed to wait for her brides-groom), thus now we must collect her wisdom from the darkness. This sounds familiar to the principle that we must rescue our Essence from our egos who are represented by the tyrants that steals Sophias her own light - the wisdom which then would equal to the Essence. The Apocalypse to me means destruction of the ego based personality, as that must die in order for Christ to incarnate in us. That is the way I see it.

Wishing you all a great spiritual morning.

That is how it is explained in that text Currently. Thanks for your views and I like the definition of Apocalypse.

I know that is the interpretation of the text by SAW. I'm still going WOW over it. What a great book. How humble and small I feel at the feet of Christ. I'm not even worth being speck of dust on his feet.

Wishing you all a great spiritual morning.