The 'Gospel of Judas' forget it. The early church did.

ABC News: Expert Doubts 'Gospel of Judas' Revelation:

"An expert on ancient Egyptian texts is predicting that the 'Gospel of Judas' a manuscript from early Christian times that's nearing release amid widespread interest from scholars will be a dud in terms of learning anything new about Judas.

James M. Robinson, America's leading expert on such ancient religious texts from Egypt, predicts in a new book that the text won't offer any insights into the disciple who betrayed Jesus. His reason: While it's old, it's not old enough.

'Does it go back to Judas? No,' Robinson told The Associated Press on Thursday.

The text, in Egypt's Coptic language, dates from the third or fourth century and is a copy of an earlier document."

Robinson has not seen the text that National Geographic is working on, but assumes it is the same work assailed by Bishop Irenaeus of Lyons around A.D. 180.

Irenaeus said the writings came from a "Cainite" Gnostic sect that jousted against orthodox Christianity. He also accused the Cainites of lauding the biblical murderer Cain, the Sodomites and Judas, whom they regarded as the keeper of secret mysteries.

Understand there were a number of false gospels that were never considered inspired by God by the early church.

First they were not written by eyewitnesses. Every New Testament book was written by an eyewitness or had direct information from an eyewitness. This gospel of Judas was not written by Judas because he killed himself right after the betrayal. All eyewitness were dead by the time it was written.

Second they were written long after Jesus lived. The books in the Bible were written while contemporaries were still alive and could refute or confirm the information. The Gospel of Judas was written as least a century after the crucifixion. Many scholars put the writing of the Gospel of Judas much later in the third century.

Third it contradicts what we already know what is true and corroborated by the rest of scripture and outside sources. It is a bad testimony.

Fourth it does not contain any prophecy that would prove it was from God. All books of the Bible contained some unfulfilled prophecy when it was written either directly or symbolically like the book of Ruth. We don't accept already given prophecies that are copied out the Bible.

Just like the book of Mormon the Gospel of Judas is not inspired. It quotes the Bible to make itself seem authoritative but it is a different Gospel. The apostles had to deal with false gospels and here was what Paul had to say about them.

Gal. 1: 8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed.

9 As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.