Weigh carefully meaning of ‘Gospel’

Re “Judas Is No Traitor in Long-Lost Gospel,” April 7

It is fashionable to equate Gnostic writings with Christianity, but Gnostic writings negate the Judeo-Christian Scriptures. Gnosticism was an attempt to use Christian symbols while divorcing Christianity from its Judaic roots. Early Gnostic writings show antipathy to the Old Testament and Judaism, but Christianity is an outgrowth of Judaism.

Anyone familiar with Hebrew thought and ethics can hardly recognize the “Judas” or the “Jesus” of Gnostic writings. They are fraudulent attempts to appropriate Christian symbols and were rightly rejected by early Christianity. This rejection occurred well before the Christian church was institutionalized by Rome.

WILLIAM MCCALL

Chatsworth

The writer is a minister in the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

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The Gospel of Judas doesn’t offer much insight into the life of Jesus and his disciples. It is no new revelation that Jesus knew who was going to betray him; he actually told Judas, “What you are going to do, do it quickly,” according to John 13:27. But there’s a difference between saying that Jesus knew of his future betrayal, as God should know, and that he conspired with his betrayer to meet all of the stipulations of spoken prophesy so that he could be labeled the Messiah. Unfortunately, most people will probably stick with the latter verdict pronounced by the “experts” rather than dust off their Bibles and catch up on their reading.

MIGUEL A. GUANIPA

Whitinsville, Mass.

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The side-by-side positioning of this article and “Libby Said Bush OKd Leaks” is enlightening. Judas said Jesus made him do it. Libby said President Bush made him do it. So that clears things up -- both were just following orders.

RON SALMONS

Pacific Palisades