A Hypothetical Debate Between Early Christians.....

This is an excerpt from Elaine Pagels book called, "Reading Judas: The Gospel of Judas and the Shaping of Christianity"

Irenaeus:

You heretics reject the God and creator of the world who sent Jesus to die for our sins. And contrary to the clear evidence of Scripture, you deny the goodness of the Creator and his creation.

You may practice strict ethics, but only as evidence that you hate the flesh. By denying that Jesus had a physical body and that believers will rise from the dead even as Jesus did, you undermine salvation and make meaningless the church's eucharist of bread and wine ( as Jesus' body and blood).

You think that you are saved because of your spiritual nature and heavenly origin, so you don't need faith in Christ. Instead you claim to have special knowledge revealed to you alone. This elitist attitude is not only arrogant, it's completely in error and you will be condemned forever.


Gospel of Judas's author:

Irenaeus, you and Christians like you have grossly mistaken the world Creator---whom Scripture itself clearly shows to be jealous, violent, and vengeful---for the True God and father of the Savior Jesus.

It is you who deny the divine goodness, light, and truth, by falsely attributing to God all manner of evil and all the ills of the world: suffering, death, unjust rule, violence, lust for blood of sacrifice, and their like.

By insisting that the physical body is your true nature, you have forgotten that the flesh is manifestly perishable, while God is imperishable. While the body can indeed worship God in righteousness, it is not immortal even though it has been stamped with the divine image of the heavenly Adam and Eve.

You are like those who condemn everyone who disagrees with you to eternal punishment, arrogantly believing that you alone possess the truth. It is you who will perish forever.