Using Gospel Parallels – Portrayals of Judas Iscariot
Scala Sancta, Piazza di San Giovanni in Laterano, Rome, Photo: Francesco Alberti. Unsplash.
To hear more discussion among scholars about this topic, check out PODCAST 6 on the Podcast page.
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In our podcast about Judas Iscariot (Podcast 6), we chatted about some of the differences in how the gospels portray him. This post includes some examples from a tool scholars use to compare the gospels, a tool known as a gospel parallels. There are several editions of this tool, using different translations. See the end of this post for some references.
What are Gospel Parallels?
Gospel parallels are books that line up similar passages in the gospels for comparison. Some gospel parallels compare only the three synoptic gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. The Greek roots of “synoptic” mean “seen” (optic) “together” (syn). Of the four gospels, the three synoptics are the most easily lined up together for comparison and have many passages in common. Some passages in the gospel of John are also similar to passages in the synoptics. Some gospel parallels include John.
Similar passages can be compared from extracanonical gospels as well. “Extracanonical” refers to writings from early Christ followers that are not included in the Bible. The edition used for the examples in this post includes passages from extracanonical writings, although none appear in these examples. The Gospel of Judas, mentioned at the end of this post, is an extracanonical gospel.
This post is an introduction to how scholars use gospel parallels to raise and consider questions about the gospel writers’ distinctive perspectives. We will see many questions emerge, but not many answers! You will surely have many more questions than the ones mentioned here.
Comparing Gospels – Judas Goes to the Authorities
Take a look at this comparison of passages about Judas going to the chief priests.
What similarities do you see? Where do you see differences?
Do you notice that in Matthew (Mt), Judas actively opens negotiations with the chief priests about a price to betray Jesus while in Mark (Mk) the chief priests offer to pay him? What could this say about how Matthew and Mark each picture Judas? Notice Luke’s (Lk) more general description of negotiations.
These are small variations, but they indicate different assumptions each gospel writer makes about Judas and his motives for betraying Jesus.
Do you notice that Luke alone mentions Satan taking possession of Judas? In Matthew and Mark, Judas acts on his own initiative. How does this affect the portrayal of Judas?
How many other differences do you see?
Do you note similarities, too? For example, all three gospels describe Judas’s action as “turning him in” and mention it twice.
How many more similarities can you find?
Scholars have noted such details and the implications of the variations. By connecting variations in passages like this one with others throughout the gospels, scholars assemble evidence of the distinct perspectives of each gospel writer.
Noting the comparisons led scholars to another set of questions known as the Synoptic Problem and a major field of investigation known as Source Criticism. Watch for a future post about those concepts.
Comparing Gospels – “One of You Will Betray Me”
Let’s take a look at another entry in the gospel parallels to see the questions that emerge from another comparison. This one includes a passage from John.
You may wonder about the use of “The Human One” in this translation. It is another way to translate the phrase “Son of Man.” Watch for a future post about the Son of Man.
How many differences can you see here? Each one offers many questions to consider.
Do you note the small detail that John (Jn) mentions Jesus becoming agitated? How does that change how you view what happens in the scene?
John also includes more intrigue and sidebar conversations. The description of Jesus letting two of the disciples know that Judas is the betrayer only occurs in John. What purpose might this account serve?
Note the verses at the bottom of the column for Luke. These two verses are out of order. They occur earlier in Luke 22 and were included in the previous entry. Note that they are added here in order to line them up for comparison with John’s mention of Satan taking possession of Judas.
Accounts of Judas’s Death
Matthew’s account of Judas’s death has no parallel in other gospels (Mt 27:3–10). In his account, Judas is remorseful and tries to return the thirty silver coins to the religious authorities. After that, he hangs himself. Matthew’s description of the interaction among the chief priests is vividly told, and they are the ones who purchase a field that becomes known as Bloody Field.
A brief account of Judas’s death also appears in Acts 1:18–19. Here, Judas shows no remorse, and he is the one who purchases the field. His death appears to be a strange and vividly described accident that offers a different explanation for the name of the place as “Bloody Field.”
What might these two accounts tell us about the authors’ views of Judas and his character?
John’s Side Comment on Judas’s Role as a Disciple
All four canonical gospels include an account of a woman with a jar of expensive ointment anointing Jesus when he and his disciples are sharing a meal in someone’s house. The accounts vary, of course. Matthew and Mark mention a comment on the expense of the ointment and how it could have been sold to provide for the poor. In John, it is Judas who makes the comment (Jn 12:4–6). John adds an explanation that Judas was keeper of the disciples’ common purse and stole from it.
What does this detail add to John’s portrayal of Judas?
The Gospel of Judas
The Gospel of Judas is an extracanonical writing discovered in Egypt in the 1970s. The National Geographic Society made it available for scholars and the public in 2006. This writing portrays Judas as the disciple who truly understands Jesus and his mission. His role in turning Jesus over to the authorities is part of a cosmic purpose that Jesus affirms.
For more about how the gospel was found and made available in 2006, see a report from National Public Radio at the time:
An interview with Dr. David Brakke, author of a recent translation and commentary, includes more about the content and significance of the writing.
References for Gospel Parallels
The gospel parallels used here:
For a gospel parallels of the synoptic gospels:
Throckmorton, Burton H. Gospel Parallels: A Comparison of the Synoptic Gospels. 5th ed. Nashville, London: Thomas Nelson, 1992.
For a gospel parallels of the four canonical gospels:
Synopsis of the Four Gospels, Revised Standard Version. American Bible Society, 2010.
All are available from many libraries and most major booksellers.
Other passages follow the New Revised Standard Version.
