The persecution and the constant danger have turned the community of Afghan converts into a closely knit underground organization. Ironically, the oppression has strengthened the faith of many.

Nothing can happen in the open, and Kabar and his fellow believers hold their worship services on different days of the week. "It would be too dangerous to do it on Sunday, because it would be easy for them to observe us." Converts are contacted just before a service is to take place, often by innocent-sounding mobile phone text messages. "We're having tea at 11 o'clock," is one that Kabar reads.

The locations of services change constantly as well, and they are always held in private homes, where everything has to be prepared well in advance. The household staff must be away; neighbors mustn't notice anything; and everyone has to have the 100 percent trust of everyone else. It is too dangerous to even have a Bible at most services, says Kabar, who knows his prayers by heart. Police have come and searched his house three times already, but failed to find anything incriminating. "They know I'm a Christian," he says. "But I won't give them any reason to put me on trial."

Enough of my cynicism already. It is clear that they do not "know" these things. In fact, I doubt you could convince them of these things if your tried. In fact, if you spend much time observing such Christians and talking to them, you would most certainly come to know what they know instead. That the Divine Service is the only place on earth where you can gather "with angels and archangels and all the company of heaven!" That the sermon and the supper are your opportunity to participate in eternity--right here and right now. In the face of this, the threat of temporal death pales in comparison.

Drinking from the Cup of the Lord

these words are written because the two evangelists wished to indicate that the disciples all drank of this cup together, not from thirst as perhaps it was done in other instances when the cup would have had to be filled more than once before it had gone around, but that they had to pass the cup on this round drinking moderately so that they all might receive some.

The fact is that the Gospel of Judas was weighed in the balance and found wanting centuries ago. Its late arrival, its clearly gnostic teachings and its lack of historical connection with the apostles all contributed to its rejection by the Church.

If you want to read what a couple of Lutheran bloggers have to say about it, try Gene Veith's Cranach who also recommends reading Mollie Ziegler's Get Religion.

I am told that there is an excellent discussion of this document by Dr. James Voelz and Jeffry Kloha -- both of whom are professors at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis. The MP3 file is available here and lasts about an hour and a half.