Judas Iscariot
Judas Iscariot
Given the remorse of Judas, indicated in Matthew's Gospel, can we assume that He lives eternally in heaven, despite his suicide?
Last edited by Guest on Wed Dec 31, 1969 7:00 pm, edited 0 times in total.
Reason:
Reason:
I'm afraid I can't hold out much hope for Judas' salvation. It is true that he experienced "remorse," but it does not appear to be the kind of sorrow that leads to life. In his case, it led to suicide (Mat.27:3-5). This makes me think it was merely a self-condemning and despairing remorse...what Paul calls "the sorrow of the world," that "produces death," in contrast to the "godly sorrow" which "produces repentance leading to salvation"(2 Cor.7:10).
Jesus referred to Judas as "a devil" (John 6:70) and as "the son of perdition" (John 17:12). The Lord even said, concerning Judas, that it would have been better for him never to have been born (Mark 14:21). If Judas were to spend eternity in heaven, it does not seem as if this statement would be true.
We sometimes are inclined to pity Judas because he seems to have been doomed by predestination to betray Christ, making him seem more like a victim of the divine decree, rather than a responsible actor. This is, sadly, the impression that Calvinism gives about not only Judas, but all who are lost—namely, that they were foreordained to their fate through no fault of their own.
Of Judas, in particular, this may especially appear to be true because Jesus said Judas was lost "that the Scripture might be fulfilled" (John 17:12). But this does not necessarily mean that it was the scriptural predictions that determined what he would do. I think it was the other way around—i.e., that what Judas would do determined what the scripture would predict about him. That is, Judas would make his choice freely, and God, knowing this in advance, predicted it in the Old Testament.
If one were to object that, God having predicted what Judas would do, he was now no longer free to choose to do something else, it should be noted that nowhere in the Old Testament did God predict that the betrayer must be Judas. It was only predicted that someone who ate with Jesus would betray him (Psalm 41:9). It didn't have to be Judas. There were many who ate with Jesus who never had any love for Him (Luke 13:26-27) and who might as readily have betrayed Him for a fee. Judas simply accepted the role by his free and uncoerced choice. We must assume this to be the case (and there is no reason not to do so) unless we wish to impugn the divine justice.
Jesus referred to Judas as "a devil" (John 6:70) and as "the son of perdition" (John 17:12). The Lord even said, concerning Judas, that it would have been better for him never to have been born (Mark 14:21). If Judas were to spend eternity in heaven, it does not seem as if this statement would be true.
We sometimes are inclined to pity Judas because he seems to have been doomed by predestination to betray Christ, making him seem more like a victim of the divine decree, rather than a responsible actor. This is, sadly, the impression that Calvinism gives about not only Judas, but all who are lost—namely, that they were foreordained to their fate through no fault of their own.
Of Judas, in particular, this may especially appear to be true because Jesus said Judas was lost "that the Scripture might be fulfilled" (John 17:12). But this does not necessarily mean that it was the scriptural predictions that determined what he would do. I think it was the other way around—i.e., that what Judas would do determined what the scripture would predict about him. That is, Judas would make his choice freely, and God, knowing this in advance, predicted it in the Old Testament.
If one were to object that, God having predicted what Judas would do, he was now no longer free to choose to do something else, it should be noted that nowhere in the Old Testament did God predict that the betrayer must be Judas. It was only predicted that someone who ate with Jesus would betray him (Psalm 41:9). It didn't have to be Judas. There were many who ate with Jesus who never had any love for Him (Luke 13:26-27) and who might as readily have betrayed Him for a fee. Judas simply accepted the role by his free and uncoerced choice. We must assume this to be the case (and there is no reason not to do so) unless we wish to impugn the divine justice.
Last edited by Guest on Wed Dec 31, 1969 7:00 pm, edited 0 times in total.
Reason:
Reason:
In Jesus,
Steve
Steve