Was Judas the ultimate bad guy of the NT?

[franklin]

For the last 2000 years, many Christians have placed Judas in a special category of evil. To sell Jesus into the hands of Israel's Priesthood is a sin most Christians feel they would not be capable of doing. Most Christians seem to categorize sins. In doing so, it allows them to separate themselves from the worst of sinners like Judas. Was Judas a worse sinner then Paul or Peter?  The Bible says the wages of sin is death and all (not some) have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. The purpose of this thread is to raise Judas up from the false representation he has received from the self-righteous Christian and to bring down our self-righteousness to where we can look at the Judases of the world in the eye and be able to say, "I am the guilty one. I put Jesus on the tree of crucifixion. He died for my sins." Christians must do away with their scapegoats.

Some facts about Judas that might commonly be overlooked by the majority of Christians:

Judas is the Greek form of the Hebrew Judah, which means praise. 

The 30 pieces of silver was a small sum of money, the value of a slave (Exodus 21:32). ($15 according to the American Tract Society Dictionary). If Judas were really covetous and greedy, why didn't he barter for much more? 

Jesus chose Judas, not the other way around.

Jesus knew them before He picked them.

Prior to the betrayal, Judas' only recorded sin was stealing from the money box. The other eleven apostles had accounts recorded of them of sins which included unbelief, lust for position and power, not being mindful of the things of the spirit but of man, all the disciples left Him, Peter denied Him three times in one night, falsely condemning people to fire when Jesus said He came to save, etc., etc..

Judas repented and made restitution (Matthew 27:3) then declared Jesus innocent and confessed his sin (Matthew 27:4).

All these things happened to fulfill prophesy that the Creator planned to be fulfilled at this time.

Judas was called "friend" (hetairos) by Jesus at the "betrayal" (Matthew 26:50). A word for friend indicating partnership, comrade, companion as opposed to "philos" indicating endearment. In other words, there was a partnership of some sort involved in this "betrayal."

So, was Judas really the ultimate bad guy of the NT as is so commonly taught from the traditional teachings of men? 

Let us begin to weave all these pieces together and see if we can see some things we have never thought about before. Perhaps we can get a glimpse of the wisdom of our Father which will leave us amazed and a little more humbled. 

FR


   

 

 

[JesusServant]

Although I don't agree with the worth of the money he received (it bought a plot of land so it's not the same as $15 today).  I do agree that he isn't the villain he's portrayed as.  Was he a turncoat?  Sure.  He was chosen because Jesus already knew he would be the one to do it.  I believe someone was eventually going to turn Jesus over.  But the kicker is the suicide, obviously Judas thought he could trick Jesus into calling everyone to fight back, but when he realized he filled the very prophecy of a benedict-arnold it was too much for him to live with.  Which, even though I don't advocate suicide, it did show his remorse.

 

[LightBearer]

The course that Judas chose was a deliberate one, involving malice, greed, pride, hypocrisy, and scheming.  And did so from a position of full knowledge that Jesus was the messiah and the Son of God.  Therefore putting himself in direct opposition to God and his purpose for salvation just like Satan.  He afterward felt remorse under the burden of guilt, as a willful murderer might at the result of his crime but never repented. Judas had of his own volition made a bargain with those who Jesus said made proselytes that were subjects of Gehenna twice as much as themselves, who were also liable to "the judgment of Gehenna." (Mt 23:15, 33) On the final night of his earthly life, Jesus himself said, actually about Judas: "It would have been finer for that man if he had not been born." Later Christ called him "the son of destruction." Mr 14:21; Joh 17:12; Heb 10:26-29. The one sin that is not covered by the ransom sacrifice of Jesus is sin against God's holy spirit, which amounts to deliberate rebellion against the operation of God's spirit, such as the gross sins of Judas Iscariot and many scribes and Pharisees. Matthew 12:24, 31, 32; 23:13, 33; John 17:12. Judas has therfore undergone the punishment of Gehenna and has been completely destroyed for such sin.

 

[franklin]

Mr Lightbearer, Can you look Judas in the eye and honestly admit that YOU are the one who put Jesus on the cross?!  The last I checked in my bible it wasn't Judas who was dragging Christians out into the streets and murdering them like dogs!  Who was responsible for that? hmmm.....  BTW, Judas repented and made restitution (Matthew 27:3) then declared Jesus innocent and confessed his sin (Matthew 27:4).  According to the scriptures Jesus even considered Judas a friend even at the point of betrayal, (Mt 26:50).... I think you need to go back and re-read my first post bro.

Jesus chose Judas knowing his purpose; that prior to Satan entering Judas, his sins were really not much different than the other apostles. Be very careful in how you judge Judas for as you judge, perhaps, so shall you be judged.

 

[LightBearer]

Originally posted by franklin
Mr Lightbearer, Can you look Judas in the eye and honestly admit that YOU are the one who put Jesus on the cross?!

The Jews were responsible for having Jesus put to death and accepted the responsibility.

"At that all the people said in answer: "His blood come upon us and upon our children." Matthew 27:25

God accepted their guilt and punished them accordingly in 70 C.E. when he had the nation along with their capital city and it's temple completely destroyed by the Romans. 

Originally posted by franklin
The last I checked in my bible it wasn't Judas who was dragging Christians out into the streets and murdering them like dogs! Who was responsible for that? hmmm.....

Worse,he was responsible for having their leader dragged away and murdered knowing the consequences of his betrayal.

"Once again he took the twelve aside and started to tell them these things destined to befall him: "Here we are, advancing up to Jerusalem, and the Son of man will be delivered to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and will deliver him to [men of] the nations, and they will make fun of him and will spit upon him and scourge him and kill him" Mark 10:32-34

Originally posted by franklin
BTW, Judas repented and made restitution (Matthew 27:3) then declared Jesus innocent and confessed his sin (Matthew 27:4).

"Then Judas, who betrayed him, seeing he had been condemned, felt remorse and turned the thirty silver pieces back to the chief priests and older men, saying: "I sinned when I betrayed righteous blood." They said: "What is that to us? You must see to that!" 5 So he threw the silver pieces into the temple and withdrew, and went off and hanged himself". Matthew 27:3-5

Even Jesus' enemies, with whom Judas collaborated, despised this traitor. After Jesus was condemned by the Jewish high court, Judas suffered terrible mental anguish, to the point that he threw the betrayal money away (Not  restituition) and went out and hanged himself. This was not in true repentance, but because he saw that he had lost out on everything. Jesus called him "the son of destruction." John 17:12; Matt. 27:3-10.

Remorse is not repentance. A repentant man does not kill himself but a man who realises the gravity of what he has done and knows there is no turning back, no forgiveness for his sin might.

Originally posted by franklin
According to the scriptures Jesus even considered Judas a friend even at the point of betrayal, (Mt 26:50).... I think you need to go back and re-read my first post bro.

"But Jesus said to him: "Fellow, for what purpose are you present?" Then they came forward and laid hands on Jesus and took him into custody. Matthew 26:50 


This sounds more like Jesus had disowned him and no longer considered him amongst his close friends.

Originally posted by franklin
Jesus chose Judas knowing his purpose; that prior to Satan entering Judas, his sins were really not much different than the other apostles.

Jesus did not know Judas would be the betrayer from the time he chooses him as an apostle.

Bible principles rule against Jesus having foreknowledge of Judas' being the traitor prior to his choosing as an Apostle. The divine standard stated in scripture is: "Never lay your hands hastily upon any man; neither be a sharer in the sins of others; preserve yourself chaste." (1Ti 5:22; compare 1Ti 3:6.) So the scriptural council is not to hastily appoint individuals to positions of responsibility. Evidencing his concern that the selection of his 12 apostles be wisely and properly made for this very reason, Jesus spent the night in prayer to his Father before making known his decision whom he would appoint to these responsible positions. (Lu 6:12-16) If Judas were already known at this time to be the traitor by Jesus this would, according to the rule, make him a sharer in the sins that one committed by willingly and knowingly appointing a liar, slanderer, thief and traitor.


Near Passover 32 C.E., Judas, with the other apostles, was sent out preaching. (Mt 10:1, 4, 5) Shortly after Judas' return, and less than a year after he had been made an apostle, he was publicly denounced by Christ, though not by name. Some disciples left Jesus, being shocked over his teachings, but Peter said that the 12 would stick with Christ. In response Jesus acknowledged that he had chosen the 12 but said: "One of you is a slanderer [Gr., di·a'bo·los, meaning "devil" or "slanderer"]." The account explains that the one who already was a slanderer was Judas, who "was going to betray him, although one of the twelve." Joh 6:66-71.

Jesus had denounced the religious leaders as hypocrites and as sons of Satan for doing the will of their father the Devil; Judas for the same reason could also counted among this group as a willing doer of Satan's will.

As for the scripture "From the beginning Jesus knew . . . who was the one that would betray him." (Joh 6:64) From Hebrew Scripture prophecies Christ knew that he would be betrayed by a close associate. (Ps 41:9; 109:8; Joh 13:18, 19) At the beginning of his apostleship Judas was faithful to God and to Jesus. Thus Christ must have meant that "from the beginning" of when Judas started to go bad, started to give in to imperfection and sinful inclinations, Jesus recognized it. (Joh 2:24, 25; Re 1:1; 2:23) Judas must have known he was the "slanderer" Jesus mentioned, but he continued to travel with Jesus and the faithful apostles and apparently he made no changes.

The Bible does not discuss in detail the motives for his corrupt course, but an incident that occurred on Nisan 9, 33 C.E., five days before Jesus' death, sheds light on the matter. At Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, Mary, Lazarus' sister, anointed Jesus with perfumed oil worth 300 denarii, about a year's wages for a laborer. (Mt 20:2) Judas strongly objected that the oil could have been sold and the money "given to the poor people." Evidently other apostles merely assented to what seemed to be a valid point, but Jesus rebuked them. Judas' real reason for objecting was that he cared for the money box and he "was a thief . . . and used to carry off the monies" put in the box. So Judas was a greedy, practicing thief. Joh 12:2-7; Mt 26:6-12; Mr 14:3-8.

Originally posted by franklin
Be very careful in how you judge Judas for as you judge, perhaps, so shall you be judged.

I do not judge Judas the scriptures and Jesus condemns him. 

As Jesus said, Judas was the son of destruction according to John 17:12 "When I was with them I used to watch over them on account of your own name which you have given me; and I have kept them, and not one of them is destroyed except the son of destruction" (Judas),

Judas has been consigned to Gehenna, the place of destruction for his share in the murder of the Son of God, his willful course of Apostacy, and his opposition to the Holy Spirit, thereby commiting the unforgivable sin.

 

[Ben johnson]

And did so from a position of full knowledge that Jesus was the messiah and the Son of God.

This is just my opinion---I think Judas was a believer at the start. But I think he leaned closer to the Pharasee's belief that the Messiah would be a PHYSICAL king rather than SPIRITUAL. I do believe he was surprised that Jesus was crucified.

In John6, Jesus was speaking of "eating his flesh and blood"---this bothered many apostles who did not understand it, so they left. Jesus turned to the ELEVEN, and said: "YOU'RE not going away TOO, are you?!" Peter assured Him they were not. Jesus said, "Did I not choose ALL TWELVE of you, and one of you DID leave?"

 

[Ben johnson]

BTW, I do not class myself with those who crucified Jesus. There were many believers at the time, who were devestated at His crucifixion.

...but I realize fully that He did not have to endure those nails. He did not have to hang there, gasping for breath---fully capable of calling down a LEGION of angels to help Him!

I know why He did it.

He did it for me. And you.

He molded me---He knew me before I was born. When I was lost, He went to find me. But I had been sold---lost to sin.

He bought me back. That's what the Cross was all about.

His final word---and it was one word, not three, not "it is finished"---one word.

You see, when you went to prison in Christ's time, your charges were listed on a paper. When your time was served, they released you---and they stamped your paper with a word---the same word Jesus uttered from the Cross!

TETELESTAI!

Tetelestai---the debt is paid, your punishment is finished---I HAVE PAID YOUR DEBT!

No greater love has ever existed in the entire Universe.

How can we refuse it???

 

[kern]

10 legions, wasn't it? Or has God had some defense budget cutbacks?

-Chris

 

[Arnold_Philips]

I do think Mr. Iscariot got a bum rap, especially when Dante gave him a guest part in the Unholy Trinity. Judas' story has a lot of significance that we don't readily see, too. Like how our closest will betray us for worldly things, how we can't hold expectations to God, and so on. I also think we should do is start a Judas Iscariot Fan Club. I get to be the treasurer! 

 

[parousia70]

Originally posted by LightBearer
Judas has therfore undergone the punishment of Gehenna and has been completely destroyed for such sin.

Only if the Great white throne judgement is past, otherwise, he merely awaits Judgement with the rest of the dead.

 

[Ben johnson]

10 legions, wasn't it? Or has God had some defense budget cutbacks?

Touche'---I stand corrected...

Like how our closest will betray us for worldly things...

"You will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death... " Luke21:16

I get to be the treasurer!

What's in the account so far? Thirty silver dollars???