Posted on 04/15/2006 7:21:06 PM PDT by Lorianne
I don't normally mind offending holy men, but I can remember feeling absolutely aghast at the injured look that spread across the fine features of the Coptic Archbishop of Eritrea as we sat in his quarters in Asmara in 1993. Was it true, I had asked him, that in the Coptic Christian tradition Judas was considered to be a saint? He jumped like a pea on a hot shovel and, when he had regained his composure, demanded to know how I could possibly have heard such a wicked rumor. Nothing more profane could be imagined than this perversion of the Easter story. (Looking back, I think I may have misunderstood something I read in Graham Greene.)
Nonetheless, the idea of a sacred Judas always seemed rational to me, at least in Christian terms. The New Testament tells us firmly that Jesus went to Jerusalem at Passover to die and to fulfill certain ancient prophecies by doing so. How could any agent of this process, witting or unwitting, be acting other than according to the divine will? It did seem odd to me that the Jewish elders and the Romans required someone to identify Jesus for them, since according to the story he was already a rather well-known figure, but that was a secondary objection.
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What is a greater question is this.
Judas was called a disciple, was sent out with the 40 and was given kingdom authority to cast out demons.
Yet he has fallen from grace, how doest this affect the 5 pointers out there?
Judas died alone how does one know that at that last moment he did not repent and call out God?
Only God knows
That's basically where I tend to leave it. In the hands of God, where it belongs.
The writers of this gospel of Judas were not "early believers" or "early christians" - they were gnostics.
They were known to the early church but their beliefs were always rejected as heretical.
St. Ignatius knew all about this gospel of Judas and he dismissed it.
Somehow I find Ignatius to be a much more reliable source on this than Christopher Hitchens.
Hitch is a militant athiest that reallly hates Christianty and has no problem admitting it.
"Now Judas returned the silver, but did he ask for forgiveness or did his pride fail him? If he came right with the Lord, why did he commit suicide?"
****
that statement in (Matt. 27: 3) is not clear
when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself,
I can only think he was rack with so much Guilt and pain for what he caused he could not face Jesus nor live with him self!
I would say in that state of mind his reasoning was greatly impaired!
It seems Judas was a tool for Satin to use!
There is no more information given how Judas got from step A to step B?
We only have a vague knowledge of the ending?
In the scripture we are all warn
24 For there shall arise false Christs,
and false prophets,
and shall shew great signs and wonders;
insomuch that, if it were possible,
they shall deceive the very elect.
they shall deceive the very elect.
Judas was part of the elect and the reason I bring this up is that not to fall prey to the opposition one must Keep the Lord Commandments!
Its been a long time but I beleive somewhere in the scripture Judas allowed doubt take root and canker his soul!
For he preceived he was being slighted!
IMHO, when Scripture doesn't speak more to a particular issue, then perhaps our attention is misdirected from a more important issue being revealed in Scripture.
Accordingly, I tend to believe Judas' status is between him and Christ and will be resolved at the bema seat or the Great White Throne Judgment.
If Judas was saved, then he may have slipped into the sin unto death, wherein he served no more useful purpose prior to his first death here on earth. If he remained condemned from birth, then it's a moot point and he'll suffer the Great White Throne Judgment.
I don't find any redemption through Judas.
Evil, especially the deepest kind, is ultimately banal.
Judas didn't need a profound rationale (which the gospel writers never mention or even come close to inferring), 30 pieces of silver was plenty of motivation.
You don't have to wait for judgement day to know the fate of Judas. The gospel writers are universal in their description that there was no repenetance, and therefore no salvation for Judas. It's a very sad story, but true.
Our salvation isn't conditioned upon our postsalvation status. If it were, the consequences for Christ in heaven would become just as temporal.
they shall deceive the very elect.
Come on Resty, read the entire passage, slowly. "if it were possible" The point is it ain't possible, but if it were.....
Perhaps. I agree that no profound rationale is required. But the experience of my own life and his return of the silver leads me to think that Judas made a horrible calculation based on self-pride. I don't think that my postulation would make Judas' sin any less banal. Thinking that his error may have been in trying to mold God to his purpose is more profound to me though.
Note: this topic was posted 04/15/2006. Thanks Lorianne.
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