Subject: Judas went to hell? |
Bible Note: Hi, Nolan; With all due respect (and that's a fair amount!), I disagree. These passages make it clear that Judas committed a grievous sin. So have we all. Probably the most damaging passage is John 6:70, where Jesus calls Judas "a devil". The phrase "a devil" doesn't show up anywhere else in the NT, so it needs to be approached with some thought. The Greek word translated as "devil" is defined in Strong's as "prone to slander, ... false accuser, slanderer, ... applied to a man who, by opposing the cause of God, may be said to act the part of the devil or to side with him." Most of the time (34, to be exact), the word is preceded by the definite article "the" which makes it clear that it refers specifically to Satan. In four places, it is used indefinitely - this passage in John and 1 Tim 3:11, 2 Tim 3:3, and Titus 2:3 where it is translated as "false accuser" or "slanderer". Elsewhere in John's gospel (13:2), "the" devil (the one and only) is said to have "prompted" Judas (NIV) or "put it into his heart" (NAS) to betray Jesus. So the motive for betraying Jesus came from Satan, not from Judas himself. Judas, like all of us from time to time, was guilty of succumbing to Satan. And he was certainly a false accuser, so it possible that Jesus used the word in that sense. I don't think John 17:12 reveals Judas' fate; I think it describes his condition. The word "perished" (as in this passage) is also translated nearly as frequently in the NT as "lost". Given the context, Judas had clearly not yet "perished", so he must have been "lost". I think the other passages convey a similar message. But Jesus came to seek and save the lost and no one - not even Judas - is beyond his reach. The fact remains that Judas repented. Martyr said that if he had accepted Jesus, he wouldn't have hanged himself. But at that time, nobody knew what it meant to "accept Jesus". The thief on the cross didn't utter the "sinner's prayer"; Peter hadn't given his Pentecost sermon yet; there were no letters from Paul. Judas might well have called upon the name of the Lord and beed saved. (Rom 10:13) My point is not to prove that Judas is in Heaven; I don't know where he wound up. But if he truly repented - and returning the money and killing himself is pretty strong evidence - he might be in Heaven. Jesus' unconditional love and atoning sacrifice could cover even Judas, a truth for which I am eternally grateful. Peace and grace and a blessed and merry Christmas to you and yours Steve aka Indiana Jones |