Four Gospels

Judas:  Sinner?  Or follower of God's will?

Having just recently completed the course portion of the "four gospels" course, I spent awhile to actually sit and think about what to write my essay or thesis on. After a few weeks of thought I decided rather then pontificate on my likes or dislikes of the text book, or trying to write something that would cover everything I would choose one area within the text and expound my thought on it.

Oddly, one might say my theory of Judas Iscariot was a good Christian is bogus but before judging it and my virtue of him, let us think things through. Did Judas betrayal his Master Jesus to the Pharisees? On the more obvious surface layer, yes of course he did. Yet that does not take in to consideration several important factors. First and foremost, Jesus was aware that he HAD to die in that manner and it was God's plan on the why, whom, and how it would happen.

Something to really analyze is this…Is doing the will of God a Sin? Most would say no. We are all aware that as humans we have freedom of choice to follow God's will and to not follow it is a Sin. Using that simple logic is following God's will a Sin if the act is a Sin? This question is a bit of a sticky point of thought. While traditionally the act would be a Sin, but it being God's will would make it NOT a Sin since you can not say God's will is a Sin, since it is God's will. A simple yet easily seen example of this is the making of war, while we are commanded to not kill, yet commends and even helps the Israelites commit the act of war, as it was God’s divine will that they so do.

Now on to poor Judas, was the betrayal a Sin under normal circumstances, yes of course. Was his betrayal of Jesus a Sin in this context, I would say no its not. Let me explain, God's will being perfect and never a Sin, is what is the root cause of Judas' betrayal. He had free will to betray or not betray Jesus. To NOT betray him would be Against God's will and divine plan as the betrayal was a necessary part of his offering of Christ for all of us. Why do I say Poor Judas, put yourself in the position of Judas, You can not betray your friend and Master, and commit the Sin of not doing God's will, or commit was is seen as a sin and do God's will. Either way he feels like he is committing a Sin. Fortunately for all of us, did follow God's will, betrayed Jesus, who was then crucified and became our Lord and Savoir.

Using the biblical text, not much is said of Judas’ calling to be an Apostle, his ministry or part in any miracles. Based on that, we can assume one of two things, either he was removed by the writers to vilify him or that is calling was that of being the betrayer. While writers do say the “Devil” entered him, that does not make sense given that God wanted Jesus to be betrayed and crucified, and it would not have been advantageous for Satan to help create the Savior of Man if we are to take Satan’s traditional role as basis of our thoughts on his actions.

Yet even in doing God’s will, Judas still felt guilty of a Sin, giving back the silver and then later committing suicide. This shows that Judas obvious had repented for his “transgressions” against Jesus regardless of the divine will of God, a trait often admired by Christians of all denominations and flavors. Based on all of this, I would have to disagree with Dante that Judas is in the inner circle of hell, but in heaven still serving his earthly and heavenly Masters. This theory is similar in overall effect, but not specific thoughts to an early Gnostic sect known as the Cainites.

Joshua D. Copeland

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