by highdose 11 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
The bible profecied that Judas (although not named) Would betray Jesus. The bible also says i think that it was the devil or gods bad spirt that enter judas and caused him to do what he did? If Judas hadn't then there would have been no betrayal and no sacrifice therefore. Judas had to be the one who did it. Wether he had any choice in it or not.
This is a question thats always bugged me, what about you?
He was a great protagonist in a fictious tale.
Sounds like the Rolling Stones Symphony For The Devil 'Please to meet you did you get my name...'
I've always wondered it. How can he be guilty if he had no free will? He was only a pawn in a prearranged drama over which he had no control.
I found a large volume at my public library called Judas. It made the same point. What was interesting was that he was no so evil originally. Somehwere along the way he became the only Jewish apostle so antisemitism was rampant. Most of the book showed artistic portrayls of Judas down through the ages. The Jewish stereotypes are present for hundreds of years. More recently, he is portrayed as almost a heroic figure.
Jesus encouraged him to do his work. I notice that the gospel accounts have Judas and Jesus talking about but never directly. I feel they both would have been direct with each other. I admire his willingness to confront Jesus about waste of money when the poor could make use of the funds. There is no doubt that this is church teaching more than actual history.
If Jesus doesn't forgive Judas, what chance do any of us have?
Peter was to deny Christ trice which he did, it was a prophecy which came to pass, but did Peter take his life? did he condemn himself to death. Jesus didnt even condemn Judas for what he did. Repentance is our way to salvation, it does not matter how you were before, just pray you get the chance to turn over before death gets hold of you, by then it would be too late.
Who knows if Judas would be forgiven and given a chance.
The Watchtowers back in the 60s and 70s seemed to deal with this kind of issue, will Judas be resurrected will the people of Sodom be resurrected. Hell Iwas just trying to get a date or find a good Party for Saturday night back then
Dates take precedence over such silly issues, particularly when you are young.
most christians who refute the secular world will tell you that the devil going inside judas isnt literal. it meant that he was evil and they will tell you by that point judas had already betrayed jesus so it didnt matter if the devil possessed him by then.
i call shenanigans.
judas was indeed prophecied to be the one to turn in the messiah. his fate was written almost a thousand years before his father had that twinkle in his eye toward momma iscariot.
jesus filled the prophecies about the messiah supposedly yet everyone believed him driven by god. why is jesus the only prophetic entity that cannot be held accountable for his actions on earth.
we are told we have free will. every man is born with the ability to choose. i understood the significance of jesus being poured into flesh was that he was a man. a man bound by gods law with vulnerability. yet he was still chosen as special among us.
remember that when someone tells you god loved you more than jesus.
"I've always wondered it. How can he be guilty if he had no free will?"
In Romans, Paul knows that the reader will ask this question.
Romans 9:19-22
"One of you will say to me: "Then why does God still blame us? For who [can] resist his will?
But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? "Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, 'Why did you make me like this?'"
Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use?
What if God, choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath--prepared for destruction?"
As for free will,
Adam and Eve had free will, we are sold to sin and when we are made dead to sin by the grace of God through Christ, we are slaves to Christ.
I don't see that we ever had free will.
Romasn 6:20 When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness.
Romans 6:6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin
Romans 6:22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life
Peace
I prefer the gnostic version of Judas. He and Jesus were in cahoots. Makes a lot more sense and a much better story.
