Gospel of Judas

Father Jonathan Morris is a blogger for FOX Fan Central. He is responding to comments made concerning his take on the Gospel of Judas. 

Original article is at : http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,191172,00.html

My comments concern an excerpt from Father Jonathan’s article at: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,191505,00.html

Dear Father Jonathan:

Perhaps you could help with a question regarding Judas that has really troubled me. I was always taught (I am Catholic), that we are born of free will. However, it seems to me like Judas was predestined to betray Jesus in order for Christ to be handed over. If this is correct, it doesn’t seem like Judas had free will and he was born for damnation. Your thoughts if you have a moment.

You do a very good job for FOX News.

— Laurie (Strongsville, OH)

RESPONSE: You must have listened well in Sunday school. Yes, we all have free will. In fact, it’s what makes us human. Here’s how I would explain a very difficult question: God is outside of time and knows everything. He knew before creating Judas, that he would be the traitor. But God’s “pre-knowing” doesn’t take away our capacity to choose. God knew, for example, that I would talk back to my mother. Did he make me do it? No. I was just ticked off and wanted her to know it.

The question immediately arises, if God knew Judas would betray Jesus, why did he create him? I don’t know. What we do know is if God is all-loving, somehow he has got to bring a greater good out of such evil. Christians believe the passion and death of Christ was the greater good. But where is the “greater good” for Judas? Is he in hell? I don’t know.

I accept Father Jonathan’s answer to a point. God’s foreknowledge does not take away our capacity to choose. However the topic of free will needs expanding on. 

Free will allows us to live an outwardly honorable life and to make choices among the things is comprehensible. Without the grace, help, and activity of the Holy Spirit we are not capable of making ourselves acceptable to God. Reason does not choose faith. Faith chooses us. Faith points out what we can not see and reason makes sense of the things we can. We have the freedom to choose among the works that reason can grasp. However, without the Holy Spirit human hearts have neither the fear of God nor trust in God nor the faith that God hears, forgives, helps, or saves them. When talking about free will we must make a distinguish between a civil righteousness and spiritual righteousness. 

Adam was not predestined to sin. King Saul was not predestined to fail. And Judas was not predestined to damnation. The question can not be answer is the cause why one person is saved, while another is not. God tells us that we must go and be a witness to others of Him. God does exist outside of time but he also is in time with us. God looks at me and see no sin. Our all knowing God forgives my sins and does not remember them. This does not make sense. There is nothing in us that moves God to predestinate anyone to salvation. Predestination does not explain Exodus 4:25-24 where the Lord was about to kill Moses if not for the actions of Zipporah. It does not explain Jonah 3:4 &10 where God spares Nineveh from destruction from his own hand. God earnestly desires to save all, and that we repeat. Those who are lost are lost by their own fault, because of their willful and persistent rejection of God’s grace. 

What would life be like if Adam had just come clean instead of making up an excuse for why he ate from the tree of knowledge? For blaming someone else for his actions? Would we view Judas in a different light if he’d repented like Peter?

Scriptures are able to make us wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus (2 Tim 3:15). The answer is found on the Cross. It is found in the wounds of Jesus. God looks at us through the lensed of Christ. The reform traditions (and apparently the Roman Catholics) emphasize the sovereignty of God. The Biblical (Lutheran) perspective is to focus on what God has done for us. 

The purpose of the Passover was to remind God’s people what God has done for them. God will free us, God will deliver us, God will redeem us, and God will takes us to be His people. This He has done through the work of Christ Jesus.

Grace & Peace,

- Curtis