How would the New Testament be if Judas HADN'T betrayed Jesus?
357819
I've often wondered this myself. As a Christian, I believe that we are each given free will and that God does not influence our choices. We each must take responsibility for our actions. Our actions are, however, influenced by jealousy, anger and unresolved issues. God may not tell us what decisions to make, but if we believe in His grace and love , we can seek His guidance. Judas may not have been able to accept Christ's teachings due to his own greed for power, envy, maybe, even underlying issues we will never know about. We do know that he felt incredible remorse and desperation when he realized what he had done and committed suicide as a result. What happened after that, we will never know, But if we believe, Christ died for all sinners, that includes Judas as well. Judas' actions, I think, should be seen as any other action an individual takes which turns the tide of history. The world is changed by good and evil actions. I don't think it's a giant chess game orchestrated by God. We each play a part, but in the end, are responsible for what we do. I feel more pity for Judas than hatred. Unlike some truly evil figures in world history, he recognized his sin.
658862
The gospel of judas is junk. Judas wasn't told by Jesus to betray him...Period...Read the Bible,and Not what you read from another book.
339520
When I read in my bible in John 6:70 "Jesus answered them, have I not chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil? He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon: for he it was that should betray him being one of the twelve." Judas was hand picked just like the other twelve. There will always be a devil or somebody similar who will go the opposite of what thus saith the Lord all the time. Judas tried to stop Jesus in doing what was right. John 12:3-8 "Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odor of the ointment. Then saith Judas Iscariot Simon's son which should betray him, why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor? This he said not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief and had the bag and bare what was put therein. Then said Jesus Let her alone: against the day of my burring hath she kept this. For the poor always ye have with you; but me ye have not always."\n\nWhenever you want to do the will of God the devil will always be there to stop you. Moses in crossing the Red Sea the devil was right there not only Pharaoh was right there with his men and army to stop him but the people who didn't have any faith after what God had showed them in Egypt. Jesus said in Matthew 13 about the tares and the whet. There will always be tares in whet all the time because the devil doesn’t want anybody to believe the word the bible. Luke 10:38-42. Again another example how one (Mary) was at the feet of Jesus and listening to his word, (Just like I am today in the bible the feet of Jesus listening to his word doing what the bible says) and Mary tried to stop her sister Martha and was upset about the worldly things of setting the table etc. Jesus told Martha Luke 10:41 "And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her." I read all over the bible that when Holy man of God from Adam and Eve and until today where doing the will of God the devil is always there to stop them. Jesus was tempted and was always facing rebuke from the serpent the devil. Jesus never listened to the devil he knew his bible as he was God's word in the flesh and he knew the writings of the Old Testament he didn't at all listened to the devil he just went on no matter what rebuking the devil. \n\nI face the same thing today with soph called Christians who claim they can't stop sinning, and they claim they can't be holy, (but they believe in holiness but they claim they can't be holy) and they claim they can't be perfect, (blameless doing what the bible says) and they claim they can't be righteous, they claim they can't be sanctified. The reason why they claim such stuff is because they have been seduced (bewitched) by the serpent that was talking to Eve and that came into Judas Iscariot and try to entice me in their false teachings. Paul said in 2nd Timothy 3:12 "yea, and all those who live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." John said this in 1st John 2:26 "These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you. But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him." (The word) The bible was also written for those people who seduce me to their funny gospel. Christians today don't read their bible and they have been seduced and bewitched for centuries and are going to the lake of fire and brimstone because they deny what the bible says and go against the bible. We are told to come out from among those liars called church. Revelation 18:4-5 "And I heard another voice from hea
423516
We do not follow the New Testament \n\nas for repentance we knew about that long before John. Just look at the story of Jonah or Ester even the Prophets discussed repentance.
159900
Well, I see it like this: God's will was already established both the good and the bad. But we are floating around with a choice to become either Judas Iscariot or Peter. Both were choosen to be Apostles, both sinned against God, however, only one of them chose to repent with godly sorrow and not just because he got caught like Judas did. People always say, was Judas predestined to go to hell? No, I don't think so, I believe God's will is predestined not the people that will choose themselves what part they want to play. So, predestination for those who don't want to receive Jesus because they think it will just fall on them are wrong. Proof of what I just said can be found in Deut 28, where he set before us both blessings and cursings, see the plan is set, but what part of the plan you'll be in is entirely up to you,thus, your freedom to choose! God bless you girl!
632754
It shows that ALL gospels, including the ones found in the Christian's New Testament, were written as a result of their own theology, rather than historical events that they witnessed. Each author had an agenda, and so he wrote stories about Jesus that 'proved' his agenda. The author of the Gospel of Judas believed that Jesus gave permission to Judas to betray him, thus absolving Judas of any wrong, so he wrote a story to 'prove' it. The others gospels did the same thing.
468223
Some historians and scriptural experts suggest that Judas knew Jesus had to be betrayed and then put his own neck in the noose for the rest of the world.   He is such a hated person, and yet it is because of him that one of the largest religions in the world has taken power.  In my opinion, Christians should revere his name, not scorn it.  If you want more info, go to a library and check out a copy of the Gnostic Gospels (also called the Nag Hammadi), or more specifically the Gospel of Judas.
157114
IN MY OPINION HE DID BETRAY HIM, BUT AS YOU SAID IT WAS THE LORDS WILL BEING DONE.  SO I FEEL IF HE HAD NOT BETRAYED HIM HE WOULD NOT HAVE FELT GUILTY AND HUNG HIMSELF.  AND HE WAS ALSO REPLACED BY ANOTHER APSOTLE.
875004
If you are thinking of trying to spot a contradiction, then you will be disappointed. The Bible did not say that Judas committed suicide in two different ways. It clearly says in Matthew that he hung himself. Acts simply recorded that he fell headfirst and his stomach was cut opened by the fall. You only call it a contradiction when the two accounts are impossible to reconcile. But it is perfectly plausible that he hung himself from a tree near a cliff or ravine and the branch upon which he was hanging later broke off. Unless you are saying that this scenario is impossible you do not have a contradiction to rave about.
680818
Judas, then he committed suicide. Peter wept over betraying Jesus.
354075
According to the translation, Jesus directed Judas to turn him in.
422825
If Jesus foresees Judas' betrayal, then it may be argued that Judas has no free will, and cannot avoid betraying Jesus. If Judas cannot control his betrayal of Jesus, then he is not morally responsible for his actions. The question has been approached by Thomas Aquinas in his Summa Theologiae, which differentiates between foreknowledge and predestination, and argues that the omnipotence of the divine is not sufficient grounds for eliminating the existence of free will. \nIf Judas is sent to Hell for his betrayal, and his betrayal was a necessary step in the humanity-saving death of Jesus Christ, then Judas is being punished for saving humanity. This goes hand-in-hand with the "free will" argument, and Aquinas's Summa deals with the issue of free will in demons and other beings instrumental in the life of Jesus that are nevertheless damned. \nIf Jesus only suffered while dying on the cross, and then ascended into Heaven, while Judas must suffer for eternity in Hell, then Judas has suffered much more for the sins of humanity than Jesus, and his role in the Atonement is that much more significant. \nDoes Jesus' plea, "Father forgive them, they know not what they do," (Luke 23:34) not apply to Judas? Is his atonement insufficient for Judas' sin(s)? \nIt has been speculated that Judas's damnation, which seems to be possible from the Gospels' text, may not actually stem from his betrayal of Christ, but from the despair which caused him to subsequently commit suicide. This position is not without its problems, but it does avoid the paradox of Judas's predestined act setting in motion both the salvation of all mankind and his own damnation.
115398
For the first part it is simple ...\nThink about this: we are all God's creation and one way or another we carry on God's will. One of the assets given to us is free-will, the will to do as we choose. God's purpose now is to guide us on the right path, but it is us who must walk it. Judas did not know God's will at the time, it was much later that people were aware of what Jesus' death actually ment.\nThe fact that God intended it doesn't excuse Judas' act. It was Judas' choice to betray his teacher and this alone makes his act evil, just like any treason. God doesn't mind-control anyone. He chose to betray Jesus to the romans, thus he is a traitor and his treachery is ten-fold since we are talking about the Son of God (something Judas really believed or he wouldn't be an Apostle).\nAlso the fact that he's a traitor doesn't mean christians should hold a grudge against Judas. After all, he was forgiven for his actions did lead on the right path.\n\nAs for the accusations against the Jews, whatever they had done then, it's all done and it subscribes to the same things I've said above.
35391
I am not sure if he was, but our current bible is missing several books.  Each of the 11 disciples wrote a book (all but Judas), but we only have 4.  Also, bear in mind that the Catholic Bible and Protestant Bible have different books.  However, although I am sure he probably wrote "something" about Christ, I can not say for sure it was a "book," and that his book was rejected.
671238
BlackFedora wrote:\n"all of the new testament was written after Jesus' death"\n\n...and none of it by anybody who lived when jesus was alive.  It's all second-hand.  You can't prove it's credibility.
401006
Yes. It says that Judas was the best of all the apostles, and did what Jesus asked. To quote fairly close to it, Jesus said, "You will be greater than all the others Judas. For you will sacrifice the man that clothes me."
527179
Simple Answer:\n\nHe never fouled up. The Bible distinctly say He was God and perfect and therefore incapable of screwing up.\n\nBut from my own human perspective His biggest mistake would have to be allowing judas iscariot to betray Him. If He stopped him then they never would have captured Jesus...He never would have been crucified...and we would all still be in our sins separated from God and all going to hell and deserving it because humanity is the biggest pool of refuse that could ever have been concocted. \n\nBut...as it turns out God is a lot more merciful and loving than I am and decided to die for us so that we could live with Him forever and fulfill our purpose...Good thing too, if it were up to me we'd all be burning...\n\nhope this helps.