Simple Answers

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SimpleAnswers
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to
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• Troubling Questions

Did Judas Have Free Will?
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What Did Judas Do?

• Betrayed Jesus (After Passover, as Jesus was in
  the Garden of Gethsemene)
• (Matthew 2647-50)

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Matthew 2647-50

• And while He was still speaking,
  behold, Judas, one of the twelve, with a
  great multitude with swords and clubs, came from
  the chief priests and elders of the people. 48
  Now His betrayer had given them a sign, saying,
  Whomever I kiss, He is the One seize Him. 49
  Immediately he went up to Jesus and said,
  Greetings, Rabbi! and kissed Him. 50 But Jesus
  said to him, Friend, why have you come? Then
  they came and laid hands on Jesus and took Him.

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What Did Judas Do?

• Betrayed Jesus (After Passover, as Jesus was in
  the Garden of Gethsemene)
• (Matthew 2647-50)
• Why did he do it? Was he a pawn, without free
  will? (Required by God or a puppet of the
  devil?)
• (John 131-4)

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John 131-4

• Now before the feast of the Passover,
  when Jesus knew that His hour had come
  that He should depart from this world to
  the Father, having loved His own who were in the
  world, He loved them to the end. 2 And supper
  being ended, the devil having already put it into
  the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to
  betray Him, 3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had
  given all things into His hands, and that He had
  come from God and was going to God, 4 rose from
  supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel
  and girded Himself.

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What Did Judas Do?

• Betrayed Jesus (After Passover, as Jesus was in
  the Garden of Gethsemene)
• (Matthew 2647-50)
• Why did he do it? Was he a pawn, without free
  will? (Required by God or a puppet of the
  devil?)
• (John 131-4)
• One thing is sure Christs betrayal was spoken
  of as certain before it occurred.

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John 670-71

• Jesus answered them, "Did I not choose
  you, the twelve, and one of you is a
  devil?" 71 He spoke of Judas Iscariot, the son of
  Simon, for it was he who would betray Him, being
  one of the twelve.
• (Note Jesus did not identify Judas at this time.
  John wrote after the betrayal. Jesus here
  called each apostle to self-examination).

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Definitions

• Question Does the fact that Jesus foretold His
  betrayal indicate mere foreknowledge? Or
  predestination?
• Foreknowledge - knowledge of an event before it
  occurs
• Predestination - foreordained established or
  prearranged unalterably
• The concept of individual predestination has far
  reaching consequences

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Consequences of Predestination

• God, who is the only one capable of such, would
  ultimately be charged with forcing a man to sin.
  (James 113-15)

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James 113-15

• Let no one say when he is tempted,
  "I am tempted by God" for God cannot
  be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself
  tempt anyone. 14 But each one is tempted when he
  is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. 15
  Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth
  to sin and sin, when it is full-grown, brings
  forth death.

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Consequences of Predestination

• God, who is the only one capable of such, would
  ultimately be charged with forcing a man to sin.
  (James 113-15)
• God, who so loved the world would become a
  respecter of persons Singling out specific
  individuals, and denying their redemption to
  serve His purpose (Acts 1034-35 KJV Ezekiel
  184-9)

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Acts 1034-35

• Then Peter opened his mouth,
  and said, Of a truth I perceive that
  God is no respecter of persons 35 But in
  every nation he that feareth him, and worketh
  righteousness, is accepted with him.

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Ezekiel 184-9

• Behold, all souls are Mine The soul
  of the father As well as the soul of the
  son is Mine The soul who sins shall
  die. 5 But if a man is just And does what is
  lawful and right 9 If he has walked in My
  statutes And kept My judgments faithfully-He is
  just He shall surely live! Says the Lord GOD.

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Comparing Two Accounts

• (Luke 221-6) Read
• Then Satan entered Judas.
• (Matthew 2614-17) Read
• Motivated by avarice
  (cf. John 124-6 cf. Acts 51-3)

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John 124-6

• Then one of His disciples, Judas
  Iscariot, Simon's son, who would
  betray Him, said, 5 Why was this fragrant oil
  not sold for three hundred denarii and given to
  the poor? 6 This he said, not that he cared for
  the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the
  money box and he used to take what was put in it.

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Acts 51-3

• But a certain man named Ananias,
  with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession. 2 And
  he kept back part of the proceeds, his wife also
  being aware of it, and brought a certain part and
  laid it at the apostles' feet. 3 But Peter said,
  Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie
  to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the
  price of the land for yourself?
• Parallel Satan the enticer, but Ananias was
  responsible!

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Conclusion

• God is not capricious, holding men accountable
  for sins committed without volition
• What Pilate did, he did because he chose to do
  it. The devils part was the enticement (30
  pieces of silver)
• Gods part was using Judas to further his
  Scheme of Redemption
• Statements predicting the betrayal are in
  indication of the foreknowledge of God, not a
  coerced act.