The Rehabilitation of Judas?

One of the rallying cries of the Protestant Reformation was Sola Scriptura. This Latin phrase simply means the Bible alone is the final authority that bind the hearts, minds and consciences of humanity before a Holy God. Tradition, Counsels, Creeds and Catechisms are useful in the life of the Church only in so far as they summarize and articulate the clear teachings of Scripture. This has long been a divisive point between Protestants and Roman Catholics. Protestants believe that there is one authority, Scripture while Catholics maintain that Scripture as well as sacred tradition are binding. The Church, under Catholicism, can add doctrines as the Church evolves over time. In some cases the Catholic Church has been guilty of establishing doctrines that are in direct contradition to the Bible and at other times has conjured fanciful speculations that were best left in the minds of those who imagined them. It would seem that the Catholic Church is on the verge of manufacturing yet another doctrine that not only is not taught in Scripture but is in opposition to the historic teachings of the Catholic Church itself.

The London Times has recently reported that a movement spearheaded by Monsignor Walter Brandmuller, head of the Pontifical Committee or Historical Science is suggesting that Christians need to revisit the narratives surrounding the life and work of Judas Escariot with the view to vindicate Judas of his complicit treachery in the death of Jesus Christ. The argumentation goes along these lines:

1. Judas was not deliberately evil but was "just fulfilling his part in God's plan."
2. "If Christ died for all-is it possible that Judas too was redeemed through the Master he betrayed?"
3. The rehablitation of Judas would "resolve the problem of an apparent lack of mercy by Jesus toward one of his closest collaborators".

I am all in favor of revisiting the Scriptures to investigate any biblical doctrine in order to see if in fact the held doctrine holds squarely with what the Scriptures teach. This is always a healthy exercise and ought to edify and strengthen a Christian in his or her walk. However, after the examination is finished we must end with what the Scriptures actually teach without flights of fanciful speculation. The Bible has established clear boundaries beyond which we dare not trespass.

As a student and teacher of theology, it is sometimes a quaint and curious pasttime that theologians ask the question, what if? The purpose to asking questions like what if, is to exercise our knowledge of Scripture, tradition and doctrine to think more deeply about the nature and character of God. On occassion it has led to me to consider aspects of God's holiness that were previously undiscovered but were clearly contained within the confines of the Bible. More often than not, this exercise has simply led me to rejoice in the fact that God is God and that I am not. That is a very good thing.

The biblical record of Judas is clear apart from any church tradition.

1. He was part of God's redemptive plan
2. He was also morally responsbile for his actions (Acts 1:18)
3. The fact that his bowels burst open after committing suicide is a clear indicator that God's judment was upon him.
4. Jesus even warned his disciples, including Judas, at the Last Supper that the Son of Man was to betrayed shortly, but woe to the one through whom the betrayal comes. It would have been better if he had not been born.
5. There is not a single verse in the New Testament that indicates that Judas repented or confessed Christ as Lord and Savior.

This leads me to ask the question of what lies behind this movement to exhonerate Judas. I think there might be three possible reasons.

1. Removing guilt from a guilty party might be a back handed way of removing repentance and confession from individuals feeling the moral weight of sin. If by betraying the Master Judas was part of God's redemptive plan, so is anyone who is involved with sin. One is simply performing God's will because God has sovereignly decreed the outcome. Moral culpability no longer becomes part of Christian spirituality.
2. It is a back door method of dealing with historic anti-semitism. Judas was a Jew. It was a Jew that betrayed Jesus for money. Therefore, Jews are a money grubbing, unfaithful race of people that cannot be trusted (never mind the fact that the other 11 remaining apostles were Jews as well). By rewriting Judas in a favourable light Jewish/Christian relations might be open to better relations.
3. This is indicative of a persvasive movement to bring the Church to a form of Universalism. The moral choices in this life have no bearing upon the afterlife since all of us are merely playing a predetermined role in God's economy. Judgment is needless since we are simply acting according to divine plan. All will enjoy eternal bliss regardless of the degree of reprobation and apart from any confession of Jesus Christ as Savior.

I urge my Protestant and Evangelical brothers to keep watch for this non-sense. It will undoubtedly make its way into our circles.

Soli deo Gloria

An Intelligent Designed Parody

I recently found this on a blog of a friend of our ministry Darren Brooker. I wish I could take credit for this ad but alas, it is the brain child of William Dembski a staunch advocate of Intelligent Design. Intelligent Design simply means that God created everything. Enjoy.

http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2491/1615/1600/Mammon.0.jpg