Is Judas in heaven?

[littlenothing]

Thanks to most of you!! I was reading John. I was wondering about him. Thanks for not thinking my question was dumb. It is really hard to understand the interpretation of things SOMETIMES because I was a “Cradle” Cheaster Catholic when I was young then I went to the Calvinisit Church and College for sometime before I came back. Interpertation could be different. I have already noticed that in a lot of interperatations of scripture.

Obviously not a dumb question, as you can see there is still some debate. Nevertheless, even a “dumb” question can somehow elude the best of us!

 

[grandfather]

Whenever we commit a sin we betray Jesus. Every sin is a betrayal of Jesus putting each of us in the place of Judas the betrayer. We sit at the table with Jesus and receive Him as did Judas. Then we go out and betray Him.

 

[Salvatore123]

Catholic Church Teaching No. 1: those proclaimed in the Bible to be in Heaven, and those canonized as Saints, are the ONLY people we know for certain where they went after death.

Catholic Church Teaching No. 2: “Objectively”, it is proper to state that those who die NOT in a state of grace are consigned to Hell. To die in a state of grace is to die without sin on one’s soul, whether (1) through living a life without ever having committed a sin (the only two people Catholics have been taught did this were Jesus and Mary) or (2) by expressing sincere sorrow for one’s sins before death at confession or who was prevented from confessing due to circumstances, such as trapped in in rubble by an earthquake, yet still sincerely confessed one’s sins before dying.

Catholic Church Teaching No. 3: “Subjectively”, we must NEVER pronounce judgment of damnation on anyone in particular, as none of us but God has a window into another man’s soul at the time of his death, and it is a sin to do so.

In sum, it is safe to “conclude for argument’s sake” that Judas went to Hell for the sin of killing himself. One cannot be truly sorry before one commits a sin. It is impossible to be sorry for having killed yourself because you have a chance to repent until the moment of death, but it is the death itself for which you must be sorry and, unfortunately, YOU are the one who is dying . . .

The sin of betraying Jesus is a bit more “cloudy” as far as whether he was truly sorry. One need only look at the following passage:

Matthew 27:3 “Then Judas, who betrayed him, seeing that he was condemned, repenting himself, brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and ancients . . .”

It is not very clear if the word “repenting himself” means “repent” in the modern-day sense of “having asked God for forgiveness for sinning” vs. “having merely acknowledged to the Chief Priest, Sanhedrin, and Pharisees that he made a mistake”.

 

[wwolverine]

If judas went to hell it wasn’t for the betrayal of Christ, but for the sin of dispair. And, this may have been what Christ was speaking of, because Christ knew exactly who would betray him, and the circumstances, so his comments could have been expressing the woe of Judas for his dispair, and committing suicide because he could not accept that any wrong doing could be forgiven, if he had asked for forgiveness.

I could be in agreement with Neofight. Possible Judas was doing his part which God had assigned him. He even was sad that he had done such a thing. Matthew 27
3 When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders. 4 “I have sinned,” he said, “for I have betrayed innocent blood.”

Until the above stage I feel that he had all access to heaven as he was already sorry for what he did, but instead of asking for forgiveness what does he do?

5 So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.

So chances are, he is not in Heaven.

God Bless

 

[Salvatore123]

P.S. - Many commentaries interpret Judas’s “repenting” as NOT seeking forgiveness for what he did, but merely expressing remorse to the Jewish leaders for having turned Jesus over to them because they allegedly told him one thing (he would get a fair trial) but they did something entirely different (arrested him with the ultimate intention of killing him).

Other commentaries have characterized Judas’s statement “seeing that he was condemned” as having lapsed into despair, which is yet another sin, because, by definition, it means that one has foreclosed the possibility of God helping one or forgiving one because he or she does not believe that even God could forgive them for that they have done.

 

[cc42]

I think it makes sense, Christ did not say it would have been better if Judas had not been created, He said it would have been better if Judas had not been born. If Judas had died before he was born he would have gone to heaven. But now he may have gone to hell but he also may have gone to purgatory for a long time which would not be as good as going straight to heaven. Again this is just speculation. Of course being created and going to hell is possibly better than not existing at all.

 

[Nelka]

Unlikely but not impossible.

 

[MarcoPolo]

We don’t know. The Matthew 26 verse, according to Pope John Paul II, is ultimately inconclusive (even if it’s likely he went to hell). Bottom line––we don’t know.*Even when Jesus says of Judas, the traitor, “It would be better for that man if he had never been born” (Mt 26:24), His words do not allude for certain to eternal damnation. (Bl. John Paul II, Crossing the Threshold of Hope, 186)
*

.

 

[Robertanthony]

No offence to you, but I was reading the book of John this week thats why I asked. I was told by a moderator, as long as the question was appropriate for the forum in which I posted, I should as questions about my faith/scripture. If you feel something is repetitive maybe you should just skip over it. I have asked many other questions too!!

I’m sure you have.

Thanks to most of you!! I was reading John. I was wondering about him. Thanks for not thinking my question was dumb. It is really hard to understand the interpretation of things SOMETIMES because I was a “Cradle” Cheaster Catholic when I was young then I went to the Calvinisit Church and College for sometime before I came back. Interpertation could be different. I have already noticed that in a lot of interperatations of scripture.

I hope the take-home message from my post was not that it was a dumb question. You know I used to think Jesus’ dramatic words :“It would be better if he had never been born” sealed the deal as far as his damnation is concerned, but even the Church doesn’t think Jesus’ words are conclusive. All we’re left with is speculation.

 

[Jerry-Jet]

I think alot of people can’t deal with the fact that some people DO go to Hell.

Jesus said “narrow is the road to eternal life and FEW there are that find it.”

And just because the Church does not for certain say that Judas is in Hell–it can’t for only Jesus can judge–

An individual does not suspend his brains when he knows that Jesus said “it would have been better for that man if he had never been born”.

That makes no sense if Judas makes it to heaven and Jesus cannot lie!

Be AFRAID of Hell! That isn’t a bad thing–that is a good thing!

I don’t know about anyone else here but I’ve known many people who have died–I can’t bear to think that any of them are suffering in Hell–the image is so Horrific!

But the fact is unless EVERYONE that I’ve known is the FEW that Jesus refers to then Yes! Some are in Hell right now! Can you imagine that?!

Lord have mercy!

The one good thing is that Jesus IS MERCIFUL and there’s no reason why I or anyone reading this has to wind up in Hell–God’s will is that everyone would be saved–if ANYONE goes to Hell it is because of their own choice and God loves their freedom so much that He LETS them go to Hell if that’s what they wish!

Now most people would say–no one would want to do that but the REAL fact is that some DO CHOOSE Hell!

Lucifer did! That didn’t make any sense–anyone going to hell doesn’t make sense–but before you despair and think that God isn’t fair–God gives EVERYONE sufficient enough grace not to go to Hell!

Catholics receive the help of the sacraments and the saints and the prayer of the Blessed Virgin Mary!

Now some might ask–why would God create the universe and people in it knowing that some of them who He gives freedom to and sufficient enough grace not to go to Hell–that some of them would still choose hell? Why would God create a universe like that?

Evidently God who is smarter than all the rest of us calculated that the joys of heaven for the FEW more than make up for the fact that MANY go to Hell by their own choice!

Do you understand that? I don’t because my mind is too small to understand what God knows!

All I can say is Father have mercy on me a sinner!

The fact that God can save a sinner–that is the greatest thing–it blows one’s mind!

 

[JillianRose]

I’m sure you have.

I hope the take-home message from my post was not that it was a dumb question. You know I used to think Jesus’ dramatic words :“It would be better if he had never been born” sealed the deal as far as his damnation is concerned, but even the Church doesn’t think Jesus’ words are conclusive. All we’re left with is speculation.

What does that mean? The part where Jesus words are not conclusive. The words in red are the most important. If Jesus’s words are not conclusive then then leaves room for us to do what ever we want under the guise that Jesus words are not conclusive?

 

[MarcoPolo]

leaves room for us to do what ever we want under the guise that Jesus words are not conclusive?

You can’t just say all of Jesus’ words are not conclusive just because the Pope said a particular phrase in Matthew 26 is not conclusive specifically with regard to Judas’ eternal fate.

 

[cc42]

DaddyGirl:

I see no contradiction in what Christ said. Obviously God chose for Judas to be born, but that doesn’t mean it would have been better for Judas not to have been considering the decision that he made. God did not force Judas to make the choice that he did by allowing him to be born. Of course Judas could have been forgiven, just because Jesus said that doesn’t mean that Judas wouldn’t be forgiven only that the decision that he made was a poor one.

 

[Jerry-Jet]

In my opinion Jesus means: it would be better for Judas to have never been born because of his choice to betray Me and despair of My forgiveness and remain impenitent unto death and spend the rest of eternity in Hell!

If Judas winds up in heaven with Jesus–even if he went through the greatest suffering of anyone during a hypothetical purgatory–if he wound up with Jesus then the statement–

“it would be better for that man if he had never been born” could not be true!

That is IMPOSSIBLE since Jesus cannot lie!

Therefore Judas must have wound up in Hell!

 

[Nelka]

But I thought Judas was repentant…and very regretful, remorseful…immediately after?
Didn’t he feel so terrible about what he’d done that he returned that silver–tossing it back into the temple in anguish–and then hung himself?

(Matthew 27:3): When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders. 4 “I have sinned,” he said, “for I have betrayed innocent blood.”

He saw his terrible choice and admitted it and “confessed” his sin and was filled with remorse. The words in the Matthew book describe him as very repentant before he dies.

Jesus doesn’t seem like someone who’d toss around words lightly and say something that isn’t true.
But perhaps he was…misquoted?

Remorse because he betrayed Jesus or remorse because he knew what would await him after he died?

He could have gone to Jesus and asked for forgiveness and mercy on his soul, Jesus would give him these if it was real but he hanged himself instead.

If I commit a mortal sin and feel bad afterwards followed by suicide, do you think I would go to Heaven? What if I went to confession and continued with my life?

Sometimes we all do or say things that are not very nice, afterwards we may feel bad about it but do we all then say sorry to the one we hurt? Not everybody, not always.

 

[steve53]

Isn’t the whole point that Jesus can save anyone he wants?
And even if Judas confessed and was repentant, Jesus certainly didn’t HAVE to bring him into heaven.
So we don’t know what he decided, or where Judas is.
Likewise, even if they didn’t even know Jesus, supposedly Jesus could save anyone he wanted to.
God gave him that power.

 

[thistle]

Only God knows but the information we have from Scripture would indicate he is in Hell.

From the mouth of Jesus:

Matt 26:

24 The Son of Man indeed goes, as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed. It would be better for that man if he had never been born.

Nobody can convince me that he is in Heaven.

 

[JillianRose]

You can’t just say all of Jesus’ words are not conclusive just because the Pope said a particular phrase in Matthew 26 is not conclusive specifically with regard to Judas’ eternal fate.

Understand what you meant thanks…

 

[adrift]

This same subject is being discussed here

Is Judas in hell

 

[dailey]

I think alot of people can’t deal with the fact that some people DO go to Hell.

Jesus said “narrow is the road to eternal life and FEW there are that find it.”

And just because the Church does not for certain say that Judas is in Hell–it can’t for only Jesus can judge–

An individual does not suspend his brains when he knows that Jesus said “it would have been better for that man if he had never been born”.

That makes no sense if Judas makes it to heaven and Jesus cannot lie!

Be AFRAID of Hell! That isn’t a bad thing–that is a good thing!

I don’t know about anyone else here but I’ve known many people who have died–I can’t bear to think that any of them are suffering in Hell–the image is so Horrific!

But the fact is unless EVERYONE that I’ve known is the FEW that Jesus refers to then Yes! Some are in Hell right now! Can you imagine that?!

Lord have mercy!

The one good thing is that Jesus IS MERCIFUL and there’s no reason why I or anyone reading this has to wind up in Hell–God’s will is that everyone would be saved–if ANYONE goes to Hell it is because of their own choice and God loves their freedom so much that He LETS them go to Hell if that’s what they wish!

Now most people would say–no one would want to do that but the REAL fact is that some DO CHOOSE Hell!

Lucifer did! That didn’t make any sense–anyone going to hell doesn’t make sense–but before you despair and think that God isn’t fair–God gives EVERYONE sufficient enough grace not to go to Hell!

Catholics receive the help of the sacraments and the saints and the prayer of the Blessed Virgin Mary!

Now some might ask–why would God create the universe and people in it knowing that some of them who He gives freedom to and sufficient enough grace not to go to Hell–that some of them would still choose hell? Why would God create a universe like that?

Evidently God who is smarter than all the rest of us calculated that the joys of heaven for the FEW more than make up for the fact that MANY go to Hell by their own choice!

Do you understand that? I don’t because my mind is too small to understand what God knows!

All I can say is Father have mercy on me a sinner!

The fact that God can save a sinner–that is the greatest thing–it blows one’s mind!

People don’t like to hear this…but they need to. I miss the days when the nuns would put the fear of God into the children. Being raised in the 70’s, I think I am the last generation that experienced this type of teaching.