Judas' death

[AlphaOmega]

How many accounts are there in the Bible which describe of Judas’ death? Where can I find them? Is there a historical contradiction or inerrancy?

 

[Liberian]

Alpha Omega,

There are, to the best of my knowledge, two accounts of Judas’ death in the Bible. One is in Matthew 27:3-10 and the other is in Acts 1:18-19 from the mouth of Peter. The two are very different in tone but there is no flat-out contradiction between them unless you want to quibble over who actually bought the field with the thirty pieces of silver.

• Liberian

 

[Veritas41]

Matthew’s gospel mentions Judas hanging himself and Acts mentions his falling forward and his body bursting open. If Judas’ body were cut down or fell down (if he hung himself from a tree and a branch broke off or something like that),his body could have burst open upon impact.

 

[AlphaOmega]

This goes a little further than my original intent…but, another question, as far as our faith is concerned. We believe that a repentant sinner can be forgiven. How is it that

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, 4 Saying: I have sinned in betraying innocent blood.

It seems to me the tone of this passage sums up the ultimate decision of Judas. Could he have been saved? On the other hand, was it suicide that sealed him from salvation?

 

[Veritas41]

We believe that a repentant sinner can be forgiven. How is it that
It seems to me the tone of this passage sums up the ultimate decision of Judas. Could he have been saved? On the other hand, was it suicide that sealed him from salvation?

Well, according to Catholic teaching, we can’t say for sure that Judas is in hell. God could very well have granted him repentance immediately before he died. We simply don’t know. But some things in Scripture seem to indicate Judas may be in hell (John 17:12, 2 Corinthians 7:10). His suicide was certainly an act of despair, and if he were fully aware of and in control of his actions, his suicide would have been a mortal sin. I see such a contrast between him and St. Peter, who denied the Lord. Peter repented and came back to Christ, but Judas killed himself.

 

[ValiantDomain]

One has to question what sort of repentance Judas was making by giving back the thirty pieces of silver. To me, it clearly seems to be motivated by shame (another form of self-interest) and not a genuine concern for the betrayal. If it was a truthful, and whole-hearted repentance, Judas could have taken other measures to reconcile himself before the community aside from suicide (yet another self-motivated act), causing him to perish in mortal sin. His death seems to speak of his life since suicide as ‘killing one’s self’ seems to be the driving motive behind Judas from the get-go: self.