Do you think Judas Iscariot is really a bad person?

Judas Iscariot could more aptly be described as a dead person but…

He played his part in the grande design and it’s hard to say that anyone is a “bad” person.. duality of man and all that.

Matthew 26:7–16, Judas betrayed Jesus because Mary Magdalene poured an expensive ointment on Jesus’ head, which could have been sold to help the poor, and in verse 16 it says, “And from that time he [Judas] sought opportunity to betray him.”

I think Judas could have decided to do the right thing and not betray Jesus. He was tempted by money and power. I think Judas idea of the Kingdom that Jesus promised was a kingdom on earth and didn’t agree with what Jesus preached. After Jesus’ prophecies came true and he died on the cross, Judas finally realized Jesus was, in fact, who he said he was. He tried to rectify his betrayal by giving back the gold pieces he received to betray Jesus. But it was too late. He ended up comitting suicide.

I am not a biblical scholar, so mine is not the final word.
I think it is a bit like Moses and Pharoh. Pharoh would have given in to Moses earlier, but God kept hardening his heart, and making him deny Moses, to allow Moses to display God’s power.
I think God moved Judas as well, but I am not sure. Certainly Jesus knew what Judas would do.

Do you think Judas Iscariot is really a bad person? – No

Do you think Judas Iscariot did something that is forgiveable? – Yes

Do you think Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus, do you think you could stand up during torture?

I should add that Judas is definitly demon possessed during that time, however, nothing happened that wasn’t controlled by God.
Once the betrayal was complete, the demon left Judas, who realized what he had done, and hung himself.

There was a Coptic manuscript discovered in Egypt in the 1970s that was written in the 3rd or 4th century. Like the other gospels, it tells the story of Jesus’ life and death, but in this version Jesus has a secret conversation with Judas 10 days before the crucifixion and tells him, ”‘you will exceed all of them (i.e. the other disciples). For you will sacrifice the man that clothes me.’” Judas is portrayed as following Jesus’ instructions so that the sacrifice can take place.

Here’s the story of the discovery of the manuscript.

I apologize, I don’t have any reference links available, but I have heard his story interpreted as a sad tragedy.

Judas was the most revolutionary of the disciples, and a member of the zealots. He was attempting to force a confrontation between the Romans, the Jewish authorities, and Jesus, assuming Jesus would prove himself the Messiah by destroying the enemies of Rome. When Jesus responded by submitting, he was devastated.

^I said enemies of Rome, meaning enemies of Israel.

No worse than anybody else. Which, really, says more about us than it does him.
I’ve seen him compared with Peter and the business about denying Christ, with the conclusion that Peter is how Judas could have been. I’m inclined to agree.

No. Just human

I’m going to attack the actions in this case. Judas sold out Jesus. It could have been Becky sold out Luis. The selling out part, for money is what gets to me. So he get’s my vote of being involved with a bad deed.

Didn’t he have to betray Jesus for the prophecy to be fulfilled? If he didn’t, we would never be redeemed now would we?

Was Judas really a bad person?

It depends on who you talk to, as we have seen above.

If it were part of a prophecy or design, does it really make sense to ascribe moral culpability to him?

Well, I believe that we have free will, so I have a different view on prophecy. That is, just because you know what is going to happen, it doesn’t mean you are forcing other people to do things. For example, suppose I had a time machine and went back in time and told people: “we will have our first black president in 2008” would that force Obama to become president?

Jesus knew what was going to happen and he told people and planned accordingly. Judas made his own choices. He helped get an innocent man killed, betrayed with a kiss, so I’d say yes.

Have you read the short story ‘The Three Versions of Judas’ by Jorge Luis Borges? It answers your question.

@thorninmud The Coptic manuscript version of Judas actions, kind of sounds like the same type of situation in which Severus Snape, from the Harry Potter books, kills Dumbledore. Turns out that Snape was just doing what Dumbledore asked him to do, so that the sacrifice could take place.

@Kardamom Yeah, interesting parallel.

@phaedryx I on the other hand believe in the Sovereignty of God and believe that all men are depraved fallen creatures, due to the sin of Adam. I believe the Judas was only doing what was natural to any man without the intervention of God. Judas, like all men and women, was bad. He is referred to as a devil, and as the son of perdition. He never sought the repentance of God, but hung himself. In contrast, Peter denied Christ and when confronted with his sin wept bitterly for his depraved nature obtaining repentance and moving forward in the salvation granted him. My conclusion is Judas was wrong and bad, but not because of his betrayal of Christ. He was bad because, without the direct grace of God, he had no choice but to be bad.

He realized that he made a mistake. Many bad people never get to this stage.