Is Judas liable for his betrayal sin?

Question

In Luke, we are told:

Luke 22:3-4 And Satan entered into Judas who was called Iscariot, belonging to the number of the twelve. 4 And he went away and discussed with the chief priests and officers how he might betray Him to them.

So then, did Judas sin or was it Satan inside him sinning?

If a computer hacker uses my computer to commit a crime, all liability falls on the hacker using my computer. So, did Satan utilise Judas as a vessel in such a manner?

Did Judas have free will in this matter? Elsewhere in the Bible, it says, “resist Satan and he will flee from you”(James 4:7). Does that apply here with Judas?

Answer 1

Judas' moral state becomes clear with the later disclosure by John that Judas was stealing and, by that theft, was depriving others of much needed charitable contributions.This deliberate moral state - the repeated act of theft - needs to be considered in juxtaposition to the stated question, as it paved the way for Satan's entrance.

Judas had not been resisting Satan over the matter of secret theft.

This paved the way for much greater sin, later. Then, Satan came in like a flood and took him over completely.

Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, which should betray him, Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor? This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein. John 12 5,6 KJV.

The covetousness is apparent, the very calculation of value (and lost revenue to the thief) gives him away. This precipitated something within him. Was his betrayal a matter of recuperating the lost opportunity ?

What a shocking state he was already in ! He is irked by the loving act of the woman who 'squandered' the treasure of the spice on Jesus, anointing him for his burial, which was the only preparation received since, later, the women who went to anoint him, found him already risen.

Those around Judas were involved in charitable works, and in devotion to the Lord. He was fixated with money.

Answer 2

In addition to Nigel's answer. We are cautioned to be sober and vigilant, and to put on the whole armour of God as a guard against Satan.

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8)

Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil... Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. (Ephesian 6:11-16)

Judas did none of that, but allowed himself to continue in covetousness. We do not stay the same, with each ray of grace, we either accept it and become more like Jesus, or deny it and become more like Satan. Judas continued in his sin until Satan presented him an overmastering temptation.

Interesting, Satan had once used Peter also. It shows how easily we can become prey if we are not prayerful. However, Peter repented and eventually became a better man because of it.

Then Peter took him [Jesus], and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee. But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men. (Matthew 16:22-23)

And Peter remembered the words of Jesus, who said unto him, Before the cock crows, you shall deny me three times. And he went out, and wept bitterly. (Matthew 26:75)

On the other hand, those who refuse to repent will become like the condition of those belonging in Babylon in the last days.

And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. (Rev 18:2)

Answer 3

Is Judas liable for his betrayal sin?

Absolutely!

We could actually let Our Lord speak for himself on the subject of Judas: "The Son of Man indeed goes, as it is written of him: but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man shall be betrayed. It were better for him, if that man had not been born."

The Saints, Fathers and Doctors of the Church say unanimously that Judas is in Hell.

Because of the fall of Judas, St. Peter led the Apostles in picking his replacement, who would be St. Matthias. While conducting the election, St. Peter had foreboding things to say about the traitorous Apostle. In Acts 1:16–20, St. Peter declares:

Men, brethren, the Scripture must needs be fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost spoke before by the mouth of David concerning Judas ... he indeed hath possessed a field of the reward of iniquity ... the same field was called ... the field of blood. For it is written in the book of Psalms: Let their habitation become desolate, and let there be none to dwell therein.

Saint Peter was referring to Psalm 108:6–8: "Set thou the sinner over him: and may the devil stand at his right hand. When he is judged, may he go out condemned; and may his prayer be turned to sin. May his days be few: and his bishopric let another take."

Three famous saints addressed Judas' final disposition:

• St. Augustine: "For Judas, when he killed himself, killed a wicked man, and passed from this life chargeable not only with the death of Christ, but also with his own: for though he killed himself on account of his crime, his killing himself was another crime."

• St. Thomas Aquinas: "In the case of Judas, the abuse of grace was the reason for his reprobation, since he was made reprobate because he died without grace."

• Pope St. Leo the Great: "The godless betrayer, shutting his mind to all these things [offerings of God's Mercy], turned upon himself, not with a mind to repent, but in the madness of self-destruction; so that this man who had sold the Author of Life to the executioners of His death, even in the act of dying sinned unto the increase of his own eternal punishment."

Source

Erasmus believed that Judas was free to change his intention, but Martin Luther argued in rebuttal that Judas' will was immutable. John Calvin states that Judas was predestined to damnation, but writes on the question of Judas' guilt: "surely in Judas' betrayal, it will be no more right, because God himself willed that his son be delivered up and delivered him up to death, to ascribe the guilt of the crime to God than to transfer the credit for redemption to Judas." The Catholic Church has no view on his damnation. The Vatican only proclaims individuals' Eternal Salvation through the Canon of Saints. There is no 'Canon of the Damned', nor any official proclamation of the damnation of Judas, so Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia is wet behind his ears when he says: It’s heresy to say that Jesus is in Hell.

Nowhere in Scriptures do we see Judas asking for mercy or forgiveness of all the crimes he committed, from stealing money from the common purse to betraying Our Lord Jesus Christ for 30 pieces of silver. Judas’ kiss brought death to Jesus. Yet even in this Jesus wold have forgiven Jesus, if he had of asked. Judas did not, for if he had it would have been written down.

According to Matthew 26:50, Jesus responded by saying: "Friend, do what you are here to do." Luke 22:48 quotes Jesus saying "Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?"

Answer 4

Is Judas liable for his betrayal sin?

Is betrayal a sin, a mortal sin? Yes and No, it depends on whom you betrayed, as Jesus qualifies what kind of betrayal must be condemn.

In Matthew 26:23–25, Jesus confirms the identity of the traitor: "The Son of Man goes, even as it is written of him, but woe to that man through whom the Son of Man is betrayed!

Is Judas, the traitor that Jesus was referring to? The answer is NO!

Did Judas betrayed his friendship with Jesus? Yes. Did Satan entered because of this? NO!

Did Judas betrayed Jesus as "Rabbi"? Yes. Did Satan entered because of this? NO!

Did Judas betrayed Jesus as the "Son of Man"? NO!, Judas never look upon Jesus as the Messiah nor the Son of Man. Judas only look upon Jesus as his friend and Rabbi.

So, what was the sin committed by Judas, that gave Satan the access to enter his soul? In Catholicism it's called sacrilege, and St.Paul described the sacrilege in his letter to Corinthians.

Question: Is it a more serious sin to receive Communion unworthily than to commit the unconfessed mortal sin?

Answer: To receive communion unworthily is a form of sacrilege. It would be committing another grievous sin in addition to the mortal sin.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church:

To respond to this invitation we must prepare ourselves for so great and so holy a moment. St. Paul urges us to examine our conscience: “Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a man examine himself, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For any one who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment upon himself.” Anyone conscious of a grave sin must receive the sacrament of reconciliation before coming to Communion (1385).

This is the sin of Judas, that gave Satan the access to his soul. The mystery question is, why did Jesus gave the holy eucharist or the consecrated bread and wine despite knowing Judas lack of faith in Him as the "Son of Man"?

We can see clearly, that Judas was not the traitor that Jesus was referring to in Matthew26:23-25, because Judas did not betray Jesus as the "Son of Man" but Judas only betrayed his friendship and Jesus as Rabbi.

Back to OP question, "Is Judas liable for his betrayal sin?

Betraying friendship and betraying a Rabbi is a sin against charity, is it a mortal sin? Perhaps No, nor we can judge it as mortal sin.

The clear sin of Judas was described by St.John, he was stealing money, and it is a mortal sin against Ten Commandments, only if the three elements where satisfied by Judas. Did Judas committed the stealing with "full knowledge and full consent"? Maybe yes, maybe no, we cannot judge him.

Did Judas have free will in this matter? Definitely, Judas acted on his freewill when it comes to stealing money and selling Jesus to the High Priest.

Did Judas have freewill in committing the sacrilege, in receiving the dipped bread as the true body,blood, soul and divinity of Jesus Christ? Yes, he committed a sacrilege, but Judas lacks faith in Jesus as the Messiah or the Son of Man, and in this area, Judas can seek forgiveness once his eyes is open to the Truth, that Jesus is indeed the Messiah and the Son of Man.

We can see the reality of Judas asking for forgiveness, when he repented of his sins of betrayal, returning the thirty pieces of silver. Also, since Jesus was the one who gave Judas the eucharist that made him fall into the sin of sacrilege, Jesus has an obligation to save Judas in hell or Hades.

Judas was cast into hell because of the sin of sacrilege aside from stealing money, but remember, Judas is a friend of Jesus, and Jesus lay down His life for all His friends. Jesus has a saving plan for Judas, that's why He allowed Judas to received the holy eucharist.

Judas descended into hell, and when Judas saw Jesus in His Messianic form, preaching the gospel of salvation in Hades, offering the infinite mercy of God, Judas eyes were open, he now clearly see, that Jesus is not only a Rabbi but the prophesied Messiah the Son of Man. And so, Judas, since he had shown repentance, acknowledge his sins before Jesus in hell, and perhaps resemble the words of doubting Thomas saying...

...Jesus my friend, my Rabbi, you are indeed My Lord and My God, my Messiah and the "Son of Man", please forgive me in receiving the dipped bread sacrilegiously...

Will Jesus deny Judas of God's mercy?

Nope! Judas in hell/Hades has now come to knowledge of Truth about who Jesus is, and this is the desire of the Abba Father, for all sinners, to come to knowledge of Christ, and Judas had arrived on that stage..

This is good and pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4who wants everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.- 1Timothy2:3-4

The encounter of Jesus and Judas in hell is pleasing to God, because Judas lack of faith were healed, Judas in hell had seen the Truth just like the rest of the souls imprison in Hades, who had not heard or seen Jesus the prophesied Messiah.

So then, did Judas sin or was it Satan inside him sinning?

In terms of betraying Jesus as his friend and Rabbi and stealing money, Judas acted on his freewill and he cannot blame Satan for this fault. While in the sin of sacrilege, Judas had acted irreverently because his mind and heart were already pre-occupied with his planned betrayal, this is also his freewill and cannot be blame on Satan.

Judas acting irreverently in receiving the body,blood, soul and divinity of Jesus Christ is part of his freewill, that gave access to Satan. But since, Judas "lacks faith", his repentance while still alive, and his acknowledgement of Jesus as Messiah the Son of Man, merited salvation, just like the rest of souls in Hades, like Judas, has now come to the full knowledge of who Jesus is, their eyes were open and had seen the Truth.

CCC 633 Scripture calls the abode of the dead, to which the dead Christ went down, “hell” – Sheol in Hebrew or Hades in Greek – because those who are there are deprived of the vision of God.13 Such is the case for all the dead, whether evil or righteous, while they await the Redeemer: which does not mean that their lot is identical, as Jesus shows through the parable of the poor man Lazarus who was received into “Abraham’s bosom”:14 “It is precisely these holy souls, who awaited their Savior in Abraham’s bosom, whom Christ the Lord delivered when he descended into hell.”15 Jesus did not descend into hell to deliver the damned, nor to destroy the hell of damnation, but to free the just who had gone before him.16

Judas and the rest of souls in Hades or hell, whether evil or righteous was given a chance to see Jesus and hear the gospel of Christ. The souls who accepted Jesus offered mercy, was saved but they still have to undergo purging, like Judas and Dimas the repentant thief. While the evil souls, who still rejected the gospel of Christ and do not believe that Jesus is the prophesied Messiah, Jesus had open the "gate of real hell" the hell of damnation, the place for the damned souls, joining the demons.

In closing, Judas had committed the sins of betrayal and stealing money, and the grievous sin of sacrilege that gave Satan accessed to his soul. The sin of sacrilege cast him into hell or Hades, but he was not yet a damned soul nor were cast out in the hell of damnation. Judas escape the hell of damnation, when he accepted the mercy of God that Jesus offered in hell. That's why in Catholic Church, it is a heresy to say that Judas is in hell.

VATICAN OFFICIAL: IT’S HERESY TO SAY JUDAS IS IN HELL https://www.churchmilitant.com/news/article/vatican-official-claims-its-heresy-to-say-judas-in-hell