To: mike182d
God destined someone for Hell?Do you really think Jesus Christ was unaware when He appointed Judas Iscariot that he would be the one to betray Him to the Romans for the purpose of His appointed suffering and death on the cross? For that matter, when do you think He figured out Isaiah 53 (for example) was all about Him and His appointment with the cross?
137 posted on
03/23/2005 9:40:38 AM PST by
newgeezer
(Just my opinion, of course. Your mileage may vary.)
To: newgeezer
Do you really think Jesus Christ was unaware when He appointed Judas Iscariot that he would be the one to betray Him to the Romans for the purpose of His appointed suffering and death on the cross? For that matter, when do you think He figured out Isaiah 53 (for example) was all about Him and His appointment with the cross?
This is sort of like the infamous problem of evil; God can know that something is going to happen, but His knowing it isn't the cause of it happening. God knows it because it happens, not be he knows it, and there are causes apart from God (i.e. us and free will) that cause things to happen.
I believe absolutely that Christ knew what Judas was going to do to Him, but this does not mean that He destined this fate for Judas or desired for it to happen. Christ does not tempt anyone with the intent of them leading them into sin. Likewise, it is contrary to God's all-loving nature to a)desire for a person to go to Hell, b)intentionally present circumstances that would cause a person to go to Hell, or c) destine someone to go to Hell.
Jesus' Passion would not have been much different if Judas hadn't betrayed Him. Judas wasn't an integral part in the authorities finding Jesus, and it could have happened another way (not at the expense of someone's soul). What happened to Judas was Judas' decision and not Christ's or God's.
149 posted on
03/23/2005 10:09:50 AM PST by
mike182d
("Let fly the white flag of war." - Zapp Brannigan)
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