[gobucks]

"That means that either God lied to Judas or that Judas possesses the free will to walk away from God's desire and calling. Since we know that it is impossible for God to lie, we are faced with only one immutable fact. Judas left his calling."

But, 'the devil entered Judas' ....

The immutable fact has an odd, an unique in the New Testament, circumstance. One doesn't get the sense from Luke or John that Judas invited the Devil w/i, and indeed in John, Jesus tells him to do it, the betrayal, quickly.

How does orthodoxy reconcile this? For it seems clear that in turning away, Judas needed an assist.

[nasachen]

You raise valid concerns, however we cannot dismiss my previous arguments based upon those concerns. Jesus called Judas an apostle. Jesus cannot lie, therefore we must conclude that God's will for Judas was to be an apostle else Jesus was just being deceptive. Did Jesus know that he chose someone that would betray Him? Absolutely! God knows Judas. He knows what he will do, but that does not dismiss Judas from his God ordained destiny. If we can find at least one instance where God desired a person to go in direction A and that person went in direction B than we are faced with the fact that the person has the capacity to break God's will and thus has a will of his own.

As far as Satan entering Judas, why is that a problem? I happen to believe that everyone that is conceived has a purpose planned for that life. That purpose is to accomplish the will of God on earth as it is in heaven. Never is sin God's will; always righteousness is God's will. We all fall short of it, but that does not mean that we were not called to it. Judas never came to a belief in Jesus, else he would not be contemplating his betrayal. Just because a person does not come to a belief in Jesus does not negate that person's destiny and call by God.

Next, Jesus telling Judas to do quickly what is obviously a sin, we can rest assured it was not the action that Jesus sanctioned. I could argue then the only thing left is the timing. Jesus was on a time-line that had to be fulfilled. If in His infinite knowledge of events He knows Judas will betray Him, having him do so on time does not violate the holiness of God. God cannot sin, therefore God cannot be complicit in sin.

[nasachen]

You raise valid concerns, however we cannot dismiss my previous arguments based upon those concerns. Jesus called Judas an apostle. Jesus cannot lie, therefore we must conclude that God's will for Judas was to be an apostle else Jesus was just being deceptive. Did Jesus know that he chose someone that would betray Him? Absolutely! God knows Judas. He knows what he will do, but that does not dismiss Judas from his God ordained destiny. If we can find at least one instance where God desired a person to go in direction A and that person went in direction B than we are faced with the fact that the person has the capacity to break God's will and thus has a will of his own.

As far as Satan entering Judas, why is that a problem? I happen to believe that everyone that is conceived has a purpose planned for that life. That purpose is to accomplish the will of God on earth as it is in heaven. Never is sin God's will; always righteousness is God's will. We all fall short of it, but that does not mean that we were not called to it. Judas never came to a belief in Jesus, else he would not be contemplating his betrayal. Just because a person does not come to a belief in Jesus does not negate that person's destiny and call by God.

Next, Jesus telling Judas to do quickly what is obviously a sin, we can rest assured it was not the action that Jesus sanctioned. I could argue then the only thing left is the timing. Jesus was on a time-line that had to be fulfilled. If in His infinite knowledge of events He knows Judas will betray Him, having him do so on time does not violate the holiness of God. God cannot sin, therefore God cannot be complicit in sin.