How could God foreknow what Judas Iscariot would do freely?

Question

Judas Iscariot was supposedly a free agent. Being free, he could choose to perform A (a certain action) or choose to refrain from performing A. In other words, Judas' betrayal of Jesus was not inevitable. If Judas' actions were not inevitable, then how could God foreknow what Judas would freely do?

Sabrina, you did not tell me "how" God foreknows free actions.

One problem I have with the timeless view of God is that the future evidently is not yet. That is why the proposition, "There will be a sea battle tomorrow" is probably neither true or false. The future does not exist yet. Therefore, how can anyone infallibly know what will happen in the future, even if an agent is timeless.

Erik, it is difficult to understand how God can infallibly foreknow what a free agent will do in the future. Freedom of the will implies that you have a choice in terms of a particular action. No one else knows what a free agent will do until a certain time T or T1. If Judas was not free to choose A or refrain from A, then he was not morally responsible for his actions.

Many of you are assuming that God is timeless. I don't know whether I buy that assumption. I believe that those who posit a timeless God overlook the epistemological difficulties that emanate from this theory. If God is timeless, it would affect how he knew the past, present or future, even if all time were present to him.

Answer 1

Imagine knowing ther personality of someone and how they will react to a situation. They are still free to act how they would like. But you know how they will act. God knows us all personally, and he has put us where we are for a specific reason. God knew Judas well enough that he knew what he would do, if he was in that situation.

Answer 2

Knowledge of the future by God and being a free agent are two different things. One can be a free agent, yet God will know what you are going to do.

Moreover, faith does not follow logic, so your logical scientific question should not be used in a religious context. It doesn't belong.

Also, my understanding is that Judas was not necessarily a free agent in all (or perhaps any) traditions.

Additionally, a lot of people are free agents. From my perspective, everyone is. But there are some people who I can know what they would do if faced with a certain set of circumstances. Someone with the perception of Jesus presumably could read people very well. As such, being a free agent doesn't mean that someone can't read you.

Answer 3

One explanation that I've heard was that Judas was a member of a group called the "sicarii".

People at that time really didn't have last names, so "Iscariot" has one of two meanings:

1) He was from the city of "Isca"
2) His name means "ha-sicarot", a user of a sicarii blade.

The sicarii were a shadowy group within the "Zealots". They were known to have committed assassinations in large crowds. What they would do is hide a "sicarii" blade under their cloaks and pull them out in a crowd, hit their target and then blend back into the crowd.

A sicarii blade had a 90 degree bend in it and it was sharpened on the inside edge. It was used in slaughtering animals, usually.

The Zealots were founded in Nazareth and were mostly successful before Herod Antipas began the building of Sepphoris (right across the valley from Nazareth). Herod chased the Zealots out of Galilee before Jesus was an adult.

It has been speculated that Joseph, Jesus' father was a Zealot and was killed by him (no support for this whatsoever, except that Joseph never appears alive in any story after Jesus was age 13). Jesus would have known who and what the Zealots were from growing up among them, and he could have chosen Judas on purpose.

(This is a big stretch based on a lot of speculation. Take it for what it's worth.)

Answer 4

So how could someone timeless see into the future? Thats a rather ridiculous question isnt it? Thats kinda like questioning how anyone could ever construct a 100 floor building without it collapsing after being up 20 mins. Believe it or not, but teams of architects and engineers can make them! I dont know how they do it, but everytime I look on the news and see downtown detroit, I know they can! Just because I dont understand it, doesnt mean its not true. With God being outside of time, he sees history like you watch a TV or read a map.

Answer 5

Did you ever stop to think that God saw Judas' actions before Jesus even chose him as an apostle? foreknowledge that Judas would betray his own mother for 2 bits of silver? It was Christs' destiny to be turned in and sacrificed.

Answer 6

Jesus is/was both THE GOD and MAN.

As THE GOD HE saw EVERYTHING!

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Salvation

"ONCE SAVED ALWAYS SAVED!"
Salvation by HIS GRACE!

Saint Peter at the Golden Gate ~
A man dies and goes to heaven. Of course, St. Peter meets him at the pearly gates. St. Peter says, "Here's how it works. You need 100 points to make it into heaven. You tell me all the good things you've done, and I give you a certain number of points for each item, depending on how good it was. When you reach 100 points, you get in."
"Okay," the man says, "I was married to the same woman for 50 years and never cheated on her, even in my heart."
"That's wonderful," says St. Peter, "that's worth three points!" "Three points?" he says. "Well, I attended church all my life and supported its
ministry with my tithe and service." "Terrific!" says St. Peter, "that's certainly worth a point." "One point? Golly. How about this: I started a soup kitchen in my city and worked in a shelter for homeless veterans."
"Fantastic, that's good for two more points," he says. "TWO POINTS!" the man cries, "At this rate, the only way I get into heaven is by the grace of God!" "That's right! Now you've got it!" said St. Peter.

For it is by Grace you have been saved, through Faith -- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God -- not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9) HIS Grace!



The above story is theologically "a disaster" but it does drive home the point - IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR US TO DO ANYTHING TO "HELP" SAVE OURSELVES!

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Salvation
Imagine standing on the roof a ten-story building. A parade is going to start in the street below. It forms, it begins, and it travels the parade rout length and then disperses. All this happened in your view.
This is the way OUR GOD sees us! Before our birth HE knows the complete and whole story! But HE also orchestrated our "parade rout" before we were even born. That is called PREDESTINATION. Before we were even born HE knew everything.
Romans 8: 30. Ephesians 1: 5. Ephesians 1: 11.

Answer 7

Place God in the center of time, He sees Caesar and Kennedy being killed at different points in History. Free will is destermined by man, not God.

Answer 8

jesus also knew that Peter was influenced by satan and rebuked the spirit that told him to speak uterences that was against the will of God.
makes me wonder if Jesus rebuked Peter for NOT following the will of God and in so doing he rebuked the Catholic church for what it would become.
but jesus also Reproved Peter because he foretold that peter would reject him 3 times before the morning
yes Jesus knew things before they would happen.
but he could not FORCE people to do what he wanted. He wants people to choose their pathway for themselves, and not transgress the freedom of agency and choice.
Forcing someone to do something against their will is a transgression of sin by itself. Tempting someone with sin is also against the will of God.
this is the old debate of predestination and foreordination.
Men can become FREE to choose without predestination and foreordination if they receive the atonement of christ. Once a soul fulfills that condition of salvation the souls of all men become free to choose their path.
but it could be said that most of us are locked into a history that exists in the future that cannot be altered because it has already happened. it is cleary Written that God knowa all things from the End to the beginning and from the beginning to the end.
this statment also suggest time travel.
however repentance from sin and death does free a soul from predestination and the path that is taken to a path that WAS taken, to the path that never was taken. OUR time lines can be cut and pasted and removed whenever the LORD sees it is justified.
Also Peter who would've followed jesus unto DEATH would never have fulfilled his mission on the earth, therefore it was almsot a commandment of God that his LIFE be spared.
Judas did not have his life spared because he betrayed the son of God, however Judas himself fulfilled the requirement of shedding blood, or a death for a death, and showed signs of repentance. but his life was ended nevertheless.

Answer 9

Good paradox.

Jesus' death and resurrection as the Word made flesh is part of "the plan." Judas' actions were not necessary .... maybe inevitable ... certainly human.

God is outside of time and space so I can't comprehend what He knew.

Answer 10

compliment God. i don't know what your motives are yet, I compliment God for best you to share the word with those people who decide to pay attention it. lots evil is working amuck in R&S so that's totally clean to my soul to confirm His word. i'm purely grateful i'm not Judas. I do wish that provision replace into made for his terrible episode with a important case of backsliding to forgive him while he had to do it for scripture to be fulfilled. the will of God might certainly furnish the grace so desperately mandatory to maintain Judas. thank you lower back Rose. How approximately an encore for those people who decide to pay attention extra. do not supply any thumbs down a 2d concept. compliment God! Jesus is Lord! Merry Christmas!!!