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Was
Judas The Devil?
George
L. Faull
Dear Brother
Faull,
I have a serious inquiry. In John
6:70-21,
Jesus called Judas a devil. In no other
passage in the Bible is the word devil applied to anyone but of Satan
himself. The word here in the Greek is diabolus and THE DEFINITE ARTICLE in
employed meaning “one of you is THE DEVIL in the verse. Now Jesus called him the Son of Perdition in
John 17:12, “While I was with
them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have
kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture
might be fulfilled.” So, my question is
simply, who was Judas or was he the devil incarnate?
Consider II
Thessalonians 2:3-10.
ANSWER:
The answer to your question is this.
You have made several false statements.
1. The
text does not have the definite article, so this is not referring to “the
devil.”
2. The Bible says that Jesus chose
Judas.
3. Judas fell.
Acts
1:25 Can
the epitome of evil fall only after he became an apostle of Jesus?
4. Satan entered his heart; therefore
he is not Satan.
John
13:27
5. He is not the only one to be called
diabalos.
I
Timothy 3:11, II Timothy 3:3, Titus 2:3
The word is simply “an accuser, an informer or slanderer”
as seen above.
6.
Peter
was called “Satan” or “adversary” (one who opposes another in purpose and act),
but was
not Satan.
7. Elymus
was called “the son of the devil” (diabalos),
but was not the literal “child of Satan.”
Acts
13:10
8.
The
fact that both Judas and the man of sin are called “the son of Perdition”
should not be reason to believe that Judas was the “devil” incarnate.
This has often been held by heretical sects, but there is
no reason for that. Some are called
“the child of the devil,” but it does not follow that they are incarnate
devils.
Ø
An individual angel may be called “the son of God.”
Ø
Adam was called the “son of God.”
Ø
An individual believer is called “the son of God.”
Ø
Jesus is called the “Son of God.”
Yet these are not equated to be the same being. The same can be said of “the son of
man.” Ezekiel is called the “son of
man” repeatedly, yet he is not the “Son of man” as Jesus is.
So, jumping to the conclusion that Judas was the devil would be rash.