by M.J. Webb

Created on: March 27, 2010   Last Updated: March 29, 2010

John 17 answers the questions for us. We are told the answer. Whether it is an answer that we like or not should not feature in how we determine what is truth and what is not. Let us try and look at this objectively. John 17 records Jesus prayer in Gethsemane, during which he names Judas as "the one doomed to destruction" (verse 12).

We could, of course, try to play around with the meaning of the words doomed and destruction. The word translated destruction from the Greek original is the word 'apoleia'. It is used to denote death, but not simply death. There are other words used to describe normal death in the Bible. Apoleia denotes damnation, ruin, perishing. All of these concepts are linked explicitly with hell and the death outside of salvation. For example, famously John 3v16 speaks of "not perishing but having eternal life". This doesn't mean people won't die, it means they won't perish. Likewise, the same word apoleia is used of the destination of those headed for hell. The verse that speaks of the broad path that leads to destruction(Matthew 7v13) uses the same word apoleia. Romans 9 speaks of people being saved, though they were previously prepared for destruction (same Greek word). 2 Peter 3 notes that ungodly people face judgement and destruction (same word). The list goes on, climaxing in the words of Revelation where the beasts are destroyed in the abyss.

Back to John 17, and worth dealing with another issue. It has been pointed out in these discussions that Judas was only fulfilling a prophesy, therefore is perhaps not deserving of hell. It must be noted that according to verse 12 of John 17, the prophesy was that Judas was doomed to destruction, not only that he would commit the betrayal. Also, does simply fulfilling a prophesy excuse the act? Surely if we examine other prophesies, we can see how this could not be the case. Take for example, the book of Revelation which prophesies the doom of satan and his followers. The prophesy declares that they face hell, and therefore hell is the fulfillment of the prophesy itself.

We must note that this is not the norm of salvation. Judas is very much the exception. For in the context of John 17, Jesus is speaking of keeping all his followers and not losing any, which according to John 6 he will never do. Judas however becomes the exception, for he was chosen that the prophesy might be fulfilled, yet in doing so, faced the consequences of his actions.

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