Journal: Conspectus
Volume: CONSPECTUS 27:1 (Mar 2019)
Article: The Interface Between The Doctrines Of Divine Foreknowledge And Human Free Will: Judas Iscariot As A Test Case
Author: James Partee Toga

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Conspectus 27:1 (March 2019) p. 160

The Interface Between The Doctrines Of Divine Foreknowledge And Human Free Will: Judas Iscariot As A Test Case1

James Partee Toga

and

Annang Asumang

Keywords

Human Free Will, Divine Foreknowledge, Betray, Compatibilism, Incompatibilism

About The Authors2

James Partee Toga

PhD student at the South African Theological Seminary (graduating May 2019).

Annang Asumang

PhD, SATS, Dr Asumang is a consultant with Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust, United Kingdom. A Clinician in Intensive Care Medicine, Annang has also made a significant contribution as a academic and researcher in theology.

This article: https://www.sats.edu.za/toga-asumang-divine-foreknowledge-human-free-will

Abstract

The New Testament indicates that Judas Iscariot’s betrayal of Jesus was foreknown by God and by Jesus, and that it was in fulfilment of Scripture, and yet at the same time it judges him culpable for his actions. In that case, to what extent is divine foreknowledge compatible with human free will? Through exegetical, philosophical and theological analyses of the relevant passages, the study arrives at a number of conclusions about the nature and pastoral function of compatibilism in the specific test case of Judas Iscariot. It is observed for example, that all the New Testament passages in relation to Judas Iscariot underline the interplay between divine foreknowledge and human free will in a non-contrastive transcendent manner, even though they place different emphases on the degree of this compatibility, while others underline a complicated role for even Satan.

Some of the differences in emphases between the Gospels with regard to Judas Iscariot are also shown to reflect respective socio-

Conspectus 27:1 (March 2019) p. 161

pastoral contexts of their first readers. The article concludes that God held Judas Iscariot culpable for his action, though God foreknew it and that it fulfilled scripture.

1. Introduction

The New Testament presents four apparently conflicting views about Judas Iscariot’s role in Jesus’ betrayal. Firstly, it suggests that Judas Iscariot freely and determinedly betrayed Jesus (Matt 26:14–16; Mark 14:10, 11; John 13:18)....

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