Judas Iscariot: Revisited and Restored

Part One:

Of all the characters in the Bible (both the Hebrew as well as Messianic Scriptures) there can be no name more despised than that of Judas Iscariot. How was it possible for him to betray a friend who never did him any harm, who only ever sought to bless him and overlook his (many) faults? Judas had the priceless privilege to watch Yeshua at very close range. He saw his masters’ compassion for a lost humanity and witnessed many miracles.

Most people, if they’re honest, prefer not to dwell on Judas. They usually try to create as much distance between themselves and Judas as possible – otherwise the waves of fear and condemnation might overwhelm them if they dwelt too deeply on their own sins and weaknesses. Is it possible that there is more to Judas than meets the eye and that his life and death contains vital clues to our own human nature and fate?

If you believe that the Bible is just a collection of fairy tales, the story of Judas is unlikely to keep you awake at night. However, for those of you who still take the Bible seriously, who believe that it contains the very words of HaShem, the life of Judas strikes at the very heart of our human nature.

Before I continue, I would like to recommend to you a book which has left a deep impression on me and answered questions which have troubled me for many years: “Judas Iscariot: Revisited and Restored” by Ivan Rogers. I have been given permission by the author to quote widely from his book in this series. Although the author does not endorse our views on homosexuality, this should not hold you back from reading on. In my opinion, this is the best book ever written on the subject of Judas. It is well researched (with plenty of references) and offers unique insights into the depth of Messiah’s love for each of us. Be ready to discover grace in a most unlikely place.

Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve emissaries, the one who is always last on the list and who is always identified as ‘the betrayer’ of Yeshua. The name Judas is the Greek form of the Hebrew Judah, which means praise – a rather common name among the Jews of his time. Yeshua chose the twelve, including Judas, after an all-night prayer-session to His heavenly father (Luke 6:12-13). Yeshua taught that all of His personal decisions were first informed by the Father (John 5:19). So were are lead to conclude that Judas was the answer to the Savior’s personal prayer request, a designated gift from the heavenly Father to His Son.

From the beginning, Judas was so highly regarded that the other emissaries elected him to have charge of the finances. Yeshua would surely have had to approve this position of trust, perhaps even recommend it? According to scripture, Judas was a thief (John 12:6) and it seems certain that the others didn’t know of this fact when the decision was made to install him as treasurer of the group. As has already been pointed out, Yeshua knew all about Judas from the very beginning, so why then didn’t He alert the others?

Before we continue, there is an interesting nuance on the Greek word used for thief. Thief is the English translation of the Greek word kleptes (from which we derive the word ‘kleptomania’). A person afflicted with kleptomania has an irresistible impulse to steal, stemming from an emotional disturbance (Random House College Dictionary, Revised Edition 1975). Labeling Judas a ‘kleptes’ may infer that he was a kleptomaniac. Interestingly, there is another Greek word for thief – lestes (see Strong’s G3027). This type of thief is prone to violence and takes from others by force. A kleptes however is non-violent and takes only inexpensive items that are not really needed. Many people of otherwise good character have been known victims of compulsive behaviors having a pathologic origin. And who among the other emissaries didn’t have character flaws equal to or even worse than those of Judas? In point of fact, which one of us has been completely successful in controlling our own weaknesses of the flesh? If only those who had finally overcome their apparent or secret quirks had been chosen to join the company of the original emissaries, Yeshua would still be searching to find the first twelve.

The word “betray” is found nine times in Matthew 26 (KJV). It is a word that incites disgust and contempt, particularly as it relates to Judas. However, the Greek word for betray is paradidomi (G3860) and may also be translated: entrust, transmit, bring forth, recommend or deliver. Try substituting any of the several English derivatives of paradidomi for the word betray and a big difference becomes readily apparent. For example, Judas actually said to the priests “I will deliver (paradidomi) him to you (Matthew 26:15 KJV). But notice the translators’ inconsistency when in the very next verse (16) the exact same Greek paradidomi is used, but translated as betray. Perhaps the best and most exhaustive treatment of the Greek word paradidomi is to be found in William Klassen’s great book entitled Judas: Betrayer or Friend of Jesus? According to Klaasen, “not one ancient classical Greek text has so far surfaced in which paradidomi means “betray” or has the connotation of treachery. Any lexicon that suggests otherwise is guilty of theologizing rather than assisting us to find the meaning of Greek words through usage. Nor is the word found with that meaning in the papyri”.

Nevertheless, Judas did deliver Yeshua into the hands of the temple priests. But why? Human justice makes a distinction between crimes committed intentionally and those committed in ignorance. G-d’s justice also makes generous provisions for those who ‘sin through ignorance’ (Numbers 15:25-28). And from the stake, Yeshua (the great High Priest) prayed for His tormentors, saying “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). And is it not significant that Rav Shaul (Paul) himself, who had once persecuted Messiah and His followers, would later write “I was shown mercy, because I acted in ignorance and in unbelief” (I Tim 1:13). Shall Shaul obtain obtain G-d’s mercy in direct proportion to his ignorance and unbelief, but Judas be denied that same mercy? After all, who wouldn’t repent after suffering a “Damascus Road” mauling?

The author is convinced that Judas’ actions in delivering up Yeshua were largely a result of ignorance and I concur. He maintains that virtually all sins committed by human beings can be directly traced to ignorance in one form or another. Ignorance manifests itself in many ways: ignorance of self, ignorance of others, ignorance of sin and, ignorance of righteousness. Adam and Eve surely would not have indulged themselves with the forbidden fruit had they understood the universal consequences of their disobedient acts?

Judas was not the only emissary who ‘didn’t get it’ (John 12:16). Judas’ mission was pre-ordained; one that he didn’t fully understand. But still, every mission has to be motivated. What then could have been Judas’ motivation in delivering up Yeshua? Many have speculated that he misunderstood the Messiah’s mission. That is most certainly true. Judas’ concept of the Messiah would have been consistent with the prevailing teachings of his contemporaries. Among the Jewish people of those days, it was widely held that: (1) the coming of Messiah was imminent; (2) the Messiah would liberate the Jewish people from their Gentile oppressors; (3) the Messiah would judge all nations; (4) the Messiah would establish a theocratic kingdom on earth; (5) all false gods and evil nations would be subdued by the G-d of Israel; and (6) universal peace would ensue; a peace administered by the Messiah from His restored Davidic throne in Jerusalem.

Could it be that Judas sought to precipitate a confrontation between the emerging Yeshua Movement and the old established religious order – one that would eventually lead to a revolutionary overthrow of the despised Roman occupiers? Judas, the only Judean among the twelve, may have had a closer relationship to the Temple priests and their religious traditions that did the other emissaries.

Some commentators believe that Satan, rather than Yeshua, was in ultimate control of Judas in the Upper Room. But to accept as much is to assume that: (1) The Good Shepherd could not protect His own sheep; (2) that some followers of Messiah were expendable; and (3) that Yeshua could not keep all that His Father committed to His trust (John 17:2). I encourage you to read this verse and contemplate its implications.

Judas, while making some very bad choices, may have had some idealistic (but misguided) objectives in mind. How often have well-meaning individuals been duped into doing the wrong thing? The whole of humanity (past, present and future) was in effect actively participating in the betrayal of the Messiah! You don’t believe that you and I killed the Messiah? Have a look at Acts 3:12-20 and especially verse 15. Yes, Judas was deceived, but so too were we all. What Judas did, we all did – Judas is us!

In part two we will discover some amazing facts about the Passover Seder and the Lamb of G-d.

Yeshua on Homosexuality

I have been very busy this month and unable to post any new material. However, I have been communicating with the author Michael Wood lately, who has written some excellent material on Homosexuality and the Bible.

Wood's book "The Jerome Conspiracy" is also outstanding and shows how the teaching of everlasting punishment became the doctrine of the Roman Church by the fifth century.

With the author's permission, I am delighted to share with you his book "Jesus on Homosexuality" which is available, free of charge here: www.jesusonhomosexuality.com

In June I will be writing on the fate of Judas. Stay tuned for some startling revelations.

On Sunday, 27th May, is the Jewish Festival of Shavuot (day of the First Fruits). On this day, the Messianic Community in Jerusalem received the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit). It marked the begining of the Messianic Movement, which spread across the world. It it the Jewish people's destiny to be a light unto the nations (Or la Goyim) - Isaiah 49:6. And it was the Messianic Jews who took the message of salvation to the ends of the earth, making the Torah known to the nations and thus fulfilling this important prophecy.

Chag Sameach (Happy Festival)!

Does the Bible really teach everlasting punishment in hell?

On 8^th July 1741 Jonathan Edwards, a famous American preacher (today, he would probably be a televangelist), gave a sermon called “sinners in the hands of an angry God”. His vivid description of an everlasting hell for the unsaved sinner had such an impact that people fainted out of sheer terror. Edwards did not mince his words and hurled scripture after scripture at his audience to back up his claim. To this day, Edwards’ famous sermon is held in the highest esteem by many Christians.

Have you ever wondered why Jews have no concept of “everlasting punishment in hell’? Why is it that the Hebrew Scriptures (the so-called “Old Testament”) are silent on such an important topic? And isn’t it strange that Rav Shaul (also called the Apostle Paul) never mentions hell once in his writings?

If you are gay, I doubt whether you have escaped certain passages from the Bible. Take 1^st Corinthians 6:9-10 for instance: “do you not know that… homosexuals will not inherit the kingdom of God”. Many of you have been tormented over the years at trying to reconcile certain Bible passages with the concept of an all-loving and merciful God. Can we take the Bible seriously and still be gay?

It is often forgotten that the Bible is a Jewish book. With the exception of Luke, who was probably a convert to Judaism, every book of the Bible was written by Jews. It is important to bear this in mind as we progress through this topic.

All early believers in Yeshua were Jews, without exception. In fact, in the first century, the question was whether you had to become a Jew first before being admitted into the Messianic Jewish Community (Acts 15). In those days there was no New Testament and there was no English Bible, King James or otherwise. But didn’t Yeshua talk a lot about hell? No, he often referred to Gehenna, a Greek word, which was a garbage dump just outside of Jerusalem. His audience understood what he was referring to; it was not the concept of everlasting punishment without purpose. The God they worshiped was a God of purpose. And though His judgements can at times be very severe, they serve a purpose and are always restorative.

There is another Greek word used for hell and it is called Hades; a place where the dead await judgment (the Hebrew word is Sheol – and some English Bibles still translate it as hell – for instance Psalm 139:8 says “if I go into heaven, you are there and if I go into hell, you are there”, when the correct translation should be Sheol). You have probably heard of the Rich Man and Lazarus in Luke 16:22-26. It mentions a chasm that prevents souls from travelling from one place to another. For centuries people believed that this chasm was part of hell and that it proves that the fires of hell will burn forever. And yet in Revelation 20:14 it says that death and hell [hades] will be thrown into the Lake of Fire.

The teaching of everlasting punishment became official church doctrine by the 5^th century under the Roman theologians Jerome and St. Augustine. Until then the majority view was Universal Salvation (that God would and could save everyone). And this is hardly surprising, since the early believers were Jewish – and those Gentiles who began joining the Messianic Communities also became familiar with Hebrew thoughtforms. But as time went on, more and more Gentiles joined the movement until by the fourth century, a new religion had emerged that bore little resemblance with its early Jewish roots:

• Shabbat had been replaced with Sunday as the new day for worship
• The Jewish people had been replaced with the church as the Chosen People, the New Israel
• Passover (Pesach) was replaced with Easter, which has its origins in Babylonian Paganism
• Christmas was introduced, which has its origins in the Roman Saturnalia Festival (25th December)
• All the Jewish Festivals, which reveal the Plan of God, were abolished
• Any remaining Jews in the church were forced to eat Pork, work on Shabbat and eat on Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement)
• Rabbis were forced to attend public 'show trials' with priests, who would 'prove' to them that Jesus was the Messiah
• The Jews were eventually branded "Christ Killers"  and thus began another chapter of trauma in Jewish history... the Crusades, expulsions from Europe, Blood Libels... culminating in the Shoah or Holocaust (Shoah means catastrophe).

The emperor Constantine made Christianity the state religion of the Roman Empire and purged the church of everything Jewish. And gradually, the doctrine of everlasting torment in the fires of hell for unsaved sinners became widespread. Anyone who thought or taught otherwise was branded a heretic. You see, it was much easier to exercise total control over the population with a doctrine that terrified people into submission - and so the church held the keys to this repugnant and diabolical doctrine.

The Messianic Scriptures (NT) were written in Koine Greek (rather than Classical Greek). And for centuries scholars had never come across any document that was written in the same type of Greek as the Bible. And since the scholars didn’t know the biblical language, they had to guess many important words. But with the dawning of the 20^th century, everything was to change when archaeologists discovered huge volumes of early Greek manuscripts in Koine Greek, the same language in which the Messianic Scriptures were written.

Take the word arsenokoitai for instance. You will find it in 1^st Corinthians 6:9-10 (the scripture mentioned above). Most Bibles still translate this word as “homosexual”. And yet every Greek document on record (including Christian works such as the Sybilline Oracles and the Acts of John) applied this word to child molesters – not homosexuals. There isn’t a single Koine source that used this word in reference to same sex adult coupling – not one.

The Bible is unique in all literature and contains the words of the living God, the Creator of the Universe – the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. And in its original languages and properly translated, it does not condemn homosexuality. It teaches us to live faithful lives, committed to loving God with all our heart, mind and soul – and our neighbour as ourselves.

The Bible teaches that God is a God of restoration. Take time to ponder upon these wonderful scriptures:

·         1^st Chronicles 16:34 He is good and his mercy endures forever (repeated 41 times in the Hebrew Scriptures)

·         Job 5:17-18 Do not despise the chastening of the Lord. For He bruises, but He binds up; He wounds, but His hands make whole.

·         Psalm 22:27 ALL the ends of the world shall… turn to the Lord. And ALL the families of the nations shall worship before You.

·         Psalm 30:5 His anger is but for a moment. His favour is for Life; weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.

·         Psalm 102:19-20 The Lord looked down… He viewed the earth, to hear the groans of the prisoners and release those condemned to death.

·         Psalm 136:1-26 His mercy endures forever – repeated in each verse

·         Isaiah 52:10 ALL the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.

·         Isaiah 55:7-8 He will abundantly pardon… for His thoughts are not our thoughts, nor are His ways our ways

·         Jeremiah 32:17 There is NOTHING too hard for You.

·         Jeremiah 32:40 I will put My fear in their hearts, that they will not depart from Me.

·         Joel 2:28 I will pour out my spirit on ALL flesh – an amazing prophecy yet to be fulfilled.

·         John 1:29 Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of THE WORLD

·         1^st Corinthians 13:8 Love NEVER fails

·         1^st John 4:8 (16) God is LOVE

·         Romans 12:21 Overcome evil with God (God is our model)

·         Colossians 1:19-20 It pleased the Father… by Him to reconcile ALL things to Himself.

·         James 2:13 Mercy triumphs over Judgement – does this not apply to God?

·         1^st Timothy 4:9-11 …God, who is the saviour of ALL mankind, especially those who believe

There are literally hundreds and hundreds of scriptures which affirm that God will save every last human who has ever lived. Please email us if you would like us to send you a complete list. There is hope beyond your wildest dreams.

We are only days away from the spring High Holy Days, with Pesach (Passover) soon upon us. Chag Sameach (Happy Festival).

Happy Purim

With sunset tonight (7th March 2012) begins the Festival of Purim. It is a Jewish Holiday which commemorates the deliverance of the Jewish people in the ancient Persian Empire from destruction.

The story of Purim is told in the book of Esther. Esther is a beautiful young Jewish woman living in Persia with her cousin Mordecai, who raised her as if she were his daughter. Esther was taken to the house of Ahasuerus, King of Persia, to become part of his harem. King Ahasuerus loved Esther more than his other women and made Esther queen, but the king did not know that Esther was a Jew, because Mordecai told her not to reveal her identity.

The villain of the story is Haman, an arrogant, egotistical advisor to the king. Haman hated Mordecai because Mordecai refused to bow down to Haman, so Haman plotted to destroy the Jewish people. In a speech Haman told the king, "There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your realm. Their laws are different from those of every other people's and they do not observe the king's laws; therefore it is not befitting the king to tolerate them." Esther 3:8. The king gave the fate of the Jewish people to Haman, to do as he pleased to them. Haman planned to exterminate all of the Jews.

Mordecai persuaded Esther to speak to the king on behalf of the Jewish people. This was a dangerous thing for Esther to do, because anyone who came into the king's presence without being summoned could be put to death, and she had not been summoned. Esther fasted for three days to prepare herself, then went into the king. He welcomed her. Later, she told him of Haman's plot against her people. The Jewish people were saved, and Haman and his ten sons were hanged on the gallows that had been prepared for Mordecai.

The book of Esther is unusual in that it is the only book of the Bible that does not contain the name of G-d. In fact, it includes virtually no reference to G-d. Mordecai makes a vague reference to the fact that the Jews will be saved by someone else, if not by Esther, but that is the closest the book comes to mentioning G-d. Thus, one important message that can be gained from the story is that G-d often works in ways that are not apparent, in ways that appear to be chance, coincidence or ordinary good luck.

Today, Purim has become a Festival for dressing up and drinking too much (sanctioned by Rabbis). While the occasion deserves to be remembered and celebrated, we should not loose sight of the fact, that G-d saved His people from total annihilation. Anti-Semitism is never far beneath the surface, even today.

Am Yisrael Chai (the people of Israel live)!

Happy Purim.

Shabbat Shalom

Today is Shabbat and I am contemplating future topics to write about which will educate and benefit the Messianic LGBT Community. Here is a foretaste of topics planned over the comming weeks:

1. Does the Bible really teach that everyone will be saved?
2. Judas Iscariot revisited and restored.
3. Yeshua is Lord of Shabbat - the blessing of Shabbat for Jew and Gentile.
4. Is the Bible reliable? Is Scripture inspired? Does it matter?
5. A Vision for the Worldwide LGBT Messianic Community.

This blog is being read all over the world and it is our prayer that it will encourage believers in Messiah, that they can be both gay as well as authentic in their faith. We want to offer people hope and show them that the Gospel of Grace is more wonderful, awesome and encouraging than we could possibly imagine. The greatest story ever told really is The Greatest Story EVER Told.

We live in terrifying and exciting times. The Bible is above all a book of hope. And although the time of Jacob's trouble lies ahead, it is also wise to remember that it is always darkest before dawn.

Please write to us (avigdor.kuhn@gmail.com). Do you have a Prayer Request? Do you have questions about the Bible that you have wrestled with for years? My Partner and I are here to serve you to the best of our ability. We don't have all the answers, but we do believe passionately that The Grace of Adonai is new EVERY morning.

Shabbat Shalom!

Love will conquer all...

Happy (secular) New Year. May this new year bring you closer to HaShem, may you 'taste and see that Adonai is good' and that 'His mercy is new every morning' (Psalm 34:8 and Lamentations 3:22). The problems our societies are facing seem insurmountable and we are bombarded daily with fear, hopelessness and despair. It was Martin Luther who said 'if I knew that the world would end tomorrow, I would plant a tree today'. The Bible, which contains the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament) as well as Messianic Scriptures (New Testament) offers us tremendous hope for the present and the future. A wonderful scripture is in Romans 15:13 - 'may the G-d of hope fill you with all joy and peace' - that's quite a promise. G-d's promises are totally dependable! But it gets even better. In Romans 8:38-39 Rav Shaul (the Apostle Paul) reminds us that 'neither death nor life, neither angels nor other heavenly rulers, neither what exists nor what is coming, neither powers above nor powers below, nor any other created thing which is able to separate us from the love of G-d which comes to us through the Messiah Yeshua, our Lord' (Complete Jewish Bible Translation by David Stern).

Love is the most powerful force in the whole cosmos. There is no greater power than love. And one of the Talmids (Disciples) of Yeshua proclaimed to a stunned audience 'those who do not love, do not know G-d; because G-d is love' (1 Yochanan or John 4:8). Love is G-d's very essence, His very character and motivation. Even G-d's punishments (which can sometimes seem harsh to us) are motivated by love, to correct us and to bring us home - ('For rejection by Adonai does not last forever, He may cause grief, but He will take pity' - Lamentations 3:31).

There is a wonderful poem by Emmet Fox called "Love will Conquer"

There is no difficulty that enough love will not conquer,
no disease that enough love will not heal,
no door that enough love will not open,
no gulf that enough love will not bridge,
no wall that enough love will not throw down,
no sin that enough love will not redeem...

It makes no difference how deeply seated may be the trouble,
how hopeless the outlook,
how muddled the tangle,
how great the mistake.

A sufficient realisation of love will dissolve it all.
If you could only love enough you would be the happiest and most powerful being in the world.

May 2012 be a year of hope, new beginings and new discoveries for you. May it be a year of happy memories, wonderful friendships and new opportunities.

Happy Channukah

Tuesday (at sunset) market the begining of the Festival of Channukah. It begins each year in the Jewish month of Kislev (usually around mid to end of December). It is a wonderful Festival, rich in meaning and full of important lessons in our walk with Messiah.

The story of Chanukkah begins in the reign of Alexander the Great. Alexander conquered Syria, Egypt and Israel, but allowed the lands under his control to continue observing their own religions and retain a certain degree of autonomy. Under this relatively benevolent rule, many Jews assimilated much of Hellenistic culture, adopting the language, the customs and the dress of the Greeks, in much the same way that Jews in America today blend into the secular American society.

More than a century later, a successor of Alexander, Antiochus IV was in control of the region. He began to oppress the Jews severely, placing a Hellenistic priest in the Temple, massacring Jews, prohibiting the practice of the Jewish religion, and desecrating the Temple by requiring the sacrifice of pigs (a non-kosher animal) on the altar. Two groups opposed Antiochus: a basically nationalistic group led by Mattathias the Hasmonean and his son Judah Maccabee, and a religious traditionalist group known as the Chasidim, the forerunners of the Pharisees (no direct connection to the modern movement known as Chasidism). They joined forces in a revolt against both the assimilation of the Hellenistic Jews and oppression by the Seleucid Greek government. The revolution succeeded and the Temple was rededicated.

According to tradition as recorded in the Talmud, at the time of the rededication, there was very little oil left that had not been defiled by the Greeks. Oil was needed for the menorah in the Temple, which was supposed to burn throughout the night every night. There was only enough oil to burn for one day, yet miraculously, it burned for eight days, the time needed to prepare a fresh supply of oil for the menorah. An eight day festival was declared to commemorate this miracle.

The Messianic Scriptures (the so-called “New Testament”) in Yochanan (John) 10:22-42 suggest that Yeshua and His Talmidim (Disciples) kept the Feast of Channukah.

"Then came Hannukah in Jerusalem during the winter, and Yeshua was walking in the Temple in Solomon's Colannade. So the Judeans surrounded him and said: "Why keep us in suspense? If you are the Annointed One, tell us publicly!"

... And Yeshua answered a number of things to them. One was on Discipleship and Eternal Life, the second that we are Elohim, and third he said :"I and the Father are One".

Anyone who looks carefully at the Torah and sees the making of the Menorah, understands that the Menorah is the symbol of the people. It is the annointed Lamp that burns brightly before The Father. Revelation (The book of Apocalypse) also tells us this. Yeshua revealed so much on Channukah about who we really are, and what our destiny is.

May we be a Light to the Nations with Him & in Him.

Chag Sameach (Happy Festival)