Notes on Acts 1.18 and Matthew 27.5; the suicide of Judas Iscariot
who betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver. Nelson King James Version.
In Acts 1.18 it says, "Now this man purchased a field with the
reward of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the
midst, and all his bowels gushed out.
In Matthew 27.5 it says, "And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself."
These two verses need to be correlated. Nelson notes for Matthew
27.3-8 excerpt...."and hanged himself. His "falling headlong"
(Acts 1.18-19) is
generally supposed to have happened while he was attempting to do
this. Perhaps hanging himself over the ledge he then fell into
the valley below. I have added thoughts on this as
well. It is that Judas did succeed in hanging himself and when
they went to cut his body down it fell headlong, he burst asunder in
the midst, and all his bowels gushed out.
His attempt at hanging
himself may have failed because whatever the rope was tied to broke
causing him to fall headlong and burst asunder in the midst, and all
his bowels gushed out.
In Nelson notes for Acts 1.18 the simplest explanation may be found in
the principle that, whereas in Acts Luke records all events (such as
the acts of Judas), Matthew distinguishes between what Judas did
and what the priests did. Just as the priests were the ones who
purchased the Potter's Field with Judas money after his death, so Judas
may have fallen only in that he was thrown down upon the rocks of that
field.
Nelson study notes does not address the possibility that there may have
been two attempts the first of which was an unsuccessfull
hanging. Notwithstanding count on the reliability and truth of
scripture understanding not all the details may have been clearly
explained.
Luke was a physician but he was not an eyewitness himself of gospel
events by Nelson's account. Matthew is an eyewitness himself - an
apostle of Jesus, a Hebrew tax collector, and also bilingual. The
accounts from Acts and Matthew were from different sources but perhaps
not inclusive or clear on all the details.
As stated in John 21.5..."and there are also many other things which
Jesus did, the which, if they should be written everyone, I suppose
that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be
written. Amen"
Titus 3.9 says to avoid foolish questions and gelealogies and
contentions and strivings about the law for they are unprofitable and
vain. This is a good question and the answer not very
complicated. The answer upholds the flawlessness of the Bible
(Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth) or otherwise our owners
manual for this life and eternity.
Could Jesus have saved Judas? I suppose a majority miss the
point, Judas was a chosen disciple. Jesus knew all the while that
Judas would betray him yet he chose him anyway. Why?
Mystery of God? The answer lies in scripture, and now for the
rest of the story as Paul Harvey coined the phrase. In reality
the rest of the story will not be known till the rapture and Jesus
comes and the end times begin but most of it can be found in the
Bible. The phrophecy of Zechariah 11.12-13 is of that betrayal
and the potter's field. Thirty pieces of silver was the price set
to be paid to the master for a slave gored by an ox, assigned to the
Messiah Himself, it was a supreme insult and the required fulfillment
of phrophecy in Zechariah 11.12-13 some 520 to 508 years before
Jesus. Predestination? Romans 8.28-29 And we know
that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them
who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did
foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many bretheren.
There is predestination and there is foreknowledge. God did create hell if I read
Revelations 9.1 and Matthew 25.41 correctly -- but he didn't create it for men but
for Satan, the Devil. Judas and many others find themselves there after this life
because they chose to. God does not nor never wanted anyone other than Satan to
be in hell. And yes there is a hell. And yes Jesus is the only way to heaven there
is no other.
Revelation 9:1 (KJV)
1 And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.
Matthew 25:41 (KJV)
41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: (Red letter-- words of Jesus).
Perfect love casts out all fear -- if it is for the Lord Jesus.
We will not last a day, minute, or second longer in this life than
Jesus had in mind for us, nor less either. Trust him to get us
thu even death.
Psalm 32.5-7. Psalm 37.28. Psalm 145.20
Reference to Judas. Ps 109.8, Zec 11.12, Mt 10.4, 26-14, 27-3; Mk 14.43, Jn 6.70, 12.4, 13.26, 13.30; Ac 1.16
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