Scripture Identifying Judas as a Chosen Disciple of Jesus
The New Testament identifies Judas Iscariot as one of the twelve chosen disciples of Jesus, despite his eventual betrayal. His name consistently appears last in the lists of apostles provided in the Synoptic Gospels [4].
Judas Iscariot is distinguished from other individuals named Judas in the biblical record. For instance, there was Judas Barsabas, a leading member of the early Jerusalem church who was chosen to accompany Paul and Barnabas [2]. Another Judas was one of the twelve apostles, also known as Lebbaeus or Thaddaeus, who was the author of the Epistle of Jude [5]. The name Judas itself is the Greek form of the Hebrew name Judah, which means "to praise" or "confess" [2, 5]. This name was also borne by the patriarch Judah, Jacob's fourth son, from whose tribe the anticipated messianic ruler would come, fulfilled in David and ultimately in Jesus Christ [4, 6, 10].
Judas Iscariot's designation as "Iscariot" is generally understood to mean "man of Kerioth," referring to a town in the tribe of Judah [3, 4]. Before his appearance in the lists of apostles, Judas had declared himself a disciple [3]. Jesus himself acknowledged Judas as one of the twelve he had chosen, even while foretelling his betrayal. In John 6:70, Jesus states, "Did I not choose you, the Twelve? Yet one of you is a devil" [9]. This indicates that Judas was indeed part of the inner circle, selected by Jesus for a specific role.
The scriptures emphasize that Judas's betrayal did not take Jesus by surprise [7]. Jesus was aware of what would transpire, and his foreknowledge is highlighted in passages such as John 13:19, where he says, "I am telling you this now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I am who I say I am" [7]. The narrative in Matthew describes Judas as "one of the twelve" when he approaches the chief priests to betray Jesus [8].
The Apostle Peter, in Acts 1, explicitly refers to Judas as one who "became a guide for those who arrested Jesus," noting that "the Scripture had to be fulfilled which the Holy Spirit foretold through the mouth of David concerning Judas" [1]. This passage underscores the divine foreknowledge of Judas's role, even as it acknowledges his position among the disciples.
The evil within Judas's nature is depicted as gradually unfolding, culminating in Satan entering him, leading to the betrayal of Jesus [4]. Despite his ultimate act, Judas was initially chosen by God and given to Christ, as Adam Clarke notes on John 17:12 [9]. Clarke suggests that Judas became the "son of perdition" due to his "wilful malice" [9]. After his betrayal, Judas expressed remorse, casting down the money he received for his iniquity [4].
Sources
- Acts “Acts 1:16 (BSB) — “Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled which the Holy Spirit foretold through the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide for those who arrested Jesus.”
- Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Judas — surnamed Barsabas, a leading member of the apostolic church at Jerusalem, (Acts 15:22) endued with the gift of prophesy, ver. (Acts 15:32) chosen with Silas to accompany Paul and Barnabas as delegates to the church at Antioch. (A.D. 47.) Later, Judas went back to Jerusalem. the Greek form of the Hebrew name Judah, occurring in the LXX, and the New Testament. + The patriarch Judah. (Matthew 1:2,3) + A man residing at Damascus, in "the street which is called Straight," in whose house Saul of Tarsus lodged after his miraculous conversion. (Acts 9:11)”
- Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Judas Iscariot — (Judas of Kerioth). He is sometimes called "the son of Simon," (John 6:71; 13:2,26) but more commonly ISCARIOTES. (Matthew 10:4; Mark 3:19; Luke 6:16) etc. The name Iscariot has received many interpretations more of less conjectural. The most probable is from Ish Kerioth, i.e. "man of Kerioth," a town in the tribe of Judah. (Joshua 15:25) Of the life of Judas before the appearance of his name in the lists of the apostles we know absolutely nothing. What that appearance implies, however, is that he had previously declared himself a disciple. He was dra”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Judas — The Graecized form of Judah. (1.) The patriarch (Matt. 1:2, 3). (2.) Son of Simon (John 6:71; 13:2, 26), surnamed Iscariot, i.e., a man of Kerioth (Josh. 15:25). His name is uniformly the last in the list of the apostles, as given in the synoptic (i.e., the first three) Gospels. The evil of his nature probably gradually unfolded itself till "Satan entered into him" (John 13:27), and he betrayed our Lord (18:3). Afterwards he owned his sin with "an exceeding bitter cry," and cast the money he had received as the wages of his iniquity down on the floor of the s”
- Jude (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Jude 1:1: Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ,.... The author of this epistle is the same who is elsewhere called Judas, Luk 6:16, who was one of the twelve apostles of Christ, whose name was also Lebbaeus, and whose surname was Thaddaeus, Mat 10:3, the name is the same with Judah, Gen 29:35, which comes from a word that signifies "to praise" or "confess"; and in the Rabbinical dialect is called "Juda" (e), as here. He styles himself "the servant of Jesus Christ"; See Gill on Rom 1:1; though this is a title common to all believers, yet here, and in some other places, it is peculiar ”
- Deuteronomy (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Deuteronomy 33:7: 33:7 Judah was Jacob’s fourth son by Leah (Gen 29:35). The anticipated messianic ruler would come through this tribe. This promise was fulfilled first in David (Ruth 4:18-22; 1 Chr 2:3-15) and then in Jesus Christ (Matt 1:1-6a; see Gen 49:10).”
- John (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on John 13:19: 13:19 Judas’s betrayal did not take Jesus unaware, and it should not shock his disciples when it happens. • that I Am the Messiah: Literally that I am. By using the phrase “I am,” Jesus clearly equated himself with the God of the Old Testament. See Exod 3:14.”
- Matthew (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Matthew 26:14: Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot,.... Who was provoked and exasperated, to the last degree, by this action of the woman, and Christ's defence of it, and because the ointment was not sold, and the money put into his hand; and being instigated by Satan, who had now entered into him, formed a scheme in his mind to betray his master, and was resolved to put it in execution, whereby he might, in some measure, satisfy both his avarice and revenge; and, as an aggravation of this his wickedness, he is described, as "one of the twelve": of his twelve disciples; ”
- John (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on John 17:12: I kept them in thy name - In thy doctrine and truth. But the son of perdition - So we find that Judas, whom all account to have been lost, and whose case at best is extremely dubious, was first given by God to Christ? But why was he lost? Because, says St. Augustin, he would not be saved: and he farther adds, After the commission of his crime, he might have returned to God and have found mercy. Aug. Serm. 125; n. 5; Psa 146:1-10. n. 20; Ser. 352, n. 8; and in Psa 108:1-13. See Calmet, who remarks: Judas only became the son of perdition because of his wilful malice, h”
- Hebrews (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Hebrews 7:14: evident--literally, "manifest before the eyes" as a thing indisputable; a proof that whatever difficulties may now appear, then Jesus Christ's genealogy labored under none. our Lord--the only place where this now common title occurs without "Jesus," or "Christ," except Pe2 3:15. sprang--as a plant, and a branch. Judah-- Gen 49:10; Luk 1:27, Luk 1:39 (Hebron of Judah, where LIGHTFOOT thinks Jesus was conceived) Luk 2:4-5; Rev 5:5. of which tribe . . . priesthood--"in respect to which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priests" (so the oldest ”