Judas Iscariot
A member of the original Twelve who betrayed Jesus for silver, died shortly afterward, and became Scripture’s enduring warning against proximity to Christ without faithfulness.
A witness in the historical record
Judas belongs in a complete account of the original Twelve, not as an honored model but as a sober biblical warning. The Gospels narrate his calling, entrusted place, growing betrayal, and remorse; Acts interprets his vacancy and replacement. His story shows that office and outward association cannot substitute for a faithful heart.
Biography
Jesus chose Judas Iscariot among the Twelve and sent the group to preach and heal. John says Judas kept the common purse and stole from it. The Gospels increasingly identify him as the one who would betray Jesus.
Judas agreed to deliver Jesus for thirty pieces of silver and identified Him in Gethsemane. Matthew records remorse, return of the money, and suicide by hanging. Acts 1 describes his fatal fall and the desolation of his place while explaining why the apostles filled the vacancy.
Matthew and Acts emphasize different aspects of the death and the purchase or naming of the field. They can be read as complementary at points, but proposed harmonizations should not be narrated as though every physical detail were explicitly supplied by either author.
What the evidence preserves
Each conclusion is tied to the kind of evidence that supports it.
Member of the original Twelve
Judas received apostolic calling and ministry responsibility before becoming a traitor.
Betrayal and death
Judas arranged Jesus’ arrest, later expressed remorse, and died before the replacement described in Acts 1.
Questions that materially affect the record
These notes correct overstatement while preserving what the sources establish.
Do not overstate a reconstructed death sequence
Matthew mentions hanging; Acts emphasizes the field and bodily fall. A synthesis may be possible, but details added to join the accounts are inference.
Sources and further reading
Primary texts are listed alongside critical editions and responsible historical reference works.
- primaryNew Testament witness to Judas Iscariot
Holy Scripture · Watchman 33 / King James Bible · Matthew 10:4; 26:14–50; 27:3–10; John 6:70–71; 12:4–6; 13:2–30; Acts 1:15–26
Primary evidence for Judas’s office, betrayal, death, and replacement. - primaryThe vacancy left by Judas
Holy Scripture · Watchman 33 / King James Bible · Acts 1:15–26
Primary evidence for the field tradition, Judas’s fatal fall, and the appointment of Matthias.