Judas not gifted grace to believe even though called to disciple
In John 6:65 Jesus says that no one can come to Him unless the Father grants it and immediately reminds the disciples that He already knows who will betray Him. This passage raises two questions that often trouble the faithful:
- Was Judas denied the grace to believe?
- Does the fact that Jesus “chose” Judas imply a divergence between the will of the Son and the will of the Father?
Below we examine these points in light of Catholic doctrine, the Church Fathers, and the Catechism.
1. The grant of belief is a work of the Father’s grace
The Gospel itself records Jesus’ words:
“For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted by the Father” (John 6:65)1.
Augustine explains that this “grant” is not a matter of human merit but of divine grace:
“Because he is drawn to Christ to whom it is given to believe in Christ… unless this power be given from God, out of free will there can be none”5.
The Catechism affirms that faith is necessary for salvation and that those who do not believe are “neglect[ing] revealed truth” (incredulity)8. Yet the very ability to believe is a gift:
“He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned” (Mk 16:16)9.
Thus, Judas’ lack of belief reflects that the specific grace of faith was not given to him. The Church teaches that God’s universal salvific will does not guarantee that every individual actually receives the grace to believe; the Holy Spirit works “according to the measure of each person’s openness” (cf. Lumen Gentium 16). The fact that Jesus knew Judas would betray Him does not mean He caused Judas’ unbelief; rather, He possessed foreknowledge of how each soul would respond to the grace offered.
2. “Choosing” Judas does not equal granting him belief
When the Gospel says “Did I not choose you, the twelve? Yet one of you is a devil” (John 6:71)1, the term choose (Greek eklegó) refers to Jesus’ invitation to discipleship, not to a deterministic determination that the chosen will inevitably believe.
Augustine notes that Judas “remained to watch his opportunity, not to understand”2, indicating that Judas’ presence among the disciples was permitted for a purpose (the fulfillment of prophecy) while his heart remained closed. The Catechism defines the will of the faithful as “the assent of the intellect and will to the truth revealed by God” (para 2089)8; Judas withheld that assent.
Therefore, Judas was invited, but the grace necessary for true belief was not bestowed upon him. The Church calls this a tragic misuse of the freedom given by God.
3. The wills of the Son and the Father are one, not two opposing wills
Catholic theology holds that the human will of Christ is perfectly united with the divine will of the Father. The Council of Chalcedon defined the two natures of Christ as without confusion, without change, without division, without separation; consequently, His wills are distinct in nature but never contrary19.
The Catechism explicitly teaches that Jesus “came to do the will of Him who sent Him” (Jn 6:38) and that “not my will, but yours be done” (Lk 22:42)15. This shows a harmonious alignment: the Son freely submits His human will to the Father’s will, which is the very will that grants grace to believers.
Hence, Jesus’ choosing of Judas does not indicate a conflict between the Son’s will and the Father’s will; rather, it reflects the mystery of divine providence whereby the Father permits certain events (including betrayal) for the greater plan of salvation, while the Son remains fully obedient to the Father’s will.
4. Predestination, free will, and responsibility
Augustine’s anti‑Pelagian treatise stresses that grace precedes any good act and that “out of free will there can be none” without God’s gift5. The Church therefore teaches a cooperative relationship: God, by His grace, opens the possibility of belief; the human person must freely cooperate with that grace.
Judas, by his own free rejection of the grace offered, chose the path of betrayal. The Church calls such a state “incredulity” (a willful refusal to assent to revealed truth)8. While God’s foreknowledge includes Judas’ choice, it does not negate Judas’ personal responsibility.
5. Pastoral reflection
- Grace is a gift: The Father grants the ability to believe; those who receive it are called to respond with faith.
- Foreknowledge ≠ coercion: Jesus’ knowledge of Judas’ betrayal does not mean Judas was forced to betray.
- One will in the Trinity: The Son’s human will always aligns with the Father’s divine will; there is no “two‑willed” conflict.
- Our response: We are invited to examine our own openness to the grace of faith. May we, like Peter, proclaim, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” (Jn 6:68)1.
In summary: John 6:65 teaches that belief is a grace granted by the Father. Judas did not receive that specific grace, which is why he could not truly believe. Jesus’ “choosing” of Judas was an invitation within God’s providential plan, not an indication of a divergent will between the Son and the Father. The Son’s human will is always in perfect harmony with the Father’s divine will, even when human beings freely reject the grace offered to them.
[2] Against Two Letters of the Pelagians Book I. Chapter 6 [III.]
[3] CCC para-2089
[4] CCC para-183
[5] Tractate 27 John 6:60-72 7
[6] The Sources of Catholic Dogma (Enchiridion Symbolorum) 556
[7] CCC para-2824
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