Those That Are Sons of Perdition

Dear Gramps,

Did Peter deny the Christ three times? If so, what was his accountability for denying christ, after seeing and knowing him? For that matter what about Judas Iscariot? How does the Holy Ghost fit into this equation?

Jim

Dear Jim,

Peter, fearing for his life, stated on three different occasions that he did not know Jesus Christ.  He did not deny the Christ as was the case with Judas Iscariot.  In His great intercessory prayer found in John 17, Christ states:  12 ” While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and ^anone of them is ^blost, but the son of ^cperdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.”  Here the Savior indicated that Judas was lost and is a son of perdition.

Modern scripture indicates that there is no forgiveness for a son of perdition in this life nor in the life to come.  In the Doctrine and Covenants section 76 it defines a son of perdition as:  35 ” Having ^adenied the Holy Spirit after having received it, and having denied the Only Begotten Son of the Father, having ^bcrucified him unto themselves and put him to an open ^cshame.”  Peter did not do any of the above.  Judas on the other hand put him to open shame and was a contributor to Him being crucified.

Jesus gave the Gift of the Holy Ghost to His apostles while He was still on the earth.  (John 20:22)  It was not necessary though for the Holy Ghost to be present while He was still on the earth.  We read in Acts 1, that just prior to His accension into heaven He told His Apostles:  8 “But ye shall receive ^apower, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be ^bwitnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in ^cSamaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”  In the second chapter of Acts, it describes the coming of the Holy Ghost and indicates that they were all filled with the Holy Ghost.

Gramps