23-Chapter 2. The Judgment Seat Of Christ
Chapter 2. The Judgment Seat Of Christ The return of Christ is the “blessed hope” of the church (Titus 2:13). Nevertheless it is connected not only with heavenly privileges but also with holy responsibility. Even as the rapture is a refreshment for the heart, so is the judgment seat of Christ a spur to the conscience.
There are seven facts as to this which especially the Holy Scripture permits us to know:
1. The time—the “day of Christ: (1 Corinthians 1:8).
2. The judge—Christ Himself (2 Timothy 4:8).
3. The persons—”We all” (2 Corinthians 5:10).
4. The severity—its fire (1 Corinthians 3:13).
5. The standard—our faithfulness (1 Corinthians 4:1-5).
6. The result—reward or loss (1 Corinthians 3:14-15).
7. The goal—glory (1 Peter 5:4).
1. Thetime is the “day of Christ, or of the Lord” (six times in the New Testament, 1 Corinthians 1:8; 1 Corinthians 5:5; 2 Corinthians 1:14; Php 1:6; Php 1:10; Php 2:16), “that day” (2 Timothy 4:8; 2 Timothy 1:12), “at His coming” (parousia2 Timothy 4:8), which means, according to the testimony of the whole New Testament, the time before the setting up of the visible kingdom of glory, and therefore before the Millennial kingdom. In consequence the “judgment seat of Christ” (Gk. bema) is to be distinguished from the “great white throne” (Gk. thronos). This latter will be set up only after the visible kingdom of glory, indeed after the destruction of the whole of the old universe (Revelation 20:11). But it is also to be distinguished from the judgment at the beginning of the Millennial kingdom (Matthew 25:31-46; Revelation 20:4). For after the return of Christ the then living nations will there be judged. The “last day” will thus include three judgments to be distinguished as to time:
(a) The judgment upon the church, i.e. the raptured; at the “judgment seat of Christ” before the Millennial kingdom.
(b) The judgment upon the nations, i.e. upon the then living: at the “throne of His glory,” at the beginning of the Millennial kingdom.
(c) The general judgment, i.e. of the dead Revelation 20:12); at the “great white throne,” after the Millennial kingdom.
2. Thejudge is Christ, “the Lord, the righteous Judge” (2 Timothy 4:8). For the Father has committed all judgment unto the Son (John 5:22). Therefore also before the Millennial kingdom it is both the judgment seat of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:10) and also the judgment seat of God (Romans 14:10).
3. The persons are “we all” (2 Corinthians 5:10; Romans 14:10), the “at home,” and the “away from home,” all redeemed, the then living and the already asleep when the Lord comes (2 Corinthians 5:6-10 and context). True it is that he who believes on the Son is free from the final judgment of condemnation (John 5:24; Hebrews 10:14; Hebrews 10:17), for “there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1): but the question of faithfulness (1 Corinthians 4:2-5) and the determining of the reward (1 Corinthians 3:14; Colossians 3:24), or of the loss (1 Corinthians 3:15; 2 John 1:8), demand a special day of judgment (1 John 4:17) even for believers. Here it is not a question of salvation but definitely as to the measure of the reward of grace.
4. The severity. “the Lord will judge his people” (Hebrews 10:30). Even for His own the day will be “revealed in fire” (1 Corinthians 3:13). Therefore, in strict connexion with the judgment seat of Christ, Paul speaks of a “terror of the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:10-11). “Damage” and “loss” (1 Corinthians 3:15; 2 John 1:8), a shrinking with shame from Him at His presence 39 (1 John 2:28), “burning up” of one’s whole life work (1 Corinthians 3:13-15), oneself saved, but only as a brand out of the fire, as one who escapes from a burning building with his bare life (1 Corinthians 3:15; comp. Amos 4:11 and Genesis 19:16; Genesis 19:29, Lot)—these are possibilities which we must look in the face.
Footnote 39: The exact translation is not as A.V. “ashamed before Him at His coming” but as the R.V. margin “ashamed from Him.” The Greek apo in ap’autou is not equivalent to “before”. This “from” does not speak of an unfaithful Christian being driven away by the Lord into the shame of eternal condemnation and destruction as being eternally lost; but it stands in contrast to the boldness and confidence which the Christian ought to have at the coming of Christ, which is mentioned in the immediately preceding words in the same verse: so that this “being ashamed from Him” shows that for an unfaithful Christian there will be at the coming of the Lord a “shrinking with shame from Him at His presence.” So Alford rightly translates, and Westcott adds the telling explanation words “as a guilty thing surprised.” Darby renders “and not be put to shame from before Him at His coming.”
Foremost German translaters give the same sense, as Professor Menge:
“So that we are not obliged to turn aside with shame from Him.”
Dachsel’s Bible Work:
“So that we are not obliged to step back with shame from Him.”
Elberfeld Bible:
“So that we may not be put away with shame from Him.”
Professor Lange:
“So that we may not be put away with shame from Him in His coming” (Day).
Indeed, in 2 Corinthians 5:10, the Scripture says that we shall receive not only according to our good works, but also according to our bad works. “We” (that is, all members of the church, whether “at home” or “away from home” when the Lord comes, vv. 6-9) “must all be made manifest before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done by means of (dia) the body, according to what he hath done, whether good or bad”; and in the Colossian epistle (Colossians 3:24-25), in connexion with the receiving of the coming recompense, and in reference to the everyday life of the members of the church, it is declared that “he that doeth wrong shall receive again the wrong that he hath done; and there is no respect of persons.” With this compare 1 Corinthians 3:15; Luke 19:24; Luke 12:45-48. Let us, therefore, not blunt the point of the sword of the Spirit (Hebrews 4:12). To be made manifest before the judgment seat of Christ is a more serious matter than perhaps we often think. Mere reference to “gain” or “loss” seems scarcely to do full justice to such extremely serious statements of the New Testament. With our present powers of understanding it does not seem possible to comprehend the matter more in detail, and, above all, to see how glory and solemnity can here combine, because it belongs to the eternal realm. In many respects our perceptions and sentiments there will be quite other than those here, which suit the present conditions of life. But the Scripture gives us these so very serious words to impress upon us the necessity of practical holiness and faithful, self-sacrificing service. With all the certainty of salvation and all the efficiency of the Divine work in us, this word still applies: “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (Php 2:12).
5. The standard is our faithfulness (1 Corinthians 4:1-5; Matthew 25:21; Matthew 25:23), the sum total of our life, the product of our development: not only our deeds but also our possibilities, not only what we were but what we might have become, not only our actions but also our omissions (James 4:17); not the work but the worker, not the number but the weight of our deeds (1 Samuel 2:3); not only what we attained but also what we strove after. Of our works, sacrifice counts for most: of our disposition, only selfless love; of our possessions, only what we employed in service. As to our sins that word applies: what we have judged He will not judge again (1 Corinthians 11:31);l what we have uncovered He will cover (1 John 1:9; Hebrews 8:12); what we have covered He will uncover (Luke 12:2). And in everything He will take note of the most inward elements, of the impulses and motives, of the counsels of the heart, of the secrets of the soul hidden in darkness (1 Corinthians 4:5; 1 Samuel 16:7; Hebrews 4:13; Psalms 139:1-24).
6. The result will be very varied. Even with His own people the Lord is “the righteous Judge” (2 Timothy 4:8). One has built of wood, hay and stubble—his work will be burned up; the other has built of gold, silver and costly stones—his work will stand the fire (1 Corinthians 3:12-15).
These have served faithfully—they will be great in the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:19; Matthew 25:21; Luke 19:17); others have sown to the flesh—they will reap the corruption of their life-work (Galatians 6:6-8).
These are pure, faultless, and irreproachable (Php 1:10; 1 Corinthians 1:8)—they will win the prize (Php 3:14); others are [spiritually] poor (Revelation 3:17) and disapproved (1 Corinthians 9:27)—they will suffer loss (1 Corinthians 3:15; 2 Timothy 2:5).
These have boldness in the day of judgment (1 John 4:17); shame will be the portion of others (1 John 2:28).
Thus each receives his due (Hebrews 6:10; 1 Corinthians 4:5; 2 Timothy 4:8), without respect of persons (Colossians 3:24-25). Salvation depends upon faith, reward upon faithfulness. As sons we receive His life, as servants. His recompense. “Behold, I come quickly, and my wages with me” (Revelation 22:12). But finally all will be saved and all will shine, if in different degrees of glory and splendour (1 Corinthians 15:40-42). There will be great and small vessels in the future, but all will be filled There will be degrees and stages of glory (Matthew 25:14-30), but no difference in happiness (Matthew 20:1-16). For the servants and the service are many, but there is only one Lord. But the faithful will be specially crowned: the victorious warrior— with the crown of righteousness (2 Timothy 4:8); the steadfast racer— with the unfading crown (1 Corinthians 9:25-27); the one faithful unto death— with the crown of life (Revelation 2:10; James 1:12); the unselfish worker— with the crown of honour (1 Thessalonians 2:19, comp. 3-6; Php 4:1); the example to the flock— with the crown of glory (1 Peter 5:3-4).
7. The glory. Through all this will come the consummation for the church. “And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunders, saying, Hallelujah: for the Lord our God, the Almighty reigneth. Let us rejoice and be exceeding glad, and let us give the glory unto Him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.... Blessed are they who are bidden to the marriage supper of the Lamb” (Revelation 19:6-9). But simultaneously has broken the great day on which the Lord will punish the host of the high ones that is in the height and the kings of the earth upon the earth (Isaiah 24:21), and on which it will seem good to Him to give the great kingdom of power and glory to His “little flock” (Luke 12:32). “I saw thrones and they sat thereon, and it was granted to them to exercise judgment” Revelation 20:4). “The saints of the Most High will receive the kingdom” (Daniel 7:18; Daniel 7:22). Those who at the judgment seat of Christ had been adjudged worthy of the prize will be made judges of the world. They will be the ruling aristocracy in the eternal kingdom of heaven. And because they are “one body” the individual will not be glorified before the community. It is all one “inheritance of the saints in the light” and the individual has only a portion therein (Colossians 1:12). It is together that they are a royal realm, a kingdom (Revelation 1:6; Revelation 5:10), and the individuals are priests and kings therein. The whole is superior to the individual. The individual is set in his place in the entire course of the whole. Therefore the individual cannot be perfected as an individual but only in personal living connexion with the perfected community.
Therefore the waiting of those who sleep for the perfecting of the future generations (Hebrews 11:40; Revelation 6:10-11).
Therefore the clothing of the “soul” with the coming body of glory (1 Corinthians 15:23) 40 does not take place directly at death (Revelation 6:9; Hebrews 12:23).
Footnote 40: This takes place only “at His coming.” The appearing of Moses and Elijah at the transfiguration (Matthew 17:3), and the resurrection of many Old Testament saints at the resurrection of Jesus (Matthew 27:52-53), are exceptions for the sake of the personal glory of Jesus, in the one case, and because of the triumph of His work on Golgotha, in the other case.
Therefore there takes place at the same time the resurrection of the dead in Christ and the “clothing upon” (2 Corinthians 5:2-4) of the then living by the rapture (1 Thessalonians 4:15). For the goal of the whole is an organism; not only the salvation of the individual, but the glorifying of the community; not only individual blessedness, but the “kingdom of God” (Matthew 6:10). And even as now God’s cosmic universal State is under the government of regional angel prince (comp. Daniel 10:13; Daniel 10:20), so then will the company of the glorified saints reign as kings, with Christ their Head, over suns and worlds (Revelation 22:5; comp.; Hebrews 2:5). “Know ye not that the saints shall judge the world? know ye not that we shall judge angels?” (1 Corinthians 6:2-3). Therefore “he that overcometh to him will I give to sit down with me in my throne, as I also overcame, and sat down with my Father in his throne” (Revelation 3:21). “Blessed are those servants whom the Lord when he comes shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them sit down to meat, and shall come and serve them” (Luke 12:37). This is the greatest promise of the Bible (J.A. Bengel).
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