seat

In the KJV the apostle Paul used the term “judgment seat of Christ” twice (Rom. 14:10; 2 Cor. 5:10). Some other English versions render Rom. 14:10 as the “judgment seat of God” but render 2 Cor. 5:10 the same way as the KJV. Whether Paul wrote God or Christ does not matter much because the Bible tells us that God is the judge of all the earth (Gen. 18:25; Deut. 1:17; Psa. 75:7; 96:13; 98:9) but He has assigned all judgment to His Son (John 5:22, 27; Acts 17:30, 31; 10:42; Rom. 2:16).

The mainstream teaching is that the judgment seat of Christ is meant for the judgment of Christians but not with the purpose of having anyone punished or condemned for sin, since the sins of all Christians have been paid for on the cross by the Lord Jesus Christ. The purpose, according to the teachers, is to evaluate the quality of the work of each believer in order to determine the reward(s) he or she deserves. So the judgment seat of Christ is said to mean an event where believers are rewarded. This event is said to take place in heaven during the time the great tribulation is taking place on the earth.

The purpose if this article is to examine whether the mainstream teaching is fully consistent with what the Bible has revealed. The reader’s attention is called to what Apostle Peter wrote in 2 Pet. 3:15-16. He said:

“And remember, our Lord’s patience gives people time to be saved. This is what our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you with the wisdom God gave him— speaking of these things in all of his letters. Some of his comments are hard to understand, and those who are ignorant and unstable have twisted his letters to mean something quite different, just as they do with other parts of Scripture. And this will result in their destruction.” (2 Pet. 3:15-16 NLT, bold emphases added by me).

There are many teachings in Christendom today which are products of misinterpretation of the Scriptures. The Christian cannot afford to be unmindful of this fact.

What Was The Judgment Seat (Greek: Bema)?

As at the First Century CE when the New Testament was written the “judgment seat” (Greek: “bema”) was a seat or throne or an elevated platform used as the official seat of judges.

According to the NET Bible, “The judgment seat was a raised platform mounted by steps and sometimes furnished with a seat, used by officials in addressing an assembly or making pronouncements, often on judicial matters. The judgment seat was a familiar item in Greco-Roman culture, often located in the agora, the public square or marketplace in the centre of a city.”

Usage of Bema in the New Testament

In the Greek manuscripts, bema isused twelve times (Matt. 27:19; John 19:13; Acts 7:5; 12:21; 18:12, 16, 17; 25:6, 10, 17; Rom. 14:10; 2 Cor. 5:10). From these passages we find that:

• Our Lord Jesus Christ stood trial before the judgment seat of Pilate (Matt. 27:19; John 19:13). Was he brought before Pilate to be given an award or a prize? No! The Jews brought him to be condemned.
• Apostle Paul stood trial before many governors who were the judges of the Roman territories. He was brought by the Jews in Corinth before the judgment seat of Gallio (Acts 18:12-17). He also stood before the judgment seat of Festus in Caesarea (Acts 25:6-12, 17). Here again, the judgment seat was not mounted by the judges with a view to rewarding  Paul. The judgment seat was an important item in a court where the judge has the power to condemn or acquit any person brought before it. One important question we may ask is this. Is the judgment seat of Christ anydifferent from those of Pilate, Gallio, and Festus? No, not at all.

The Judgment Seat of Christ

“But you who eat vegetables only – why do you judge your brother or sister? And you who eat everything – why do you despise your brother or sister? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.” (Rom. 14:10 NET).

“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be paid back according to what he has done while in the body, whether good or evil.” (2 Cor. 5:10 NET).

In Romans 14:10, the beloved apostle made no mention of any reward. All he wrote was that all of us will face judgment and Christ will be the judge. He gave this warning so that we will not unfairly judge or despise one another. The implication of such “holier-than-thou” attitude is that we stand the risk of being condemned when we stand before the judgment seat of Christ.

In 2 Cor. 5:10, Paul said the purpose of appearing before the judgment seat of Christ is so that each of us may be paid back what he or she has done while in the body, whether good or evil. So we know that while some people will get the crown (or reward) of righteousness (2 Tim. 4:8), there are those who will get the reward of unrighteousness (2 Pet. 2:13). This means that both saints and sinners will appear before the judgment seat of Christ at the same time. We will appear before the judgment seat of Christ on the day of the great white throne judgment (Rev. 20:11-15). That is the day God has set to judge the world with justice through the man, Jesus Christ, the one He has appointed (Acts 17:31).

Paul’s words in 2 Cor. 5:10 is simply one of the many places where the Bible speaks of God rewarding mankind according to our own deeds. On the day of judgment, it is not going to be God arbitrarily determining the fate of mankind. What we sow, in a manner of speaking, is what we will reap ( Gal. 6:7-8) A few of the many Bible passages that speak on the subject are listed here, with bold emphases added:

“He repays everyone for what they have done; he brings on them what their conduct deserves. It is unthinkable that God would do wrong, that the Almighty would pervert justice.” (Job 34:11-12 NIVUK).

“One thing God has spoken, two things I have heard: ‘Power belongs to you, God, and with you, Lord, is unfailing love’; and, ‘You reward everyone according to what they have done.’ (Psa. 62:11-12 NIVUK)

“Great and mighty God, whose name is the Lord Almighty, great are your purposes and mighty are your deeds. Your eyes are open to the ways of all mankind; you reward each person according to their conduct and as their deeds deserve.” (Jer. 32:18b-19 NIVUK).

“Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering towards slaughter. If you say, ‘But we knew nothing about this,’ does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who guards your life know it? Will he not repay everyone according to what they have done?” (Prov. 24:11-12 NIVUK)

“For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done. (Matt. 16:27 NIVUK)

“God will repay each person according to what they have done.” (Rom. 2:6 NIVUK)

“The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done.” (Rev. 20:13 NIVUK)

“Let the one who does wrong continue to do wrong; let the vile person continue to be vile; let the one who does right continue to do right; and let the holy person continue to be holy.’ ‘Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done.” (Rev. 22:11-12 NIVUK).

Evidently, Paul was not talking about the giving of prizes to Christians for faithful service. Of course, at the judgment seat of Christ all faithful and obedient people of God whose names are in the book of life will be rewarded with eternal life. But all the unbelievers and disobedient ones will be punished by being thrown into the lake of fire. The reward each person gets will be determined by the person’s deeds

Conclusively, appearing before the judgment seat of God/Christ is not going to be a different event from the great white throne judgment. This fact is affirmed by Paul himself when he said: “In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man [Jesus Christ] he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.” (Acts 17:30-31 NIV, bold emphasis and words in square bracket added by me).

Where Will Christ Sit On His Judgment Seat?

The mainstream teaching is that rewards, in the form of prizes or awards, will be given to believers at the judgment seat of Christ and this will take place in heaven after the so-called rapture of the church. This teaching is grossly at variance with what the Bible has revealed. The Bible nowhere teaches the false idea of the church being raptured to heaven. There is also no iota of teaching that any form of judgment will take place in heaven. The following scriptures are just a few of the numerous Bible passages that have revealed that Jesus Christ will return to the earth to rule and to judge the world. He will come to reward everyone according to their deeds. He is not going to judge anyone while he is still in heaven:

“For the Son of Man will come with his angels in the glory of his Father and will judge all people according to their deeds.” (Matt. 16:27 NLT).

“But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered in his presence, and he will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world.’ Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons.’” (Matt. 25:31-34, 41 NLT).

“So then, do not judge anything before the time. Wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the motives of hearts. Then each will receive recognition from God.” (1 Cor. 4:5 NET).

“It was Enoch, the seventh direct descendant from Adam, who long ago prophesied this about them: ‘The Lord will come with many thousands of his holy angels to bring judgment on all, to condemn them all for the godless deeds they have performed and for all the terrible words that godless sinners have spoken against him!’”(Jude 1:14-15 GNT).

“Look, I am coming soon, bringing my reward with me to repay all people according to their deeds.” (Rev. 22:12 NLT).

All these Bible verses have proven beyond all doubt that our Lord Jesus Christ will sit on his judgment seat after he has returned to the earth.

The Great White Throne Judgment

The mainstream teaching is that while the judgment seat of Christ is for the judgment of Christians, the great white throne judgment is for the judgment of unbelievers. Those who teach this theory say these are the two different judgments in the Bible. But there are those who teach that there are three, four, five or seven judgments. I will not attempt to affirm or refute any of these theories. But I want my readers to know that the Bible tells of one judgment and the judge is going to be our Lord Jesus Christ. Acts 17:30, 31 specifically states that God has set a day when he will judge the world with justice through Jesus Christ, the one He has appointed. “A day” used by Paul in Acts 17:31 was said to be “the day” by Jesus Christ (Matt. 10:15; 11:24; 12:36; Mark 6:11). Paul also referred to that day as “the day” (Rom. 2:16). These passages clearly do not support the teaching that the judgment seat of Christ will be a different judgment from the great white throne judgment ( Rev. 20:11-15). Jesus Christ himself said the judgment will take place “on the last day” (John 12:48). The summary of these scriptures is that there will be a judgment on the last day and it is at this judgment that Jesus Christ will sit on his judgment seat.

The phrase “judgment seat of Christ” simply means that Jesus is going to be the judge. The Bible tells us that at the great white throne judgment, a Book of Life will be opened and the books of records will also be opened. People were judged according to the records made in the books (Rev. 20:12). Verse 13 says all the resurrected dead were judged or rewarded according to their deeds. Then verse 15 says, “anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire.” The fact that the book of life was opened at the great white throne judgment is a proof that both believers and unbelievers, godly and ungodly, saints and sinners were gathered together at the great white throne judgment. This agrees with what the Lord said in Matt. 25:31-46 – that the good and the bad will be separated at his judgment seat. Moreover, Paul’s words in Acts 17:31 strongly suggests that there will be only one judgment at which Jesus Christ will sit as the judge. The verse says, “For he [God] has fixed a day in which he will judge the whole world with justice by means of a man [Jesus Christ] he has chosen. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising that man from death!” (Acts 17:31 GNT, bold emphasis and words in square brackets added).

There is no biblical support for the teaching which distinguishes the judgment seat of Christ from the great white throne judgment. There is no shred of biblical support for the now pervasive teaching that no one will be condemned at the judgment seat of Christ. These teachings are mere conjectures of men. They are borne out of eisegesis – people reading their own suppositions into what Paul wrote.

Conclusion

The teaching that believers will appear at the judgment seat of Christ in heaven lacks biblical support. It is therefore untenable and should be rejected. Jesus Christ will judge the world after he has returned to the earth.

The Bible nowhere talks of two different judgments. It is therefore eisegetical to distinguish the judgment seat of Christ from the one judgment which will take place on the last day.

Rewards are of two basic types. There are rewards of righteousness for the believers who remain faithful to the end (2 Tim. 4:8). There are also the rewards of unrighteousness for people who are found unbelieving and unfaithful by the just God (2 Pet. 2:13). What each person  gets on the day of judgment will depend on the person’s deeds (Matt. 16:27; Rev. 22:12).

There are many teachings in Christendom which are unbiblical. They were formulated by men from their wild imaginations. This teaching that no one will be condemned at the judgment seat of Christ is one of them. Both the godly and the ungodly will appear before the judgment seat of Christ. It follows therefore that some people will receive justification while others will get condemnation at the judgment seat of Christ (Matt. 25:31-46).