The Judgment Seat of Christ

Recently I received a phone call from a friend. We had been discussing the resurrection and judgments in class and he had some questions regarding when and how I thought the resurrection and judgment of believers and non-believers took place. His interest was in three specific passages:

Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. We live by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. (2 Corinthians 5:6-10)

Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil. (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14)

By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames. (1 Corinthians 3:10-15)

In evaluation of these three passages, I think it prudent to recognize that the verses from Ecclesiastes were written by King Solomon during the 10th Century BC whereas the New Testament passages were written by Paul to the 1st Century Church. However, it is clear from these three and other passages (cf. Job 19:29, Ecc 3:17, Jer 16:17, Matt 10:26, etc.) that nothing is hidden from God and all men will be judged according to their deeds. The difference between Ecclesiastes and the two passages from Paul is that Paul is addressing New Testament believers. Thus, in 2 Cor 5:10 where "we must all appear before the judgment seat (Greek: bema, βῆμα, see photo) of Christ," Paul is speaking to Christians of Christians. The bema here is a word representative of a judicial bench where Christ will sit in judgment of believers. Bema is used a dozen times in the New Testament (Matt 27:19; John 19:13; Acts 7:5, 12:21, 18:12, 18:16, 18:17, 25:6, 25:10, 25:17, Rom 14:10 and 2 Cor 5:10), only two of which are not in the context of a tribunal.

This judgment, however, is not a judgment of whether we are worthy to enter into heaven. That takes place through the acceptance or rejection of Christ's shed blood, and that alone. Paul notes in this regard that "it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9). The bema judgment is designed so "that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad." This is a passage which speaks of reward, not of salvation. Likewise, my friend was clever enough to connect the 2 Corinthians passage to the 1 Corinthians passage. In 1 Corinthians, Paul (again addressing the Church) speaks of that which believers do in recognition of the salvation and grace afforded the believer in Christ. Here he uses an analogy of building things of gold, silver, stone, wood, hay or straw on the foundation which is Christ (not unlike the houses of the "Three Little Pigs" who built their homes of straw, sticks and bricks that were ultimately shown to be either temporary or lasting). The evaluation of "each man's work," of that which was built on the Christ, will be the refining fire of judgment. Those who take the time and effort to build durable works will be rewarded, but those whose work is of lesser quality will be shown to be fleeting. Yet even those who build of wood, hay or straw will be saved, but only as "escaping through the flames."

These passages do not teach that we are saved by that which we do, but only that there are degrees of reward to be granted to believers in heaven.