The Judgment Seat of God-Christ
“He who is regarding the day, he regards [it] to the LORD, and he who is not regarding the day, he does not regard [it] to the LORD. He who is eating, he eats to the LORD, for he gives thanks to God; and he who is not eating, he does not eat to the LORD, and gives thanks to God. For none of us lives to himself, and none dies to himself; for both, if we may live, we live to the LORD; if also we may die, we die to the LORD; both then if we may live, also if we may die, we are the LORD’s; for because of this Christ both died and rose again, and lived again, that He may be Lord both of dead and of living. And you, why do you judge your brother? Or again, you, why do you set at nothing your brother? For we will all stand at the judgment seat of the Christ; for it has been written: “I live! Says the LORD—Every knee will bow to Me, and every tongue will confess to God”; so, then, each of us will give reckoning to God concerning himself” (Romans 14:6-12. LSV)
In John chapter 5 Jesus Christ said of Himself:
“for neither does the Father judge anyone, but all the judgment He has given to the Son, that all may Honor the Son according as they Honor the Father; he who is not Honoring the Son, does not Honor the Father who sent Him” (verses 22-23)
God the Father has “dídōmi”, that is, “appointed”, the Incarnate Jesus Christ, as “The Judge”, of all things. This means that all “Honor” Jesus Christ in exactly the same way (kathṓs), they “Honor” the Father. Those who do not “Honor” Jesus Christ, are guilty of not “Honoring” the Father, Who sent Him. This is one of the strongest passages in the Bible, on the Absolute Deity of Jesus Christ, and the real distinction of Persons, between the Father, and Jesus Christ, Whom He “Sent”. The “Sender” cannot be the same “Person”, as Him Who is “Sent”.
It is very clear, that Jesus Christ is The Ultimate Judge of ALL things, and God the Father is not.
In the passage in Romans, Paul says, that we must “all stand at the judgment seat of the Christ (tou Christou)”. And then quotes from Isaiah 45:23, which is Spoken by Yahweh, as “The Judge”, and says that, in our standing before Jesus Christ as Judge, is the same as giving an account directly to “God (tou Theou)”. Jesus Christ, The Judge, is Yahweh, Almighty God. How can anyone deny that Jesus Christ is The Eternal God, as is the Father?
There is an early corruption to Romans 14:10, where, instead of the Original reading as written by Paul, “tou Christou”, we have, “tou Theou”. The textual evidence strongly supports “tou Christou”, which is what the very early Church Father, Polycarp (69-155 AD), who was a disciple of the Apostle John, read in his Greek Letter of Paul to the Romans. Even the heretic, Marcion of Sinope (85-160), had , “tou Christou”, in his Greek Romans. As did the heretic, Origen (185-253), who taught that Jesus Christ was a “secondary god”. No doubt those who denied that Jesus Christ is Yahweh, as the passage in Romans clearly teaches, tried to remove any reference to Jesus Christ, by the corrupt reading, “tou Theou”. The evidence from Paul’s Second Letter to the Church at Corinth, proves beyond any doubt, the Original reading of Romans 14:10. In chapter 5, verse 10, Paul says:
“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad”
Which is what he says, almost verbatim, in Romans. Not only this, but, in Philippians 2, as in Romans 14:11, Paul again quotes from Isaiah 45:23, and directly applies the words to Jesus Christ;
“Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the Name which is above every Name, that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (verses 9-11)
Not only does Paul quote from the Old Testament, where the words are used for Yahweh, but, he also says, that the WORSHIP of the Lord Jesus Christ, is “to the glory of God the Father”. The Father is GLORIFIED in the WORSHIP of Jesus Christ, as YAHWEH. In Hebrews 1:6, God the Father Commands, “And let all the angels of God Worship Him”. None of which is possible if Jesus Christ Himself is not ALMIGHTY GOD.
When we read in passages like Revelation 20:12, “And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God”, it is clear that this refers to the Lord Jesus Christ, Who is the Ultimate Judge.
The absolute equality of Jesus Christ, with God the Father, is clear from Revelation chapter 22, verse 1, 3: “And he showed me a river of water of life, bright as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb...No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His servants will Worship Him”.
Here we have, Rev 22:1 “toú thrónou toú Theoú kaí toú Arníou (the throne of God and of the Lamb)”, clearly Two distinct Persons, “toú Theoú, toú Arníou”, but, “toú thrónou” (the throne), is in the singular number. Again in verse 3 we have the same in the Greek, “toú thrónou toú Theoú kaí toú Arníou”, and the singular “toú thrónou”. “His (autou, masc, sing) servants, shall Worship Him (autōi, masc, sing). Either the use of the singular (autou, autōi), here refers to “toú Arníou”, Who is the Lord Jesus Christ; or, to both “toú Theoú kaí toú Arníou”, as COEQUALS. Either way, we have a very powerful Testimony to the Absolute Deity, and COEQUALITY with the Father, of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Both, those who deny that Jesus Christ is YAHWEH, and ALMIGHTY GOD, and those who deny the DISTINCTION of Persons, of God the Father, and God the Son, are destroyed by these passages in the Infallible Word of God.
“He who is regarding the day, he regards [it] to the LORD, and he who is not regarding the day, he does not regard [it] to the LORD. He who is eating, he eats to the LORD, for he gives thanks to God; and he who is not eating, he does not eat to the LORD, and gives thanks to God. For none of us lives to himself, and none dies to himself; for both, if we may live, we live to the LORD; if also we may die, we die to the LORD; both then if we may live, also if we may die, we are the LORD’s; for because of this Christ both died and rose again, and lived again, that He may be Lord both of dead and of living. And you, why do you judge your brother? Or again, you, why do you set at nothing your brother? For we will all stand at the judgment seat of the Christ; for it has been written: “I live! Says the LORD—Every knee will bow to Me, and every tongue will confess to God”; so, then, each of us will give reckoning to God concerning himself” (Romans 14:6-12. LSV)
In John chapter 5 Jesus Christ said of Himself:
“for neither does the Father judge anyone, but all the judgment He has given to the Son, that all may Honor the Son according as they Honor the Father; he who is not Honoring the Son, does not Honor the Father who sent Him” (verses 22-23)
God the Father has “dídōmi”, that is, “appointed”, the Incarnate Jesus Christ, as “The Judge”, of all things. This means that all “Honor” Jesus Christ in exactly the same way (kathṓs), they “Honor” the Father. Those who do not “Honor” Jesus Christ, are guilty of not “Honoring” the Father, Who sent Him. This is one of the strongest passages in the Bible, on the Absolute Deity of Jesus Christ, and the real distinction of Persons, between the Father, and Jesus Christ, Whom He “Sent”. The “Sender” cannot be the same “Person”, as Him Who is “Sent”.
It is very clear, that Jesus Christ is The Ultimate Judge of ALL things, and God the Father is not.
In the passage in Romans, Paul says, that we must “all stand at the judgment seat of the Christ (tou Christou)”. And then quotes from Isaiah 45:23, which is Spoken by Yahweh, as “The Judge”, and says that, in our standing before Jesus Christ as Judge, is the same as giving an account directly to “God (tou Theou)”. Jesus Christ, The Judge, is Yahweh, Almighty God. How can anyone deny that Jesus Christ is The Eternal God, as is the Father?
There is an early corruption to Romans 14:10, where, instead of the Original reading as written by Paul, “tou Christou”, we have, “tou Theou”. The textual evidence strongly supports “tou Christou”, which is what the very early Church Father, Polycarp (69-155 AD), who was a disciple of the Apostle John, read in his Greek Letter of Paul to the Romans. Even the heretic, Marcion of Sinope (85-160), had , “tou Christou”, in his Greek Romans. As did the heretic, Origen (185-253), who taught that Jesus Christ was a “secondary god”. No doubt those who denied that Jesus Christ is Yahweh, as the passage in Romans clearly teaches, tried to remove any reference to Jesus Christ, by the corrupt reading, “tou Theou”. The evidence from Paul’s Second Letter to the Church at Corinth, proves beyond any doubt, the Original reading of Romans 14:10. In chapter 5, verse 10, Paul says:
“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad”
Which is what he says, almost verbatim, in Romans. Not only this, but, in Philippians 2, as in Romans 14:11, Paul again quotes from Isaiah 45:23, and directly applies the words to Jesus Christ;
“Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the Name which is above every Name, that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (verses 9-11)
Not only does Paul quote from the Old Testament, where the words are used for Yahweh, but, he also says, that the WORSHIP of the Lord Jesus Christ, is “to the glory of God the Father”. The Father is GLORIFIED in the WORSHIP of Jesus Christ, as YAHWEH. In Hebrews 1:6, God the Father Commands, “And let all the angels of God Worship Him”. None of which is possible if Jesus Christ Himself is not ALMIGHTY GOD.
When we read in passages like Revelation 20:12, “And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God”, it is clear that this refers to the Lord Jesus Christ, Who is the Ultimate Judge.
The absolute equality of Jesus Christ, with God the Father, is clear from Revelation chapter 22, verse 1, 3: “And he showed me a river of water of life, bright as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb...No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His servants will Worship Him”.
Here we have, Rev 22:1 “toú thrónou toú Theoú kaí toú Arníou (the throne of God and of the Lamb)”, clearly Two distinct Persons, “toú Theoú, toú Arníou”, but, “toú thrónou” (the throne), is in the singular number. Again in verse 3 we have the same in the Greek, “toú thrónou toú Theoú kaí toú Arníou”, and the singular “toú thrónou”. “His (autou, masc, sing) servants, shall Worship Him (autōi, masc, sing). Either the use of the singular (autou, autōi), here refers to “toú Arníou”, Who is the Lord Jesus Christ; or, to both “toú Theoú kaí toú Arníou”, as COEQUALS. Either way, we have a very powerful Testimony to the Absolute Deity, and COEQUALITY with the Father, of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Both, those who deny that Jesus Christ is YAHWEH, and ALMIGHTY GOD, and those who deny the DISTINCTION of Persons, of God the Father, and God the Son, are destroyed by these passages in the Infallible Word of God.
