2 Corinthians 5:10 - Printer Friendly

ESV: For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.

NIV: For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

NASB: For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive compensation for his deeds done through the body, in accordance with what he has done, whether good or bad.

CSB: For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each may be repaid for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.

NLT: For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body.

KJV: For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

NKJV: 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.

Previous verses described Paul's longing to leave behind the suffering of earthly life and his failing, temporary body. His motivation is not suicide, but a desire to be with the Lord in eternity and receive his eternal, resurrected body. Knowing that day is guaranteed, someday, gives him courage to keep fulfilling the mission God has given to him. That security allows Paul to endure, and to carry the gospel to more and more people. His goal in whatever he does, Paul has written, is to please the Lord.

One motivation to please God is Paul's knowledge that he will be judged by Christ for his works in this life. Paul insists that all believers in Jesus will appear before the judgment seat of Christ when He returns to earth. Paul is clear in his letters that this judgment is not about salvation. Christ will not declare in that moment whether someone will go to heaven or hell. In no sense is this verse implying that that judgment, or the deeds it examines, are what decide someone's eternal fate. Salvation is a gift given to everyone who trusts in Christ. Paul's gospel is that the gift of salvation is "not by works" (Ephesians 2:8–9), or nobody could achieve it (Romans 3:23; 6:23).

The judgment seat of Christ is something exclusively for believers, as Christ's evaluation of our works on earth. This refers to an assessment of what each saved, heaven-bound Christian has done "in the body" since coming to faith in Christ. How has he or she used this life in Christ? What have they done, for good or for evil? Paul wrote in Romans 14:12 that each believer will "give an account of himself to God."

How will Christ respond? Every good action will be rewarded. Christians will receive those efforts "back from the Lord" (Ephesians 6:8). The works of those who have lived only for themselves, however, will be "burned up" or shown to be worthless. "If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire" (1 Corinthians 3:15).

Paul is motivated by the awareness of this coming judgment, and he wants his readers to be motivated by it, as well. God's grace to us in forgiving sin does not mean He's careless about how Christians live our earthly lives. We will stand before Him and be held to account for our choices. That accountability does not affect our eternal destiny. It declares our time as spent well or foolishly, courageously or cowardly, in faith or in spiritual blindness and selfishness. The consequences of reward or reprimand in that moment will be genuinely pleasurable and/or painful, based on the choices we have made in our bodies on this side of eternity.

Second Corinthians 5:1–10 continues Paul's teaching from the previous chapter. The glory of eternity with Christ is far weightier than any suffering experienced in our temporary bodies in this life. Paul longs to occupy his eternal body, described as a permanent house built by God Himself. Knowing that is coming, Paul has the courage to risk even more suffering in order to continue the mission to preach the gospel. His one goal in this life is to please Christ. He knows that every Christian will face judgment by Christ, not to decide one's eternal destiny, but to receive what is due for our works while living in these temporary bodies.

Why does Paul endure so much suffering for preaching about Christ? He continues here his discussion of eternity, comparing our earthly bodies to living in a tent. Paul would rather live in the eternal body God has prepared for those who trust in Christ, free from the groaning and burden that afflicts everyone here. With that to look forward to, he preaches with courage that all in Christ are new creations. In Christ, God is reconciling people to Himself, not counting their sin against them. Paul implores everyone to be reconciled to God in this way through faith in Christ.

Second Corinthians 5 follows Paul's confident declarations in the previous chapter. His suffering, though severe, is only a light, momentary affliction preparing him for eternal glory beyond all comparison. He would rather occupy his eternal body, which gives him the courage to continue his mission to preach the gospel that God is reconciling people to Himself, forgiving their sin, through faith in Christ. Those in Christ become a new creation. He concludes by imploring all to be reconciled to God, which he continues to do in the following chapter.

Second Corinthians returns to similar themes as those Paul mentioned in his first letter to this church. Paul is glad to hear that the church in Corinth has heeded his advice. At the same time, it is necessary for Paul to counter criticisms about his personality and legitimacy. Most of this text involves that subject. The fifth chapter, in contrast, contains comforting words which Christians have quoted often in times of hardship. Paul also details his expectations that the church in Corinth will make good on their promise to contribute to the needs of suffering believers in Jerusalem.