The Judgement Seat of Christ

One of the most baffling scriptures in the Bible is found in 2 Corinthians 5:10 that says this: "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done in the body, whether good or bad." 

That was written by the apostle Paul in his second epistle to the early church at Corinth. Taken at face value, it sounds as though even professing Christians will have to stand before God on Judgment Day for their deeds.

That bothers a lot of folks. Jesus Christ Himself proclaimed that when we put our faith in Him as God's Messiah, we gain eternal life and have escaped judgment. (John 3:16, John 5:24)  

Why then did Paul proclaim that we must all appear before Christ in judgment? Does the Bible contradict itself? If our eternal destiny depends upon our own good works--which scripture declares as "filthy rags", (Isaiah 64:6) then we're all doomed. Because the Bible declares that "there is no one righteous, not even one." (Romans 3:10)

What did Paul mean? Surely, he knew that salvation is a free gift from God that can't be earned by good works. Paul repeatedly emphasized that during his ministry to the gentiles. To the early church in Ephesus he wrote this: "For 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)

Then what was the context of Paul's message to the Corinthian Church? Paul was correct when he revealed that we will all appear before Christ in judgment.

However, unlike those who lived before Christ appeared on the earth, or those who never heard the gospel preached, Christians will be judged according to their deeds after they became believers.

Their deeds will determine the type of heavenly rewards they receive--not whether or not they will gain eternal life in the kingdom of heaven. They have already gained eternal life through their faith in Christ. They cannot lose that unless they renounce their faith in Christ.

Some believers will receive great rewards while others will receive practically nothing. Christ made that clear when he declared that those who are severely persecuted and yet refuse to deny Him will be rewarded: "Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you." (Matthew 5:12)

And so, Paul didn't contradict the gospel in his second epistle to the Corinthian Church. Some folks who are eager to find anything that appears to be a contradiction in the Bible so they can discredit it, will use 2 Corinthians 5:10 as an example.

But don't listen to them. They pervert the scriptures to deny Christ and prevent the salvation of others. And unless they repent of that wickedness, they'll be condemned to eternal damnation by Christ on Judgement Day.