WHAT
IS THE ‘BEMA’ SEAT OF CHRIST?
Dr. Elmer Towns
The Judgment Seat of Christ
The ‘Bema’ seat of
Christ occurs at the time immediately following the translation of the Church (“Rapture”–See
1 Thessalonians 4:14-17 and 1 Corinthians 15:51-52).
The place of the
Bema seat of Christ is placed in the sphere of the heavenlies.
There are two
primary passages for interpreting the Judgment Seat of Christ: Romans 14:10
and 2 Corinthians 5:10.
The two Greek terms
translated Judgment Seat in these passages are: bemati and bematos.
In THAYER’S
GREEK-ENGLISH LEXICON OF THE NEW TESTAMENT, we find the following definition
for Bema:
(1) a
step, pace,
(2) a
raised place mounted by steps; a platform, tribune: used of the official seat
of a judge (see
Matthew 27:19; John 19:13; Acts 18:12,16); of the Judgment
Seat of Christ (Romans 14:10, 2 Corinthians 5:10).
In the two passages
(Romans
14 and 2 Corinthians 5) the term “judgment seat” is used of the
Divine tribunal before which all believers are hereafter to stand.
In Romans 14:10, it
is called “The judgment-seat of Christ,”
A.V.
(R.V., “of God”), according to the most authentic manuscripts.
The same tribunal
is called “the judgment-seat of Christ”
in 2 Corinthians 5:10, to whom the Father has given all judgment (see
John 5:22,27).
At this ‘bema’
believers are to be made manifest, that each may “receive the things done in (or through) the body,” according to what
he has done, “whether it be good or bad.” There they will receive rewards
for their faithfulness to the Lord.
For all that has
been contrary in their lives to His will they will suffer loss of rewards (1
Corinthians 3:15). (VINE’S EXPOSITORY DICTIONARY OF NEW TESTAMENT WORDS)
From 2 Corinthians
5:10, John 5:22 and Romans 14:10, we are told that the judge at the ‘Bema’ seat
of Christ is Christ Himself.
One day all the dead will be raised to stand
before Christ
-
the saved through the rapture to the ‘Bema’ Judgment, and
-
the unsaved through the final resurrection to the Great White Throne Judgment (see
John 5:29; Romans 14:10-12; Revelation 20:11-151).
The Judgment of Believers
Only those who are
born-again believers will stand before the ‘Bema’ seat of Christ (2
Corinthians 5:1-19).
The purpose of the
‘Bema’ seat is to make a public manifestation of the essential character and
motives of the individual Christian.
The believer’s
works are brought into judgment, called “the
things done in his body” (2 Corinthians 5:10), in
order that it may be determined whether they are good or bad.
This
judgment is not to determine what is ethically good or evil, but rather that
which is acceptable and that which is worthless or unprofitable to the work of
Christ.
“Every
man’s work shall be made manifest” (1 Corinthians
3:13-15).
While it is
possible to hide the true quality of one’s service for Christ in this life,
there will be a tie of reckoning for the Christian. There is coming a time when
all will be openly displayed for what
.
Results of Christ’s Judgment
The results of the Bema
judgment are two-fold:
(1) a reward
received or
(2) a reward lost.
If a man’s work
remains undamaged by the fire, accordingly, he receives rewards (Greek misthos) … If a man’s work does not
endure, and is consumed in the fire, then he shall “suffer loss.”
Everything he has
devoted himself to in this life (those things done in his own strength and for
his own glory) shall be burnt up suddenly.
“But
he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire” (1
Corinthians 3:15).
It is important to
notice that such a man does not suffer the loss of his salvation, but the loss
of reward. The stress is not on a man’s relationship to Christ, but upon
service to Christ. (Liberty Bible Commentary, Volume II, pp. 421-422.)
.
.
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lyrics
I bow my knee before Your throneI know my life is not my own
I offer up this song of praise
To bring You pleasure Lord
I seek the Giver not the gift
My heart's desire is to lift Him
High above all earthly kings
To bring You pleasure, Lord
My heart's desire is to lift Him
High above all earthly kings
To bring You pleasure, Lord
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Glory to the King
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Glory to the King
Dr. Elmer Towns is a college and seminary professor, an
author of popular and scholarly works (the editor of two encyclopedias), a
popular seminar lecturer, and dedicated worker in Sunday school, and has
developed over 20 resource packets for leadership education.His personal
education includes a B.S. from Northwestern College in Minneapolis, Minnesota,
a M.A. from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, a Th.M. from Dallas
Theological Seminary also in Dallas, a MRE from Garrett Theological Seminary in
Evanston, Illinois, and a D.Min. from Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena,
California.He is co-founder of Liberty University, with Jerry Falwell, in 1971,
and was the only full-time teacher in the first year of Liberty’s existence.
Today, the University has over 11,400 students on campus with 39,000 in the
Distance Learning Program (now Liberty University Online), and he is the Dean
of the School of Religion.Dr. Towns has given theological lectures and taught
intensive seminars at over 50 theological seminaries in America and abroad. He
holds visiting professorship rank in five seminaries. He has written over 2,000
reference and/or popular articles and received six honorary doctoral degrees.
Four doctoral dissertations have analyzed his contribution to religious
education and evangelism.
http://www.biblesprout.com/articles/jesus-christ/bema-seat-christ/
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