LIBERTY THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY
THE JUDGEMENT SEAT OF CHRIST
A paper Presented to
Dr. Garry Graves
Liberty Theology Seminary
In Partial Fulfillment
Of the Requirement for Completing
THEO 530-DO6 LUO Systematic Theology II
Submitted by
Stephen N. Jackson
Thesis Statement: In today’s society, there has been a big misconception about the “Judgment
Seat of Christ” which is also called the Bema Seat of Christ and the Great White Throne
Judgment, as who will be judged and how they will be judged in the finial day. This research
paper will explore a historical backdrop of the Judgment Seat, what actual will occur before and
after, and what rewards awards the believer after entering the kingdom of God.
Research Question: Are there any difference between the Judgment Seat of Christ, Bema Seat
of Christ and the Great White Throne Judgment and what actually occurs before and during that
time?
2
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. INTRODUCTION……………………………………………………………….…4
2. AN HISTORICAL BACKDROP OF THE JUDGMENT SEAT…………..………5-7
3. SALVATION BY GRACE………………………………………………..……….7-9
4. THE NATURE OF THE JUDGMENT.....................................................................9-10
5. THE JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST………………………….............................11-13
a. The difference between the Judgment and Bema Seat of Christ .………….......13-14
b. The Great White Throne ……………………………..…………………….......14-16
c. Crowns of Christians……………………………………………………….......16-20
6. CONCLUSION……………..………………………………………………………20-21
7. BIBLIOGRAPHY……………………………………………………………………22-23
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INTRODUCTION
There are future events on Gods calendar to which all Christians should look forward.
The next great event will be the calling out of the Church of Jesus Christ. This is commonly
referred to as the “Rapture of the Church.” The Apostle Paul said in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17,
“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel,
and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and
remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so
shall we ever be with the Lord.” Another future event in the lives of all Christians will be the
receipt of a “glorified body.” The Scripture says in 1 John 3:2, “Behold, now are we the sons of
God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we
shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.” John tells us, “we shall be like him.” The
Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15:52 “In a moment, in the twinkling of a eye, at the last
trumpet: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible and we shall be
changed,” indicates our present frail, mortal bodies will be different from what we have always
know.
We will have a resurrection body like that of God after His resurrection. Christ had the
ability to vanish before people’s eyes in Luke 24:31. He was able to make Himself invisible,
walk through doors and walls in John 20:19, and appear in the midst of brethren. In Luke 24:16
and John 20:14, He was able to change His appearance so that He would not be recognized by
those who know Him well. In Acts 1:9 Christ stood on the ground and defied gravity and
ascended up into the heavens before the eyes of the disciples. The Christian can actually look
forward to having a glorified body like Jesus Christ.
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AN HISTORICAL BACKDROP OF THE JUDGMENT SEAT
Throughout most of Church history, there has been an expectation of a single judgment
that would follow Christ’s return. This reflected for instance in that part of the Apostles Creed
which states that “Christ ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of the Father, whence he
will come to judge the living and the dead.” The Reformers seem to have affirmed this
expectation without sensing a need to elaborate multiple and distinctive judgment. John Calvin,
applauding the integrity and reliability of the Apostles Creed, understand this statement to imply
a single judgment following Christ’s return. In this Institutes he states,
No one, living or dead, shall escape his judgment. The sound of the trumpet
will be heard from the ends of the earth, and by it all will be summoned before
his judgment seat both those still alive at that day and those whom death had
previously taken from the company of the living [1 Thess 4:16-17].1
In light of the scriptural passage he cites it seems that he understood the “rapture
passage” to apply to the second coming of Christ. This position of a single judgment following
the second coming continued to be espoused in Reformed circles in the following centuries, and
was affirmed yet again in Louis Berkhof’s Systematic Theology. The rise of premillennial
2
theology (especially in the nineteenth and early twentieth century’s) results in a more elaborate
model of future judgment. Observing the reference in Revelation 20 to two resurrections
separated by a thousand years in which Satan is bound, premillennialists have consequently
come to the resurrection of the lost. Correspondingly, they have understood the judgment of the
lost to be distinct from that of believers (the second resurrection to appear at the “great white
throne” judgment pertains only to the lost). Yet even premillennialists have differed among
themselves as to the timing of the judgment for believers. George Ladd, representing
1 John T. McNeil, ed., Calvin: Institutes of the Christian Religion (LLC; trans. Ford Lewis Battles; Philadelphia:
Westminster, 1960)
2 Louis Berkhof, Systematic Theology (4 rev. ed.; Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1941), 730,733.
th
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postmillennialism, has suggested that the judgment seat of Christ occurs after the second
coming.3 In dispensational premillennialism, on the other hand, there has been a consensus of
opinion that the judgment seat of Christ will occur after the rapture of the Church but prior to the
second coming.4
When the Lord returns to the earth with His bride to reign, the bride is
seen to be already rewarded. This observed in Revelation 19:8, where
it must be observed that the “righteousness of the saints” is plural and
cannot refer to the imparted righteousness of Christ, which is the
believer’s portion, but the righteousness which have survived examination
and have become the basis of reward.
5
The problem with this argument is that it assumes that “the marriage” has already taken
place and that the distinctive clothing of the bridge is proof that the “Church” has already been
rewarded. Both these points will be challenged in this paper.
Second, Pentecost appeals to the aorist verb in Revelation 19:7 to defend his elthen
position that the “marriage” has already taken place. He states,
According to Revelation 19:7 this marriage has taken place at the time
of the second advent, for the declaration is: “the marriage of the Lamb
to come.” The aorist tense, , translated “is come” signifies aelthen
completed act, showing us that the marriage has been consummated.
6
In response, through it is true the verb is in the aorist tense, this certainly does not prove
that the event has been completed. Pentecost is assuming that the aorist verb is a constative
aorist, but this is very doubtful in light of the context. More probably this is an ingressive aorist,
and refers to what is soon to happen.
7
Third, Pentecost finds it “necessary to distinguish between the marriage of the Lamb and
the marriage supper.” The former he regards as a heavenly event for the church alone that takes
8
3 George E. Ladd, The Blessed Hope (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1956), 102-3.
4 John Walvoord, The Prophecy Knowledge Handbook (Wheaton: Victor, 1990) 446, 459, 467.
5 J. Dwight Pentecost, Things to Come (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1958), 220-21.
6 Ibid., 226.
7 Daniel B. Wallace, Greek Grammar Beyond the Basis (Grand Rapids, Zondervan, 1996)., 558
8 Pentecost, Things to Come, 227
6
place before the second advent, while the wedding supper (or marriage feast) is a “parabolic
picture of the entire millennial age” to be attended by all saints on the earth. Thus, he makes a
distinction between “the marriage of the Lamb” in Revelation 19:7 and “the marriage supper of
the Lamb” in Revelation 19:9. This argument, through is not convincing. First, the same Greek
term ( )is used in both instances. Furthermore, the Greek term often indicates, not yauos 9yauos
just the marriage, but the festive wedding meal itself (e.g., Matt 22:1.;ff Luke 14:8)10
In my studies of the book of Revelation, however, I have come to rather different
conclusion about the significance of these verses in ch 19. Rather than being an argument for the
judgment seat of Christ prior to the second coming, I feel that a closer study warrants the
conclusion that the “marriage supper” and the judgment seat of Christ take place after the second
coming, a view which (in my opinion) is not inconsistent with either posttribulational or
dispensational premillennialism.
SALVATION BY GRACE
It is not possible to fully elaborate in just one book concerning God’s message of
salvation by Grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. However, a brief explanation on this
subject is subsequently furnished to benefit those who lack this information and to confirm those
who already understand it. Although the message of salvation by Grace is amply explained in the
New Testament, it is a subject that has caused great disputes throughout the centuries of
Christianity. These controversies have endured in the Church from its very beginnings.
They were first initiated among the Jewish believers and have lasted unto the present among the
Gentile believers.
9 In the Greek text “the marriage of the Lamb” in 19:7
10 BDAG (3rd ed., 188-89)
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There are many Scriptures from the New Testament in which the Lord Himself and His
apostles speak concerning God’s salvation by Grace. Among all of these, I make reference to one
particular declaration by the Apostle Paul that was used extensively during the Protestant
Reformation: “For by Grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the
gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). The Protestant
Reformers used this Scripture to counter attack the erroneous doctrine of the Roman Papacy that
teaches justification by works and religious sacraments. Only those who have truly known the
Lord and have been can appreciate the supreme value of “born again” “the Grace of God that
bringeth salvation” (John 3:7 and Titus 2:11). With our hearts filled with gratitude, we can never
forget that marvelous day when we accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior. In that very
moment our wretched lives were miraculously transformed by God’s saving Grace. Then, after
calling upon the Holy Name of the Lord Jesus Christ in water baptism, by faith we believed that
God cleansed our souls and consciences from all guilt and sin (read Mark 16:16, Acts 2:38 and 1
Peter 3:21).
The gratitude that floods our souls is not limited to those of us who formerly experienced
a bitter life of sin. With all the more reason it should abide in those to whom it pleased God to
perform the blessing found in the first Psalm: “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the
counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the
scornful.” No previous merits or any good works counted for us on that marvelous day in which
the Lord extended His Hand of salvation to us.
Upon recognizing our wretched condition, we understood that only by God’s Grace did
He choose to save us those of us who have been saved by God’s Grace “from this untoward
fully understand that we can never purchase our own salvation through acts of righteousness. We
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understand that only with a grateful and indebted heart do we labor in the work of the Lord. And
we do this, remembering, every step of the way, that only by the Grace of God are we saved.
Moreover, it is only by the marvelous Grace of God that we are delivered from judgment and
condemnation. This is the primary message of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. generation”
(Acts 2:40). This is exactly how each one of us, in our own place and time, began walking with
the Lord. This is how each one of us began serving Him with all of our strength and in holiness.
In this same manner we continue to walk in this glorious path, acknowledging that all that we do
for the Lord can never merit the marvelous salvation He provided for us at Calvary.
THE NATURE OF THE JUDGMENT
All believers of this present dispensation, as it has been shown will be the only ones who
stand before the judgment seat of Christ. Althrough it appears that they will be present en masse
before the the question remains: Will Christians be judged individually or corporately? bema,
The plain statements of the New Testament provide the answer to the question of whether
Christians will be judged individually or corporately. Second Corinthians 5:10 indicates that the
bema evaluation will be individual in nature: “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.” The Greek word, which simply means “each” or “every,” hekastos
specifically indicates that this evaluation will be conducted on an individual basis. Vine writes
that this word “is used of any number separately.”11 Another verse which, likewise, teaches the
individualized nature of the is Romans 14:12. Just prior to this verse the judgment seat of bema
God (Christ) is mentioned. Verse twelve reads, “So then everyone [hekastos] of us shall give
account of himself to God. “First Corinthians 3:8 supports the conclusion that each Christian
will be evaluated in some sense individually. Verse eight reads, “Now he that planteth and he
11 Vine, An Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words with Their Precise Meanings for English Readers, II, 9.
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that wathereth are one: and every man [ ] shall receive his own reward according to his hekastos
own labour. “Paul continues by writing in verses thirteen through fifteen:
Every man’s [ ] work shall be made manifest: for thehekastou
day shall declare it, because it shall be revealing by fire; and
the fire shall try every man’s [hekastou] work of what sort it is.
If any man’s [ ] work abide which he hath build thereupon, tinos
he shall receive a reward. If any man’s [ ] work shall be burned,tinos
he shall suffer loss, but he himself [ ] shall be saved; yet so as by fire.autos
Throughout this passage and the previously mentioned verses the individual nature of this
judgment is accentuated. Robert Gromacki discusses the individual aspect of the Christian’s
evaluation as mentioned in 2 Corinthians 5:10:
Although Christians will stand as one corporate group before Christ, they
will not be judged as group but as individual. Notice the change from “we”
and “all” to “every one.” I will not give an account for you, and you will
not give an account for me. I will be judged for my life, and you will be
judged for your experience.
12
Similarly, Alfred Plummer concludes, “We shall not be judges or in classes, but en masse
one by one, in accordance with individual merit. The individual aspect of the judgment seat of
13
Christ might be compared to graduation from a large university. Although thousands may be
graduated in a relatively brief period of time, they each receive individual attention. Each is
awarded his appropriate degree based upon his individual ceremony is completed relatively
quickly, each graduate is evaluated and honored on an individual basis. Even through Scripture
does not indicated the logistic of the judgment seat, such an individualized evaluation is not only
possible, it is certain in light of Biblical evaluation.
THE JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST
“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” (2
12 Gromacki, Are These the Last Days? p. 159-60
13 Plummer, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Second Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians, p. 157
10
Corinthians 5:10) If we truly understand the meaning of being “in Christ” and the definition of
walking “after the flesh” or “walking after the Spirit,” then we can decipher the seeming
contradiction mentioned at the beginning of this book. This dilemma occurs when we attempt to
merge the Scriptures that state that “we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ,” and
“there is no condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus.” For those of us who are “in Christ,”
who walk “after the Spirit,” who “walk with God” even as Enoch did (Genesis 5:22), we have
full assurance that there will be “no condemnation” for us at the end of our earthly journey. For
those of us who in this life “follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth” (Revelation 14:4), we are
assured that at the end of time we will not appear before “the judgment seat of Christ.” We are
sustained by this divine guarantee because we live every day acknowledging the marvelous
significance and incomparable value of God’s saving Grace. The Apostle Paul’s reference to “the
judgment seat of Christ” actually consists of a continual “examining process” for the believer. It
is a process that begins from the moment we surrendered our lives to serve God and continues
until the end of our days. Since “the judgment seat of Christ” pertains to those who are “in
Christ,” then we must understand that it is a judgment exclusively for the children of God. This is
a special judgment by which the Lord judges His holy people (Daniel 12:7-10). It is a judgment
that the Lord reserves solely for His children so “that we should not be condemned with the
world” (1 Corinthians 11:32).
This special judgment is different than all the other judgments of God, because it is
judgment that spans the lifetime of each child of God. It is not a judgment that takes place during
one specific day as all the others. The Lord Himself established it this way, and nothing and no
one can change it. Excluding the judgment of His faithful children, the numerous
“incomprehensible judgments” of God for the remainder of humanity are confined to only one
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day (Romans 11:33). These judgments will be executed on the “Day of the Lord” (1
Thessalonians 5:2). As it is written: “For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and
all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble…” (Malachi 4:1). These judgments
will take place on that same day in which the “Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His
mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not
the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thessalonians 1:7-10). It is the very same day in which
the Lord “shall come to be glorified in His saints, and to be admired in all them that believe.”
The judgments effected at “the judgment seat of Christ” are solely for “the people of the saints of
the Most High” (Daniel 7:27). They are exclusively for those individuals who are most special to
God: His children. As the children of God, we have been given a privileged opportunity. If we
live and walk “in the Spirit” until the end of our days, then we can arrive “at that day” having
“no condemnation” (Galatians 5:25 and 2 Thessalonians 4:8).
However, there is an essential condition attached with this privilege and that is our
complete and unconditional obedience to the Lord. Any Christian can refuse to pay this price.
The Lord does not force anyone to pay it. Howbeit, any Christian who by his own decision and
disobedience refuses to pay this price must realize that he is postponing his judgment until “the
day of the Lord.” This means that he will be obligated to appear before “the judgment seat of
Christ” on the last day. In turn, the children of God who in their lifetime willingly “appear before
the judgment seat of Christ” to be examined and corrected by the Lord, at the time of God’s final
judgments, we will be counted among “the wise” who shall judge not only the world but also the
fallen angels (Daniel 12:3 and 1 Corinthians 6:3).The following declarations made by the Lord
Himself confirm the dreadful judgment that awaits those who presently spurn God’s judgment:
“Not everyone that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that
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doeth the will of My Father which is in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord,
have we not prophesied in Thy Name? And in Thy Name have cast out devils? And in Thy Name
done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from
Me, ye that work iniquity” (Matthew 7:21-23). “Then shall He say also unto them on the left
hand, Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For
I was an hungered, and ye gave Me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave Me no drink: I was a
stranger, and ye took Me not in: naked, and ye clothed Me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited
Me not” (Matthew 25:41-43).
The aforementioned Scriptures, as well as all the other portions of the Word of God
connected with this subject, are intended for those who believe. God’s Word is not directed to a
humanity that ignores and rejects Him. The Lord does not demand faithfulness from individuals
who do not acknowledge Him or His Word. Therefore, the Biblical warnings of unfaithfulness
are directed to those who know God and have knowledge of His Word. God’s Word is entirely
and invariably directed to those who “are in Christ.” The Word of God is intended for those of us
who understand it and allow it to judge us throughout our lifetime, in every moment and in every
circumstance. For the true believers, it is precisely the Word of God that in our lifetime is “the
judgment seat of Christ.”
a. The difference between the Judgment and Bema Seat of Christ
There is no difference! The expression “Judgment Seat” is a translation of a Greek word,
bema, which Paul borrowed from the culture of his day. One’s understanding of his term in its
etymological and cultural development will contribute to one’s understanding of the nature of the
eschatological bema know as the “Judgment Seat of Christ.”Therefore, it imperative that one has
a proper understanding of the nature and purpose of the eschatological bema before which each
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Christian will appear (2 Cor. 5:10). Etymologically, bema comes from the Greek verb baino
which simply means to go up or ascend. The primary meaning of bema was a step or a raised
14
place, and later it was used of a platform which was reached by steps. Also, it was used with
reference to the Pnyx which was a hill in Athens where the people assembled to make laws and
15
decrees.
b. The Great White Throne
This Great White Throne judgment (Rev.20:11-15) may rightly be called the “final judgment.” It
constitutes the termination of God’s resurrection and judgment program. The time of this
judgment clearly indicated that it takes place after the expiration of the millennial reign of Christ.
But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years
were finished. And I saw the dead small and great stand before
God; and the books were open: and another book was open, which
is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things
which were written in the books, according to their works. And
the sea gave up the dead which were in them: and they were judged
every man according to their works (Rev. 20:5, 12-13).
This judgment takes place no in heaven nor on earth, but somewhere in between the two.
And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it from whose
face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no
place for them (Rev. 20:11).
It is evident from the passage itself that this judgment is a judgment of those called “the dead.”
It has been demonstrated previously that the resurrection program of the saved was completed
before the millennium began. The only ones left unresurrected were the unsaved dead. These
must then be the subjects of the judgment. This judgment, contrary to popular misconception is
not to determine whether those who stand before this judgment bar are saved or not. All those
14 Joseph Henry Thayer, trans., Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, by C.L. Wililbald (Grand Rapids:
Zondervan Publishing House, 1962), p.101
15 G. Abbott-Smith, A manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (3 ed.; Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 1937), p. 80
rd
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that are to be saved have been saved and have entered into their eternal state. Those that are to
be blessed eternally have entered into their blessing. This is rather a judgment on the evil works
of the unsaved. The sentence of the “second death” is passed upon them.
And the books were open: and another book was opened, which is
the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which
were written in the books, according to their works (Rev. 20:12).
As in the judgment of the Gentiles the works demonstrated faith or lack of faith, so here the
works demonstrated the absence of life. That there will be degrees of punishment meted out to
these unsaved is suggested from other Scripture (Luke 12:47-48). But the sentence of the second
death will be passed on all. The first death was that spiritual death which was suffered in Adam.
This second death is the confirmation and making eternal that separation from God which the
first death entailed. The results of this judgment is made very clear in Revelation 20:15, “and
whosoever was not found in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” Eternal separation
from God is the eternal destiny of the unsaved.
c. Crowns of Christians
The New Testament mentions four or perhaps five rewards which are symbolically
spoken of as crowns. They will be bestowed upon certain believers at the judgment seat of
Christ for some specialized services or specific achievement. The crown which are specifically
mentioned are the incorruptible crown, the crown of rejoicing, the crown of righteousness, the
crown of glory, and the crown of life. Biblical revelation does not indicate whether these are all
the crown rewards which will be bestowed upon Christians. In the Greek New Testament two
words, and appear which are translated in the English text by the word stepanos diadema
“crown.” The word is derived from the verb which means to encircle or to out stepanos stepho
15
around.16 It designates a woven wreath or garland which encircle the head. The words stephanos
and occur in the New Testament eighteen time and three times respectively. In New stephanoo
Testament times a was used for marriage and for festive occasion; as a means of stephanos
expressing public recognition to the victor in an athletic contest; for heroic deeds in battle; or for
distinguished service of some kind. In the reward motif of scripture it is used of certain
eschatological rewards granted to believers.17
The Nature of the Crowns: Scripture suggests that these eschatological rewards will not
be literal crowns as will be demonstrated under the discussion of the individual crowns. They
rather seen to be symbolic of special honor bestowed for distinctive Christian service and living.
Thayer suggests that these crowns are used metaphorically for “the eternal blessedness which
will be given as a prize to the genuine servants of God and Christ. Walvoord says, “The
18
various crowns mentioned in Scripture taken together are a symbolic representation of the
recognition by Christ of the faithful service of those who put their trust in Him.”19
The Incorruptible Crown: In 1 Corinthians 9:25, Paul compares the Christian’s life to that
of an athlete. He writes, “And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things.
Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.” The Greek word
stephanos is used to denote the nature of the believer’s wreath. This wreath will be by its very
nature imperishable. The apostle Paul uses this tern to contrast the eternal reward with that of
20
the perishable wreath ( ), which is subject to decay, that is awarded to the phthartos stephanos
victorious athlete. Paul readers were very familiar with the Isthmian games which required an
athlete to endure the most rigid training for ten months in order to qualify for the games. He
16 Thayer, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, p 587
17 William Edward Raffety, “Crown,” The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, ed. By James Orr (5 vols. Grand
Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1955), 762.
18 Thayer, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, p. 587
19 Walvoord, The Church in Prophecy, p. 152.
20 Arndt and Gingrich, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, p. 125.
16
brought his body and life under the strictest discipline and temperance in order to obtain a laurel
wreath which would begin to wither the moment its sprays were plucked from the tree. If the
incorruptible crown is indeed a special crown, a Christian needs to exercise keen discernment
and careful self-discipline if he is to measure up to the stringent requirements of this crown
reward.
The Crown of Rejoicing: In 1 Thessalonians Paul writes that the Thessalonians believers
will be his crown of rejoicing when Christ appears. He states, “For what is our hope, or joy, or
crown of rejoicing ( )? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus stephanos kaucheseos
Christ at his coming.” (1 Thess. 2:19). In Philippians 4:1, Paul probably alludes to this same
crown when he indicates that the Philippians believers who are his converts also are his crown.
He writes, “Therefore, my brethren dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown
(stephanos), so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved.” The crown is obviously figurative,
thus not referring to a literal wreath, for Paul states that believers are figuratively his wreath of
rejoicing. The expression would is probably best understood with stephanos kaucheseos
kaucheseos being a genitive of apposition. Dana and Mantey describe this usage by saying, “A
noun which designates an object in an individual or particular sense may be used in the genitive
with another noun which designates the same thing in a general sense.” This reward of rejoicing
21
has been called the soul-winning’s crown by many because of the great joy which will be
experienced by those who have introduced others to the savior.
The Crown of Righteousness: Another reward which is available for those who meet the
requirements is the crown of righteousness. Paul writes of this crown in his final epistle just
prior to his martyrdom:
I have fought a good fight. I have finish my course, I have kept
21 Dana and Mantey, A Manual Grammar of the Greek New Testament, p. 79.
17
the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness
[ ] which the Lord, the righteous judge, ho tes dikaiosynes stephanos
shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also hat
love his appearing (2 Tim. 4:7-8).
A.T. Robertson explains Paul’s usage of the expression “crown of righteousness.” He calls this
expression a genitive of apposition and says it metaphorically refers to “the crown that consists
in righteousness and is also the reward for righteousness.” This is not, however the same as
22
“the gift of righteousness” which is the positional righteousness that is imputed to each Christian
the moment he believes in Jesus Christ. It is rather some special eschatological reward “laid up”
for those who have lived according to God’s will be bestowed upon “all them also that love his
appearing.” This reward is for those who are “looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious
appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ” (Ti. 2:13) and who recognize that their
“citizenship is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Phil.
3:20). These live their lives in light of eternity, following the admonition of Colossians 3:1-4.
If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those thing which are above,
where Christ sitteth on the hand of God. Set your affection on things
above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is
hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear,
then shall ye also appear with him in glory
Unger says, “The perpetual attitude of Advent-expectancy produces practical and experimental
righteousness, in right and holy living, which has a reward, just as positional righteousness in
Christ accompanies salvation.”
23
The Crown of Glory: Peter list another reward which is symbolized by a crown and so
described as the unfading Crown of Glory. He writes to undershepherds, “And when the chief
Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory [ ] that fadeth nottes doxes stephanos
22 Robertson, The Epistles of Paul, p.631.
23 Merrill F. Unger, “The Doctrine of the Believer’s Judgment,” Our Hope 58 (February 1952):, p. 506
18
away [ ]” (1 Pet. 5:4). Again, the noun in the genitive is probably bestamarantinos doxes
understood as the genitive of apposition. Therefore, the wreath of glory metaphorically would be
the wreath that consists of glory. The use of the article with this expression seems to imply some
definite reward consisting of glory rather than the glory considered earlier under the discussion
of general rewards. Apparently this reward will be some special portion of glory which will be
eternal possession of the faithful undershepherd. The adjective further describes thisamarantinos
crown as unfading similar to the previously considered imperishable crown. The term literally
means “composed of amaranth” which is a flower so named because it never withers or fades,
and when plucked off revives if moistened with water. Hence it is a symbol of perpetuity and
aptly describes this specific reward. The wreath of glory mentioned by Peter is not to be
24
confused with the wreath of glorying (rejoicing) which is mentions by Paul in 1 Thessalonians.
The reward which Peter mentions is described by the word and suggests praise and honor.doxa
The reward which Paul mentions is described by the word which suggests boastingkauchesis
and glory.
The final special reward is the only one which is specifically mentioned twice in the New
Testament. This crown is first mentioned in James 1:12: “Blessed in the man that endureth
temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life [ ],ton stephanon tes zoes
which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.” Again in Revelation 2:10 it appears: “Fear
none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou
faithful unto death and I will give thee a crown of life [ ].” In bothton stephanon tes zoes
occurrences, the word in the genitive should probably be understood as a genitive of apposition.
Metaphorically it denotes “the wreath that consists of life.” The definite article in both
occurrences seems to suggest some definite quality and would seem to speak of a “reward which
24 Thayer, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, p. 30
19
consists of life,” a fuller entrance into the glory and exaltation of Him, who is “the life” (Jn.
14:6). The condition for this reward is faithfulness to the Lord through enduring trials and
suffering (Jas. 1:12), even to the point of death (Rev. 2:10). This sometimes called the martyr’s
or sufferer’s crown, although martyrdom is not the only condition for it. God has prepared a
special aspect of life in the eternal state as a reward for those who have suffered for the Lord in
this life. Matthew 5:10-12 speaks of this same truth regarding special reward for those who
suffer for the cause of Christ.
Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for
theirs the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you,
and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely,
for my sake. Rejoice and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward
in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
CONCLUSION
In this research study, I have carefully established the limits of this Judgment in regard to
its nature and results. The basis has been that the judgment seat of Christ is a most solemn
evaluation at which there will be no judicial condemnation, nor will there be any judicial
punishment for the believer’s sins, whether confessed or unconfessed. Rather there will be
commendation or loss of reward according to the faithfulness of the Christian’s life. There also
may be some measure of shame and remorse which will arise from seeing one’s fleshly works
rendered unworthy of reward, but there will be no judicial for unfaithfulness since Christ has
borne all the penalty for the believer’s sin.
20
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