Though, in this passage the Apostle does not say he would receive a crown, this is suggested, if not here certainly in other passages. Although the distinction is … But, to stress that Christ is King of kings, this word is also used of the many diadems the Lord will wear at His return (Rev. It is literally “if He appears.” The conditional clause does not question the reality of Christ’s coming, only the time of it and thereby points to its imminency. During ancient times, athletic events were often judged from a raised platform called the Bema. They emphasize the importance and necessity of faithful living today but reject any thought of forensic punishment at the Bema. 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. 12:1-2; Matt. For example, the throne of a King is usually stepped seating. The graduates do not leave the auditorium weeping because they did not earn better grades. This crown is a reward promised to Elders for faithfulness in the discharge of their responsibilities in shepherding the people. Awards are handed out to every Christian. Again, for the church this means the event of 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. 421-422.). He would just be delighted to be there and do what he was doing. 1-2; 1 Cor. 2-3). This is no more a punishment than when a student turns in a worthless assignment and receives an F or a D. His poor work results in a just grade or recompense. So the order of events will be (a) the rapture which includes our glorification or resurrection bodies, (b) exaltation into the heavens with the Lord, (c) examination before the Bema, and (d) compensation or rewards. In the city of Corinth, a stone platform was constructed to support the Bema seat (judgment seat) of the local officials. 5. Paul was accused before Proconsul Gallio; and brought before Festus at Caesarea facing a Bema seat. Both Romans 14:10 and 2 Corinthians 5:9 speak of the “judgment seat.” This is a translation of one Greek word, the word bema. From wikipedia: In the United States, the term "bimmer" was later coined to refer (exclusively) to BMW automobiles. 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. At a Thanksgiving dinner, each person eats a different amount, but each is satisfied. The reason for this is that the phrase “judgment seat” is taken from one Greek word, “bema” which translated from Greek means "judgment seat". There ar… Towns has given theological lectures and taught intensive seminars at over 50 theological seminaries in America and abroad. “Scripture teaches that for the believer God’s justice has already been fully and forever satisfied at the Cross in relation to the believer’s sins. Isaiah 38:17 Lo, for my own welfare I had great bitterness; It is Thou who hast kept my soul from the pit of nothingness, For Thou hast cast all my sins behind Thy back. (b) It is also a special crown given for faithfulness in running the race and exercising self-control in order to serve the Lord and finish the race. They w ill still have the gift of salvation purchased for them by the Blood of christ. (5) 1 John 2:28. These are: (1) The Promise of Crowns. The judge’s purpose for sitting there was to determine what runners came in first, second, and so on, and as a result, the judge would give out the appropriate rewards, so that’s the concept of the Seat. The judge's purpose was to determine what position the runners came in-first, second, and so on-and then to give out the appropriate rewards. There are a number of passages that refer to the negative aspects of the Bema which need to be mentioned and explained. Her reward is described as fine linen, the righteous acts of the saints—undoubtedly the result of rewards. (2) The believer who fails to abide experiences shame by the revelatory nature of Christ’s presence at the Bema. As the victorious Grecian athlete appeared before the Bema to receive his perishable award, so the Christian will appear before Christ’s Bema to receive his imperishable award. 14:10-11; 1 Cor. 2:8), but a reward for enduring trials and overcoming temptation. (5) Loss of Desire and Motivation for Service. This event will occur immediately following the rapture or resurrection of the church after it is caught up to be with the Lord in the air as described in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. The stress is not on a man’s relationship to Christ, but upon service to Christ. The instinct to preserve our lives is the same. Bema is a Greek term meaning "judgment seat." 1 Cor 13:13-15: “each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it, because it is to be revealed with fire; and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work. 15 If any man’s work is burned up, he shall suffer loss; but he himself shall be saved, yet so as through fire. At the Bema, contestants were rewarded according to their performance in the games. That is the imagery behind what is known as the Bema Seat. What’s the basis on which the Bema is conducted? If the believer remains unrepentant, this can lead to the sin unto death as with Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5), and some of the believers at Corinth who were failing to confess their sin and get right with the Lord (1 Cor. All believers will live in the millennium and in eternity with the Lord. Therefore, at the judgment seat of Christ forensic punishment will not be meted out for the believer’s sins.9. Many current translations have chosen the word Judgement Seat of Christ and thus the BEMA is seen as a place of judgement. There are three principal judgments that are often confused: the Bema Seat Judgment, the Sheep and Goat Judgment, and the Great White Throne. (c) There are two views: (1) The believer who fails to abide is made to feel shame by the Lord, i.e., the Lord puts him to shame. When we are in charge of our lives rather than the Lord, we become insensitive to people and opportunities of ministry—we lack vision. Any young man who loves baseball would probably be thrilled to be a bat boy in the World Series, but he would not be jealous or resentful because he was not one of the stars of the game. www.thischristianjourney.com . The full House would then vote on whom to seat, with a simple majority required. (A relic of one was found among the ruins in Corinth.) (a) The verb is what we call in Greek an aorist subjunctive, and with the basic meaning of this verb, the grammar points to a future act, but not a continuous state. 7:18, 22, 27. In other words, it is a reward seat and portrays a time of rewards or loss of rewards following examination, but it is not a time of punishment where believers are judged for their sins. Of course we should serve the Lord out of love and for God’s glory, and understanding the nature of rewards will help us do that. 6:17, italics added). Because this is a completely different matter. The Bema Seat. The question of sin in regard to God’s justice has been forever satisfied in the mind of God by the all-sufficient sacrifice of His Son. It means to remain in Him from the standpoint of drawing on His life as the source of ours and then to obey Him out of that relationship of dependence. Only those who are born again believers will stand before the ‘Bema’ seat of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:1-19). 15:17; Jn. 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. Such a concept (punishment for sin) erroneously disparages the all-sufficiency of Christ’s death on the cross.”7 Christ paid the penalty for the believer’s pre- and post-conversion sins. This word was taken from Isthmian games where the contestants would compete for the prize under the careful scrutiny of judges who would make sure that every rule of the contest was obeyed (cf. He did not whip the losers.”2 We might add, neither did he sentence them to hard labor. 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). Compare also: 2 Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. 6:20; 1 Pet. If we have trusted Jesus Christ as our Savior, our sins have been forgiven, and that is what qualifies us to enter the holy presence of God in heaven.As the apostle Paul states, “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). Colossians 1:29 And for this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me. This is seen in those passages where a reward is administered in the form of something like “well done thou good and faithful servant …” (cf. God gives us salvation. 14 If any man’s work which he has built upon it remains, he shall receive a reward. This last view I believe to be the one that is in accord with Scripture. 3:24; 5:15-17; 6:23; Eph. Charles Lee Feinberg [Old Tappan, NJ: Fleming H. Revell Co., 1968], p. 29). 2. (4) The Promises to Overcomers. Why? (2) In Revelation 19:8, when the Lord returns with His bride at the end of the tribulation, she is seen already rewarded. The Bema Seat. Why do we call this event the “Bema Seat” of Christ? The elements of remorse, regret, and shame cannot be avoided in an examination of the judgment seat of Christ. Is it sin, good works, or just what? Many people believe that Christians are not subject to any kind of judgment because all their sins have been covered by the blood of Christ, which is true. The crowns of royalty which stand for Jesus Christ as King of Kings and Lord of Lord who alone has the right to rule and judge the world. We should not think of discipline as punishment. Why is it called the Bema Seat? 1 Cor. They teach us the basic cause of discipline is failure to examine and confess known sins because that hinders our fellowship with God. 5:1; 8:1; 1 Cor. 3:12-15 this judgment is described, clearly stating that doesn’t have anything to do with our salvation but involves good things we do after we’re saved. It is significant that among the final words of Revelation, the last book of the Bible, we find these words of the Lord: Rev. (7) Loss of Physical Health and Vitality. 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. (1) In Luke 14:12-14, reward is associated with the resurrection and the rapture is when the church is resurrected. Bema simply means the raised seating of a judge or a king much like we see a judge in a courtroom today sitting on a high bench. At this judgment, Christians will receive degrees of reward for their works or service to God. 4:5 Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men’s hearts; and then each man’s praise will come to him from God. Herod Agrippa I addressed the people of Tyre and Sidon from his Bema seat. It is not punitive. Return to Me, for I have redeemed you. But for now, lest we draw some wrong conclusions, we need to be ever mindful that God’s Word clearly teaches there are specific and very serious consequences, both temporal and eternal, for sin or disobedience. After our glorification, there will be no sinful nature to produce envy, or jealousy, or resentment, or feelings of dissatisfaction. Within the church, there exists a good deal of confusion and disagreement concerning the exact nature of the Bema. (3) Loss of Power and Production. God graciously supplies the means by which we may serve Him. 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. Many will … The Greek word [ bema ], which is translated seat, is from a root that means 'base' or the foot (and by extension, step). Sometimes this comes in the form of various kinds of testing, trials, failure, and predicaments which He uses to correct us, to train us, and, if we have been going our own stubborn way, to increase our misery. 2:7; 2:11, 17, 26. Some believe in a partial rapture theory which says that only those in fellowship with the Lord will be raptured as a form of punishment for their sin. 11:28f; cf. Scripture teaches that all sins, both confessed and unconfessed, have been forgiven and taken care of by the work of Christ on the Cross so the Christian will never face those sins again at the judgment. When we fail to deal with our sinful ways through honest confession, we grieve the Spirit’s person and quench His power in our lives. The resurrection program and the thus the reward of Old Testament saints occurs after the tribulation, after church age saints are already seen in heaven and rewarded and returning with the Lord to judge the earth (cf. In the two passages (Romans 14 and 2 Corinthians 5) the term “judgement seat” Is used of the Divine tribunal before which all believers are hereafter to stand. This would be somewhat punitive and does not fit the concept of the Bema nor the promises of the Lord that we will not come into judgment. Emphasis is placed on the fact that each Christian must give an account of his life before the omniscient and holy Christ. This is clear from the context and the analogy to the Greek athletic games. 11:28-32. Commenting on this Samuel Hoyt writes: Within the church today there exists considerable confusion and debate regarding the exact nature of the examination at the judgment seat of Christ. (8) Loss of Rewards at the Bema. (2) A Bat Boy at the World Series. (1) The Crown of Thorns (Matt. 4:5b). There is coming a time when all will be openly displayed for what one’s true motives were. Christians – those who are going to heaven because Jesus has forgiven their sins – will discover that God will judge their works too! 4 Lewis Sperry Chafer, Systematic Theology, Vol. But we shall rejoice also as we realize that the rewards given will be another example of the grace of our Lord; for at best we are unprofitable servants” (E. Schuyler English, “The Church At the Tribunal,” in Prophetic Truth Unfolding Today, ed. Will believers experience shame, grief, remorse at the Bema? Unconfessed sin stands as a barrier to fellowship with the Lord and His control over one’s life. 4:10, 11). When Paul wrote to the Corinthians, he mentioned something they knew well—in fact people all over the Roman Empire saw them all the time—"Bema" seats. from Dallas Theological Seminary also in Dallas, a MRE from Garrett Theological Seminary in Evanston, Illinois, and a D.Min. Our rewards seem to primarily be a matter of responsibility and maybe opportunities, but they will not be like badges or medals we wear as in the military. 1:12; Rev. This crown is given for enduring testings (trials) and temptation. So, they say the Judgement Seat is based on how "faithful we are" as Christians. The Christian has been in court, condemned, sentenced, and executed in his substitute, Jesus Christ. It is therefore used to designate a stepped seating area for Judgment. “So that” points us to the purpose, the return of the Savior and what it will mean. At the other end of the spectrum another group, which holds to the same eschatological chronology, views this event as an awards ceremony. When they enjoyed each other and the fruit trees and blessings of the garden, they acted in their self-interest but they did so in dependence on and in obedience to the Lord. Confession means we agree with God concerning our sin and want to get back under God’s control. They say experience is a hard teacher because it gives the test first and the lessons afterward. In our current Olympic games we call it the “medal stand” where prizes are awarded and honor bestowed. 21:4). Selfishness ought not to be defined simply as the pursuit of our own self-interest. 2:12-14 [note the emphasis on good works]). “When He appears.” The “when” points to the imminency of the return of the Lord. 5:16f). Hoyt has a good summary of what this passage is talking about and involves: The Bible suggests that there will be shame at the judgment seat of Christ to a greater or lesser degree, depending on the measure of unfaithfulness of each individual believer. 4:8). The following two tabs change content below. Why is it called the BEMA? The two Greek terms translated Judgement Seat in these passages are: bemati and bematos. 5:10 where it refers to the judgment seat of Christ. As Amos 3:3 says, “can two walk together unless they be agreed?” Obviously the answer is no. Hope will at last become reality for all those who are delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God (Rom. To overdo the sorrow aspect of the judgment seat of Christ is to make heaven hell. Jn. 4:13-18). But this sorrow must be somewhat relative because even for the finest of Christians there will be some things worthy of unceasing remorse in the light of God’s unapproachable holiness. 1 Cor. This will be answered as we consider the basis on which rewards are given or lost. (3) The Promise of Accolades or Commendations. All the graduates are there and excited about graduating, yet at the time of rewards, some sorrow might be experienced, but it is quickly overcome by the joy of the event. 5:9-10; 1 John 2:28; Rev. Will any punishment be meted out? What does the Bible say to the church, and to the individual Christian, about the role of politics in the church? While salvation is a gift, there are rewards given for faithfulness in the Christian life and loss of rewards for unfaithfulness. Jesus was brought before Pilate and his Bema seat. Known sin in one’s life causes a loss of intimate fellowship with the Lord with the consequent loss of His joy and peace (Ps. English strikes a proper balance on this subject. (2) To destroy and remove unacceptable production portrayed in the symbols of wood, hay, and stubble. From my understanding, there’s two separate Judgements; one for those going to hell, and one for those going to heaven (Also called the Bema seat of Christ.) In Jewish synagogues, it is also known as a bimah and is for Torah reading during services. 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 Scriptures declare that in Christ there is no condemnation. I was taught we’d all be at the same judgement, whether saved or unsaved, which is apparently incorrect. In an Orthodox Jewish synagogue, a bema is the raised area around the aron kodesh, or the sanctuary. A. 4:10), Paul may also have in mind a personal crown or reward that he will receive because of their presence at the return of the Lord. Indeed, He works in us both to will and to do as we volitionally appropriate His grace (Phil. Rather, God disciplines us as a father disciplines his sons to bring us back into fellowship that we might be conformed to His Son. “But he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire” (1 Corinthians 3:15). He will, likewise, be without guilt because he has been declared righteous. Though katheudo was used of physical sleep and even death, it was also commonly used of spiritual apathy or carnal indifference to spiritual matters, and this is clearly the context of chapter 5. The bema was not a judicial bench where someone was condemned; it was a reward seat. 2 Tim. This was the victor’s crown, the wreath given to the victorious athlete before the judge at the Bema. They are each quite different. (6) The Crown of Glory (1 Pet. Therefore it should be each believer’s impelling desire to be well-pleasing to the Lord in all things. They could enjoy themselves freely provided they abstained from eating from the one forbidden tree. There the laurel wreath was placed on his head as a symbol of victory (cf. 9:24-25). Self-interest in God’s way is legitimate. A. Then each one's praise will come from God." Micah 7:19 He will again have compassion on us; He will tread our iniquities under foot. “Daily forgiveness of those who are within the family of God is distinguished from judicial and positional forgiveness which was applied forensically to all of a person’s sins the moment he believed in the Lord Jesus Christ.”8 We need to distinguish between fellowship forgiveness and legal or forensic forgiveness that justifies us and gives us a standing before God through Christ. from Northwestern College in Minneapolis, Minnesota, a M.A. Matt. It is the word used of the crowns promised to believers for faithfulness in the Christian life. It is not to judge believers for sin of any kind, confessed or unconfessed. All that was done through the energy of the flesh will be regarded as worthless for reward, while all that was done in the power of the Holy Spirit will be graciously rewarded. (1) A Thanksgiving Dinner. Remember that all of our crowns will be cast at the feet of Christ, for only He is worthy (Rev. To love His appearing is to live in the light of it. 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 Judgement Seat of Christ (Romans 14:10, 2 Corinthians 5:10). – will discover that God will judge their works too and Christ ’ s provision we. And taught intensive seminars at over 50 Theological seminaries in America and abroad the feet Christ! The individual Christian, about the role of politics in the heavenlies the “ when ” points to! 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