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Teacher : Johnny Tatum
The Blessing Place
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The Blessing Place of Christ -- There is No "Judgment Seat of Christ" ! |
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The Blessing Place of Christ, Part II : No Loss of Rewards |
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The Blessing Place of Christ, Part III: What About Crowns? |
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Joshua
| Introduction to Joshua |
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| Egypt, the Wilderness and Canaan |
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| Joshua Chapter 2: Rahab |
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| Joshua Chapter 2: Rahab, Part II |
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| Joshua Chapters 3-4: Crossing the Jordan |
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| Joshua Chapter 5: 6 Principles for Victory Over Obstacles |
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| Joshua Chapter 6: Victory at Jericho |
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| Joshua Chapter 7: Defeat at Ai |
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| Joshua Chapter 8: Victory at Ai |
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| Joshua Chapters 13 - 18: How Faith is Involved in Solving Obstacles |
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| Joshua Chapters 13-18 : The Inheritance of Caleb and Joshua (The desires of our heart) |
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Joshua Chapter 12-21: Inheritance of the Levites (Our inheritance) |
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| Conclusion to Joshua A Picture of the Millennium |
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Judges
| Overview of Deuteronomy Joshua Judges Ruth |
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| Judges Chapter 1: Coalition of Judah and Simeon |
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| Judges Chapter 2: Overview of the cycle of defeat |
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| Judges Chapter 3: Ehud and Eglon |
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| Judges Chapter 5: Judge Deborah |
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| Judges Chapter 6: Gideon, Part I |
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| Judges Chapter 6: Gideon, Part II |
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Ruth
| Introduction to Ruth |
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| Ruth Chapter 1: 6-18 Back to Israel |
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| Ruth Chapter 1: Ruth meets Boaz |
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| Ruth Chapter 3: Uncovering the feet ??? |
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Elijah / Elisha
| I Kings 17: 17- 24 Elijah and the widow’s son |
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"Radical Grace " Studies (HTML Format)
Daniel: Getting Hidden Knowledge
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The "bema seat" of Christ has been the source of much speculation and study. This future event has been presented as the motivation to do good works, as well as the negative incentive to not do bad works - a deterrent to sins. Many Christians look forward to the bema seat with apprehension, dread, or even fear. These Christians seem to believe that, at the bema seat, there will be some judgment made by Jesus upon our sins. This picture is impossible to reconcile with the direct statement Paul made in Romans 8:1 - "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." The word means, "No judgment at all," and it is a clear statement. However, there are other passages in the Bible that seem to indicate that believers do (or will) be judged, either in this life or in the age to come. Now most Christians would say, "Well no, Christians are not judged, but God disciplines them." They then proceed to define "discipline" in a way that sounds like "judgment". Another apparent problem is that in the New Testament there seems to be a reference to the "judgment seat" of Christ for believers. Some people say, "Well look, there it is - the bema seat (the transliteration of a Greek word)." Others point to David when he sinned with Bathsheba. The child died, and the text says, "God struck the child." And yes, that certainly seems to be judgment. The first thing that we have to do is to understand a rule of Biblical interpretation. Let us suppose, on the one hand, that we have a clear statement. Then against that clear statement we have either stories or passages that seem to contradict the direct statement. So what we do in that situation is to take the clear statement as the fact. Then we look at the other story or passage that seems to contradict it. We have two choices: (1) We may not understand the other story or passage. If we don't, we just drop it and say, "I am going by the clear statement." (2) The better choice is to go back to that confusing passage and try to interpret the passage in the light of the very clear statement." The clear statement is, "There is no judgment - no condemnation." So how do we reconcile this with what has been translated as "the judgment seat of Christ" and with what seems to be examples of judgment upon believers in the Bible? In this study we will look at: • the so-called "judgment seat of Christ" (the bema) at the end of the age • passages which say that believers are not judged • passages which seem to indicate that believers will be judged at the bema 2 Cor 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." Okay, there is the word "judgment" - the "judgment seat of Christ". But does the verse really say that? Let us look at what II Corinthians 5:10 really says: For we all appear must before the bematos." Does "bematos" really mean "judgment seat"? No! When someone refers to "the judgment seat of Christ," we say, "There is no such thing. Look for it in the Greek text and you will see that the term "judgment seat" never appears in reference to believers. The meaning of "bematos" When we study Greek words, what we want to avoid is rambling on and on about the intricacies of Greek grammar, as some do in an attempt to show how much they know. This is classic "wrangling over words". The purpose of studying a Greek word is to recapture what it meant to the original Greek audience (hearers or listeners). This Biblical text was written at a certain point in time to a certain group of people. That is what we want to recapture - what it meant to them. But where do we go to find what the Greek words meant to those people originally? The problem for us is that, as we read the Bible, the words are charged with meaning that we have put into them. Often we put "religious" connotations to words that Paul used as just normal Greek words. Paul was a very educated man. His works are full of quotations from the Greek writers. In fact, in Athens he quoted some Greek poets. He was very familiar with Greek literature and he just used normal, Greek words. He did not use religious words. Example When the Greeks said "good news", they were not saying a transliteration of a foreign word as we do when we say "Gospel", a word loaded with religious connotations. One place to look up Greek words is on the Internet at the "Perseus site" (http://www.perseus.tufts.edu). This site has electronically filed the writings of the great Greek writers: Aristotle, Sophocles, Euripedes, Plato, etc. At this site, anyone can type in a Greek word, then the search engine will go through the database and pull up every occurrence of that word in those writings. I went to the Perseus site, and entered the word "bematos". Every occurrence of the word in Greek literature referred to one of two events: (1) It was an awards ceremony after an athletic event where everyone is standing up and getting their medals, or, (2) it was a general, public exaltation of somebody. Look at this use of the word "bematos" in the writer Antiphon: [Background: There was a Greek soldier who served under a general named Philocrates. The soldier who had rebelled against this general went off and actually joined the enemy army. While this soldier is with the enemy, he gets a message from Philocrates, who is in Athens. The message says:] "I have forgiven you. I want you to come back to Athens and rule with me." [That is preposterous! This soldier comes back to Athens and here is what happens to him...] "The crowning point was reached in the Council-chamber in front of the Council -- heavens, to think of it! -- when Philocrates here himself joined me on the BEMATOS, and he conversed with me, his hand on my arm, addressing me by my name as I addressed him by his. So, this is a description of the "bematos." Here is a former rebel, brought to the bema seat by his general. The two are having an amiable conversation with no rebuke whatsoever for his previous rebellion. In fact, no reference is even made at all to his sin!. There is no remembrance of the sin, and no shame of any kind. Furthermore, the former sinner does not suffer any kind of "loss of reward"! Do you see any kind of judgment going on here? Are there any negative aspects to this at all? When the original readers of Paul heard, "We will appear at the Bematos of Christ," do you think that the words evoked any negative feelings at all? So has the "bematos" been accurately translated as the "judgment seat"? We believe it is not. Then what is the best way to translate "Bematos"? Let us look at another use of the same word, this time from the play "Elektra". "...shall one day receive him as a noble lord, if with the blessing (BEMATOS) of Zeus' escort he, Orestes, returns to this land." Here the word "Bematos" is best translated as "Blessing." If I were going to translate "Bematos", then I would say -- instead of "the judgment seat of Christ" -- "the Blessing Place of Christ" , because that is what the Bema is = the Blessing Place! Should we be afraid of the "BLESSING SEAT?" Now let us look at some of the "yeah buts..." What about 2 Corinthians 5:10? 2 Corinthians 5:10 is often cited as an example of "judgment" at the "bematos". "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." Look specifically at what he is saying. Try not to bring any preconceptions to it. Just look clearly at what he says. If we look at what he clearly says, it will not make any sense! First, he says, "We must all appear before the "blessing seat" of Christ -- so that each one may be recompensed." The word recompensed in English is neutral. One can be recompensed in a good sense or a bad sense. This word in the Greek, however, had only a positive connotation - it meant "rewarded!" What do we know so far? "We will all appear before the blessing seat". What is the purpose? "So that each one of us will be rewarded". Now what does it say we will be rewarded for? "For his deeds in the body, according to what he has done." So far, it is okay; except now we have a problem at the end because he says, "Whether good or bad." Even if it means "valueless", we still have a problem. Look at what he says; don't try to bring preconceived notions to it. He is saying that we will be rewarded for deeds done in the body, whether they are "good" or "bad". • According to the text, what do we get for the good things we have done in the body? -- Rewards. • According to the text what do we get for the "bad things" we have done in the body? -- Rewards. That is what it says. It does not say that we will get rewards for the good things and something else for the bad things. It says that we will be rewarded for the deeds we have done, "whether good or bad." What are the "bad deeds"? Now, what are these "bad deeds"? He says that we are going to be rewarded for the "bad" things done in the body. What are these "bad" things? Are they our sins? No, it cannot be because ... Psalm 103:12 "He has removed our transgressions from us; as far as the east is from the west." Why doesn't He say, "As far as the north is from the south?" Because north and south is a definite line -- it is a long, long way, but there is a definite line - it does not represent an infinite distance. How far is the east from the west? It is infinite. Our sins have been removed, not just out of His presence, but out of the universe. If they have been obliterated out of the universe, then doesn't that mean that when we get to the bematos, the bad deeds done in the body cannot be sins? There are not any. They have disappeared. Now we have to know a little Greek, because the word "bad" here just means "of no value." However, it still does not make much sense. How can we be rewarded for things we did in this life that were of no value? Actually, it does make sense. Here is where I have changed my own thinking. I used to think that there were three categories of works. There was sin that we did, there were good things that we did, and then a lot of things were neither - they were just worthless. But there is no such thing: • Deeds done in the Holy Spirit are good. • Deeds done in the flesh are sin. There is no such middle category. Everything produced through the Holy Spirit is good; everything produced through the flesh is sin. There is not a middle category. This leaves only one conceivable explanation for the fact that we are rewarded for the "valueless" things we did. What we will expect We will expect to be rewarded if we have led people to Christ, if we have done wonderful things. What will amaze us What will amaze us is that there are a lot of things that we did which we thought were just nothing, but for which we will receive rewards.. These are those deeds which meant nothing to us. Maybe we did not know anything good came out of them. We thought, "Oh that was just nothing." We are going to be amazed. He is going to show us our life and He is going to say, "See what you did here? You probably did this just because you wanted to. You may have thought that this was of no value. But all the time I was leading you by my Holy Spirit to do that and look what happened." We will be rewarded for those little things which we thought were valueless. For example, a young woman (a believer) in Austin, Texas came home to her apartment, and, as she came in, turned on the radio which was set to the local Christian station. She was not really paying attention to the radio, as she was busy preparing dinner. However, a young man was lying by the swimming pool, listening to the radio - a message from a local pastor. What he heard intrigued him, so he visited the church and received Christ that Sunday. This was a work which, to the young woman, was nothing - no value at all. But this could very well be a "work" which Jesus will call to her attention at the blessing place! See what a great encouragement this is going to be? The blessing seat is going to be an amazing experience. You know what we will think? We will think, "If I did all those things in my flesh, what am I going to accomplish now that I do not have the flesh?" That is what He is saying. It is nothing but encouragement - for the future. "each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or valueless." I posted this phrase on a Greek language newsgroup on the Internet -- in its original Greek language. I did not post the first part, "We will all appear before the judgment seat of Christ" -- because I did not want these people to know that the passage was from the Bible. These are all secular Greek scholars, most at University Classics Departments. I posted this and asked, "Would anybody translate this phrase for me into English." I received the following responses. • "Everyone of us will receive rewards for the works we did in our bodies, whether they are good or of no value. Sounds like a good deal!!!!!" • "Each of us will be rewarded for our work, whether they are worth anything or not. I want to work for this company!" • "All will get bonuses for what we have done in our bodies, whether they are worthy or worthless." • "Each one will be rewarded for his works (done) in the flesh, whether good (works) or worthless (works)." • "Everyone will receive a reward for his works in the body, based on what he has done, either for good deeds or deeds of no consequence." • "Everyone will receive rewards for the 'good' deeds of the body and for the 'bad' deeds of the body" - this is the deal I want!" • "Each one will be rewarded for his deeds in the body, whether good or bad. I don't recognize this. Apparently the "good" or "bad" is from the perspective of the recipient." This is a very good deal, isn't it? Notice that there is not a hint of dread or punishment here! What about burning of works at the bema seat? I Cor 3:11-13 For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Christ Jesus. Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man's work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is {to be} revealed with fire. What about this picture of burning? Some people have an erroneous picture according to which we stand before Jesus and all of our "bad" works are piled up, the wood, hay and straw, and they are all burned. Is this really a picture of the bema seat? The first thing we have to notice is that he is not talking about anything about the future! Look at the context . He is talking about right now - this life! Notice that the words "to be" are in italics in most versions (I have placed them in brackets); this means that these words are not really there. They have been added by the editors - for clarity!! The incorrect implication that this is a future tense has produced the false conclusion that this is the bema seat. According to this interpretation, there will be some poor believers whose entire work is burned - they are singed, and go into heaven smelling like the Marlboro man. So what is Paul saying? He is saying: God built the foundation -- is the gospel. We received the Gospel by faith. That is not going to change. It is guaranteed. However, in this life - right here and now - we build a foundation on the gospel. Now we can build in one of two ways: • We can build our lives on the Holy Spirit, on His guidance. If we do so, we have security, we have peace, we have power, and we have wisdom to deal with situations. or • We can build it on the flesh. If we do so, we are going to have weakness, we are not going to have any reserve of strength, and we are not going to have wisdom to deal with situations. Those are the two types of houses which we can build on the foundation that is all ready laid. Whichever foundation we build is going to be revealed by "the day" -- not "the day of the Lord", not at the bema seat, but this day - this life. Paul is making the same point that Jesus made in Matthew 13: Matthew 13:3-8: And He spoke many things to them in parables, saying, "Behold, the sower went out to sow; And as he sowed, some seeds fell beside the road, and the birds came and at them up. Others fell on the rocky places, where they did not have much soil; and immediately they sprang up, because they had no depth of soil. But when the sun had risen, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. Others fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked them out. And others fell on the good soil and yielded a crop, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty. Now beginning in verse 19, Jesus interprets the parable for us so we don't have to. Matthew 13:19-21 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is the one on whom seed was sown beside the road. The one on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the man who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; Yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, [He has the foundation of the gospel but he has built a house of flesh. Not gross sin, just self-discipline, self-effort; but what happens when the heat comes?] and when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he falls away [That is equivalent to the seed that fell on the soil that sprang up, but when the day came, it withered away.] Wood and straw mean self-effort, my own strength -- my own education, my own discipline to build my house on top of the gospel which is the foundation. Now "heat" comes. "Heat" refers to the normal trials and persecutions which are part of this fallen world. Peter calls them "fiery trials." Now if we have built a house (a life) based on the resources of the Holy Spirit, when those trials come, we have wisdom and strength to deal with them and we receive a blessing in this life -- from the trials! On the other hand, if we have built a house using the resources of self and flesh, when the heat comes, we lose. It withers. See, he is talking about this life, not the Blessing Place. What is the "wisdom from above"? Does this interpretation of the "Blessing Place" represent "the wisdom from above"? Let us compare this understanding of "judgment" and the "Blessing Seat" with the traditional view -- that we do get judged -- and see which one best fits James' description of "the wisdom from above". James 3:17 But the wisdom from above is first pure [pure means "nothing else but Ivory" -- so here it would mean, "There is one message not corrupted with anything else."], then peaceable [it gives you peace in your spirit -- which of the two interpretations of the Bema Seat gives you peace in your spirit?], gentle [that refers to our emotions; it makes your emotions calm down, become serene -- which of the two interpretations fits?], reasonable, [which of the two interpretations is more reasonable: that the cross completely removed the condemnation from sin, or partially removed it?] full of mercy and good fruits, [which of the two interpretations is merciful? Which motivates is to produce good fruits?] unwavering [means "no shadow of turning."] without hypocrisy [used in drama or theater; refers to wearing a mask -- you are not one thing with a mask on and one thing with it off. God does not say one thing and then say something else behind our backs.] The only Biblical interpretation of the bema seat is that it is a blessing seat. All of our iniquities have been paid. Psalm 103:10 He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor rewarded [recompensed] us according to our iniquities. Not only have all of our sins been paid, they have been utterly and eternally obliterated: Psalm 103:11 - 12 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him. As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. None of this would make any sense if there were judgment upon us -- in this life or in the future! What about you? Wouldn't you rather look forward to being seated in the Blessing Place with your Savior and Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ, having an uplifting and encouraging conversation about your future in Heaven? Radicalgrace.com