Bible Truth #221 - 2 Corinthians 5:10

2 Corinthians 5:10

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

When they read Holy Scripture and see the word “all”, many believers simply and incorrectly assume that the passage is referring to every person ever born. The passage above is just one example of “all” NOT meaning all mankind. I’m sure I do not need to explain this passage because every believer should know that only Christians will stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ, not the lost. The truth of the matter is that Paul was writing to believers in Corinth, not the lost. The first verse of the first chapter makes it clear to whom he is writing - the church in Corinth and ALL the SAINTS in Achaia. (2 Corinthians 1:1)

So when you see the word “ALL” regarding salvation such as 2 Peter 3:9 (Bible Truth #86) and 1 Timothy 2:4 (Bible Truth #125), you MUST consider the context and application of the passage. When the King James Version translators wrote “we must all” in this verse, they translated it from the Greek word pas (Strong’s #3956), which can be used two ways: 1) individually - each, any, every, anyone, etc... OR 2) collectively - some of all types or groups. One of the biggest stumbling blocks Arminians have, and anyone who believes in decisional salvation, is that they believe the Greek word pas can only mean individually (each and every) every time it is used. Besides studying the word itself which should clear it up, I give several examples of “all” being used collectively (some of all types) in Bible Truth #330. The truth may be argued but it can never be refuted. Rarely does “all” mean every human being who was ever born on the planet.

This passage should drive away tradition and other false beliefs as well. Most believers have the mistaken impression that when they sin, if they confess their sin to God, He is faithful and just to forgive them and He throws that sin behind His back as far as the East is from the West. While both statements are true, they have to be applied to our lives correctly - they are NOT combined. Yes, God is faithful and just to forgive our sins (1 John 1:9) but the purpose of that forgiveness is to restore our fellowship with Him, we will still be held accountable. The promise to remove our sins as far as the East is from the West (Psalm 103:12) is a promise to NEW believers. It is a promise referring to the sins we committed before He saved us.

How else would you understand the passage above that tells us that we will receive what is due us for the things we have done during our earthly life, whether good or bad? The bottom line is that we WILL be held accountable for the sins we have committed after He saved us - as Paul clearly writes in his second letter to the Corinthian believers. This is why it is called the Judgment Seat of Christ.