Joh 5:22, 27, Act 17:31, 2Cor 5:10, 1Pe 4:5 | Barnes | STEP | Verse 22. Judgeth no man . Jesus in these verses is showing his equality with God . He affirmed ( ) that he had the same power over the Sabbath that his Father had; in that he did the same things as the Father; in particularly that he had the same power to raise the dead. He now adds that God has given him the authority to judge men. The Father pronounces judgment on no one. This office he has committed to the Son. The power of judging the world implies ability to search the heart, and omniscience to understand the motives of all actions. This is a work which none but a divine being can do, and it shows, therefore, that the Son is equal to the Father. Hath committed , Hath appointed him to be the judge of the world. In the previous verse he had said that he had power to raise the dead; he here adds that it will be his, also, to judge them when they are raised. See . (t) "hath committed"

John 5:22

Verse 22. Judgeth no man. Jesus in these verses is showing his equality with God. He affirmed (Jn 5:17) that he had the same power over the Sabbath that his Father had; in Jn 5:19 that he did the same things as the Father; in Jn 5:21 particularly that he had the same power to raise the dead. He now adds that God has given him the authority to judge men. The Father pronounces judgment on no one. This office he has committed to the Son. The power of judging the world implies ability to search the heart, and omniscience to understand the motives of all actions. This is a work which none but a divine being can do, and it shows, therefore, that the Son is equal to the Father.

Hath committed, Hath appointed him to be the judge of the world. In the previous verse he had said that he had power to raise the dead; he here adds that it will be his, also, to judge them when they are raised. See Mt 25:31-46, Acts 17:31.

(t) "hath committed" Mt 11:27, Acts 17:31, 2Cor 5:10

John 5:27

Verse 27. Hath given him authority. Hath appointed him to do this. Has made him to be judge of all. This is represented as being the appointment of the Father, Acts 17:31. The word authority here (commonly rendered power) implies all that is necessary to execute judgment--all the physical power to raise the dead, and to investigate the actions and thoughts of the life; and all the moral right or authority to sit in judgment on the creatures of God, and to pronounce their doom.

To execute judgment. To do judgment--that is, to judge. He has appointment to do justice; to see that the universe suffers no wrong, either by the escape of the guilty or by the punishment of the innocent.

Because he is the Son of man. The phrase Son of man here seems to be used in the sense of "because he is a man," or because he has human nature. The term is one which Jesus often gives to himself, to show his union with man and his interest in man. Mt 8:19,20. It is to be remarked here that the word son has not the article before it in the original: "Because he is a Son of man"--that is, because he is a man. It would seem from this that there is a propriety that one in our nature should judge us. What this propriety is we do not certainly know. It may be,

1st. Because one who has experienced our infirmities, and who possesses our nature, may be supposed by those who are judged to be better qualified than one in a different nature.

2nd. Because he is to decide between man and God, and it is proper that our feelings, and nature, and views should be represented in the judge, as well as those of God.

3rd. Because Jesus has all the feelings of compassion we could ask--all the benevolence we could desire in a judge; because he has shown his disposition to defend us by giving his life, and it can never be alleged by those who are condemned that their judge was a distant, cold, and unfriendly being. Some have supposed that the expression Son of man here means the same as Messiah Dan 7:13,14, and that the meaning is that God hath made him judge because he was the Messiah. Some of the ancient versions and fathers connected this with the following verse, thus: "Marvel not because I am a man, or because this great work is committed to a man apparently in humble life. You shall see greater things than these." Thus the Syriac version reads it, and Chrysostom, Theophylact, and some others among the fathers.

(y) "authority" Jn 5:22

Acts 17:31

Verse 31. Because he hath appointed a day. This is given as a reason why God commands men to repent. They must be judged; and if they are not penitent and pardoned, they must be condemned. Rom 2:16.

Whom he hath ordained. Or whom he has constituted or appointed as judge. Acts 10:42. Jn 5:25.

Hath given assurance Has afforded evidence of this. That evidence consists,

(1.) in the fact that Jesus declared that he would judge the nations, Jn 5:25,26 Mt 25, and

(2.) God confirmed the truth of his declaration by raising him from the dead, or gave his sanction to what the Lord Jesus had said, for God would not work a miracle in favour of an imposter.

(g) "a day" Rom 2:16 (*) "ordained" "Appointed" (1) "given assurance" "offered faith"

2 Corinthians 5:10

Verse 10. For we must. δει. It is proper, fit, necessary that we should all appear there. This fact to which Paul now refers is another reason why it was necessary to lead a holy life, and why Paul gave himself with so much diligence and self-denial to the arduous duties of his office. There is a necessity or a fitness that we should appear there to give up our account, for we are here on trial; we are responsible moral agents; we are placed here to form characters for eternity. Before we receive our eternal allotment, it is proper that we should render our account of the manner in which we have lived, and of the manner in which we have improved our talents and privileges. In the nature of things, it is proper that we should undergo a trial before we receive our reward, or before we are punished; and God has made it necessary and certain, by his direct and positive appointment, that we should stand at the bar of the final Judge. See Rom 14:10.

All. Both Jews and Gentiles; old and young; bond and free; rich and poor; all of every class, and every age, and every nation. None shall escape by being unknown; none by virtue of their rank or wealth; none because they have a character too pure to be judged; All shall be arraigned in one vast assemblage, and with reference to their eternal doom. See Rev 20:12. Rosenmuller supposes that the apostle here alludes to an opinion that was common among the Jews, that the Gentiles only would be exposed to severe judgments in the future world, and that the Jews would be saved as a matter of course. But the idea seems rather to be, that as the trial of the great day was the most important that man could undergo, and as all must give account there, Paul and his fellow-labourers devoted themselves to untiring diligence and fidelity that they might be accepted in that great day.

Appear. φανερωθηναι. This word properly means, to make apparent, manifest, known; to show openly, etc. Here it means that we must be manifest, or openly shown; that is, we must be seen there, and be publicly tried. We must not only stand there, but our character will be seen, our desert will be known, our trial will be public. All will be brought from their graves, and from their places of concealment, and will be seen at the judgment-seat. The secret things of the heart and the life will all be made manifest and known.

The judgment seat of Christ. The tribunal of Christ, who is appointed to be the Judge of quick and dead. Jn 5:25 Acts 10:42; Acts 17:31. Christ is appointed to judge the world; and for this purpose he will assemble it before him, and assign to all their eternal allotments. See Mt 25.

That every one may receive. The word rendered may receive (κομισηται) means, properly, to take care of, to provide for; and in the New Testament, to bear, to bring, (Lk 7:37,) to acquire, to obtain, to receive. This is the sense here. Every individual shall take, receive, or bear away the appropriate reward for the transactions of this life of probation. See Eph 6:8, Col 3:25.

The things. The appropriate reward of the actions of this life.

Done in his body. Literally, "the things by or through (δια) the body." Tindal renders it, "the works of his body." The idea is, that every man shall receive an appropriate reward for the actions of this life. Observe here,

(1.) that it is the works done in or through the body; not which the body itself has done. It is the mind, the man that has lived in the body, and acted by it, that is to be judged.

(2.) It is to be for the deeds of this life; not for what is done after death. Men are not to be brought into judgment for what they do after they die. All beyond the grave is either reward or punishment; it is not probation. The destiny is to be settled for ever by what is done in this world of probation.

(3.) It is to be for all the deeds done in the body; for all the thoughts, plans, purposes, words, as well as for all the outward actions of the man. All that has been thought or done must come into review, and man must give account for all.

According to that he hath done. As an exact retribution for all that has been done. It is to be a suitable and proper recompense. The retribution is to be measured by what has been done in this life. Rewards shall be granted to the friends, and punishment to the foes of God, just in proportion to, or suitably to, their deeds in this life. Every man shall receive just what, under all the circumstances, he OUGHT to receive, and what will be impartial justice in the case. The judgment will be such that it will be capable of being seen to be right; and such as the universe at large, and as the individuals themselves, will see OUGHT to be rendered.

Whether it be good or bad. Whether the life has been good or evil. The good will have no wish to escape the trial; the evil will not be able. No power of wickedness, however great, will be able to escape from the trial of that day; no crime that has been concealed in this life will be concealed there; no transgressor of law who may have long escaped the punishment due to his sins, and who may have evaded all human tribunals, will be able to escape there.

(a) "For we must" Rom 14:10 (b) "the things" Eph 6:8, Rev 22:12

1 Peter 4:5

Verse 5. Who shall give account. That is, they shall not do this with impunity. They are guilty in this of a great wrong, and they must answer for it to God.

That is ready to judge. That is, "who is prepared to judge"-- τωετοιμωςεχοντι. See the phrase used in Acts 21:13: "I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem." 2Cor 12:14 "The third time I am ready to come to you." Compare the word ready--ετοιμος in Mt 22:4,8, 24:44, 25:10, Lk 12:40, 22:33, 1Pet 1:5. The meaning is, not that he was about to do it, or that the day of judgment was near at hand--whatever the apostle may have supposed to be true on that point--but that he was prepared for it; all the arrangements were made with reference to it; there was nothing to hinder it.

To judge the quick and the dead. The living and the dead; that is, those who shall be alive when he comes, and those in their graves. This is a common phrase to denote all who shall be brought before the bar of God for judgment. Acts 10:42. 1Thes 4:16; 1Thes 4:17; 2Ti 4:1. The meaning in this connexion seems to be, that they should bear their trials and the opposition which they would meet with patiently, not feeling that they were forgotten, nor attempting to avenge themselves; for the Lord would vindicate then when he should come to judgment, and call those who had injured them to an account for all the wrongs which they had done to the children of God.

(*) "quick" "Living"