2 Corinthians 5:10

Contextual Overview

¹Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. ¹ For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. ¹ This wall tent we live in here will one day be taken down and put away. What we will get is a brand-new body in heaven that won't flap, sag, or tear. God is going to do us up just right. ¹ For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. ¹For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. ¹ For we are conscious that if this our tent of flesh is taken down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal, in heaven. ¹ For we know that if our earthly tabernacle house be destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. ¹ For we know that if our temporary, earthly dwelling is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal dwelling in the heavens, not made with hands. ¹ For we know that if the earthly house of our tent is dissolved, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal, in the heavens. ¹ For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle be dissolved, we have a building from God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

we: Genesis 18:25, 1 Samuel 2:3, 1 Samuel 2:10, Psalms 7:6-8, Psalms 9:7, Psalms 9:8, Psalms 50:3-6, Psalms 96:10-13, Psalms 98:9, Ecclesiastes 11:9, Ecclesiastes 12:14, Ezekiel 18:30, Matthew 25:31-46, Acts 10:42, Acts 17:31, Romans 14:10-12, 1 Peter 4:5, Jude 1:14, Jude 1:15, Revelation 20:11-15

receive: 2 Corinthians 7:3, 1 Kings 8:32, 1 Kings 8:39, Job 34:11, Psalms 62:12, Isaiah 3:10, Isaiah 3:11, Matthew 16:27, Romans 2:5-10, 1 Corinthians 4:5, Galatians 6:7, Galatians 6:8, Ephesians 6:8, Colossians 3:24, Colossians 3:25, Revelation 2:23, Revelation 20:12, Revelation 20:13, Revelation 22:12

in: Romans 6:12, Romans 6:13, Romans 6:19, Romans 12:1, Romans 12:2, 1 Corinthians 6:12-20

Reciprocal: Genesis 49:10 - the gathering Judges 11:27 - the Judge 2 Samuel 22:25 - recompensed Job 19:4 - mine Job 24:17 - in the terrors Psalms 50:6 - God Psalms 94:2 - thou Proverbs 24:12 - and shall Ecclesiastes 3:17 - God Isaiah 33:22 - the Lord is our judge Isaiah 51:5 - mine Jeremiah 32:19 - to give Ezekiel 33:20 - I will Matthew 18:23 - which Matthew 20:8 - when Matthew 25:19 - reckoneth Matthew 25:32 - before Luke 12:2 - General Luke 16:2 - give John 5:19 - for John 5:22 - General John 16:11 - judgment Acts 2:36 - that same Acts 24:25 - judgment Acts 25:6 - sitting Romans 2:6 - General Romans 2:16 - God 1 Corinthians 4:4 - but 1 Corinthians 13:13 - charity Galatians 6:5 - General 2 Timothy 4:1 - who Hebrews 4:13 - with Hebrews 6:2 - eternal Hebrews 9:27 - but Hebrews 10:30 - The Lord shall Hebrews 13:4 - God Hebrews 13:17 - give account James 3:1 - knowing 2 Peter 2:9 - unto

Gill's Notes on the Bible

For we must all appear,.... This is a reason why the saints are so diligent and laborious, so earnest and intent upon it, to be accepted of the Lord, because they must stand

before the judgment seat of Christ; who is appointed Judge of the whole earth, who is every way qualified for it, being God omnipotent and omniscient; and when he comes a second time will sit upon his great white throne, a symbol of purity and integrity, and will enter on this work, and finish it with the strictest justice and equity: and before him "we must all appear"; all the saints as well as others, ministers and people, persons of all ranks and conditions, of every nation, age, and sex; there will be no avoiding this judgment, all "must appear", or "be made manifest"; they will be set in open view, before angels and men; their persons, characters, and actions, even the most secret will be:

that everyone may receive the things done in his body; which he has performed by the members of the body as instruments thereof, or whatsoever he has done whilst in the body; and so this not only reaches to words and actions, but includes all the secret thoughts of the mind, and counsels of the heart, which will be made manifest: and when it is said, that "everyone shall receive" these; the meaning is, that he shall receive the reward of them,

according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad; the reward of good works will be of grace, and not of merit: good works will be considered at the last judgment, not as causes of eternal life and happiness, to which the saints will be adjudged; but will be produced in open court as fruits of grace, and as evidences of the truth of faith, which will justify the Judge in proceeding according to what he himself, as a Saviour, has said,

he that believeth shall be saved, he that believeth not shall be damned. The reward of bad works will be in strict and just proportion, according to the nature and demerit of them. The Jews say f, that

"all the works which a man does in this world, בגופא, "in the body", and spirit, he must give an account of in body and spirit before he goes out of the world.''

And again g, all the works of men are written in a book, הן ביש

הן טוב, "whether good or evil", and for them all they must give account.

f Zohar in Gen. fol. 57. 3. g Midrash Hanneelim in Zohar in Gen. fol. 75. 4.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

For we must - (δεῖ dei). 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 Romans 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 arranged in one vast assemblage, and with reference to their eternal doom; see Revelation 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-laborers devoted themselves to untiring diligence and fidelity that they might be accepted in that great day.

Appear - (φανερωθῆναι phanerōthēnai). 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; see the John 5:25 note; Acts 10:42; Acts 17:31 notes. 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 Matthew 25:0.

That every one may receive - The word rendered “may receive” κομίσηται komisētai means properly to take care of, to provide for; and in the New Testament, to bear, to bring Luke 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 Ephesians 6:8; Colossians 3:25.

The things - The appropriate reward of the actions of this life. “done in his body.” Literally, “the things by or through (διὰ dia) the body.” Tyndale 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. People 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 forever 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 an 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 recompence. The retribution is to be measured by what has been done in this life. Rewards shall be granted to the friends, and punishments 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.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Corinthians 5:10. For we must all appear before the judgment seat — We labour to walk so as to please him, because we know that we shall have to give a solemn account of ourselves before the judgment seat of Christ; where he, whose religion we profess, will judge us according to its precepts, and according to the light and grace which it affords.

That every one may receive the things — κομισηται εκαστος. That each may receive to himself, into his own hand, his own reward and his own wages.

The things done in his body] That is, while he was in this lower state; for in this sense the term body is taken often in this epistle. We may observe also that the soul is the grand agent, the body is but its instrument. And it shall receive according to what it has done in the body.