II Corinthians 5:10
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For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive his due for the things done in the body, whether good or bad.
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
appear--rather, "be made manifest," namely, in our true character. So "appear," Greek, "be manifested" (Col 3:4; compare Co1 4:5). We are at all times, even now, manifest to God; then we shall be so to the assembled intelligent universe and to ourselves: for the judgment shall be not only in order to assign the everlasting portion to each, but to vindicate God's righteousness, so that it shall be manifest to all His creatures, and even to the conscience of the sinner himself. receive--His reward of grace proportioned to "the things done," &c. (Co2 9:6-9; Jo2 1:8). Though salvation be of grace purely, independent of works, the saved may have a greater or less reward, according as he lives to, and labors for, Christ more or less. Hence there is scope for the holy "ambition" (see on Co2 5:9; Heb 6:10). This verse guards against the Corinthians supposing that all share in the house "from heaven" (Co2 5:1-2). There shall be a searching judgment which shall sever the bad from the good, according to their respective,deeds, the motive of the deeds being taken into account, not the mere external act; faith and love to God are the sole motives recognized by God as sound and good (Mat 12:36-37; Mat 25:35-45), done in his body--The Greek may be, "by the instrumentality of the body"; but English Version is legitimate (compare Greek, Rom 2:27). Justice requires that substantially the same body which has been the instrument of the unbelievers' sin, should be the object of punishment. A proof of the essential identity of the natural and the resurrection body.
Open source ↗The apostle proceeds in showing the reasons why they did not faint under their afflictions, namely, their expectation, desire, and assurance of happiness after death (Co2 5:1-5), and deduces an inference for the comfort of believers in their present state (Co2 5:6-8), and another to quicken them in their duty (Co2 5:9-11). Then he makes an apology for seeming to commend himself, and gives a good reason for his zeal and diligence (Co2 5:12-15), and mentions two things that are necessary in order to our living to Christ, regeneration and reconciliation (Co2 5:16 to the end).
Open source ↗Cross-references
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For the Son of Man will come in His Father’s glory with His angels, and then He will repay each one according to what he has done.
“Behold, I am coming soon, and My reward is with Me, to give to each one according to what he has done.
For God will bring every deed into judgment, along with every hidden thing, whether good or evil.
because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free.
and loving devotion to You, O Lord. For You will repay each man according to his deeds.
Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God.
before the LORD, for He comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness and the peoples with equity.
But they will have to give an account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.
For He has set a day when He will judge the world with justice by the Man He has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising Him from the dead.”
And He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that He is the One appointed by God to judge the living and the dead.