I refuse to be a judge of these things.’ And he drive them from the tribunal. But since it is a matter of questions about words and names and your own law, see to it yourselves. People love to have another man on the judgment seat because he will put other people to death for man loves darkness (John 3:19).īut when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews made a united attack on Paul and brought him before the tribunal, saying, ‘This man is persuading people to worship God contrary to the law.’ But when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, ‘If it were a matter of wrongdoing or vicious crime, O Jews, i would have reason to accept your complaint. And, when the people saw Herod, a man, sitting on the judgment seat, they shouted, “The voice of a god, and not of a man!” This was the type of authority Herod wielded.

It’s not apparent because of the English translation, but the word bema, the judgment seat, is used seven times in the book of Acts.Īcts 12:21 says, “On an appointed day, Herod put on his royal robes, took his seat upon the throne, and delivered an oration to them.” A few verses earlier, Herod had just found the soldiers who let Peter escape from prison worthy of death. For Pilate, “while he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, ‘Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered much because of him today in a dream.’” (Matthew 27:19) Not only is man’s judgment seat used to determine whether a man should or die, man’s judgment seat will put a perfectly righteous, perfectly innocent man to death. In John 19, man’s judgment seat is used to judge Jesus, and therefore God, worthy of death, crucifixion.īut, not just any man was judged worthy of death from the judgment seat. So, we see that man’s judgment seat, for Pilate’s judgment seat had the authority of Caesar behind it, was to judge an individual worthy of life and death. The Jews are choosing Caesar, man, to be their king, instead of Jesus, God. Now, the Jews are literally rejecting God as king by demanding Jesus’ crucifixion.

So, in John 19, we see the prophetic fulfillment of Israel’s rejection of God as king played out in the life of Jesus. But God told Samuel, “Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them.” Now appoint for us a king to judge us like all the nations.’” (1 Samuel 8:4-5) This upset Samuel. “Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel Ramah and said to him, ‘Behold, you are old and your sons do not walk in your ways. The scene is harkens back to Israel’s demand for a king when Samuel was old. After this threat from the Jews, John 19:13, quoted above, says that Pilate brought Jesus out and sat down on the judgment seat, the bema.ĭespite the threat, Pilate says to the Jews, “Behold your King!” But, the Jews responded, “Away with him, away with him, crucify him!” Pilate asked, “Shall I crucify your king?” And, the chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.” Everyone who makes himself a king opposes Caesar.” If Pilate released Jesus, then the Jews would claim that Pilate was committing treason against Caesar because he would be acknowledging another king other than Caesar. But the Jews cried out, “If you release this man, you are not Caesar’s friend. The judgment seat, bema, is found twice in the gospels regarding Jesus’ trial. Of the other 11 verses, nine are used in reference to man’s judgment seat while just two are used in reference to the judgment seat of God and Christ. One of the uses (Acts 7:5) is basically a unit of measure, a foot’s length, so we will not look at verse. The word bema is used 12 times in the New Testament. Or, is it man’s judgment seat that is about life and death?ĭo you know that the New Testament has more to say about the judgment seat, the bema, of man than it does of God or Christ? Instead, he will send you to hell, eternal punishment.īut, is this what “the judgment seat of God”, “the judgment seat of Christ” about? Is their judgment seat about life and death?

If you don’t, then God will not give you eternal life. Everyone will be brought before the judgment seat of Christ. Many Christians seem to think the following. “So when Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called The Stone Pavement, and in Aramaic Gabbatha.” – John 19:13Ĭhristians seem to have a strange fascination with the judgment seat, the bema.

The bema judgment seat of christ