2 Corinthians 5:10

10. It is not easy to accept φαῦλον (אC and some cursives) as more probable than κακόν (BDFGKLP). Fathers and editors are divided. In Romans 9:11 the balance of evidence is clearly for φαῦλον.

10. τοὺς γὰρ πάντας ἡμᾶς. First with great emphasis: For all (1 Corinthians 10:17) of us must be made manifest (1 Corinthians 4:5) before the judgment seat of Christ. This is a reason for aiming at Christ’s approval; every Christian, whether Apostle or not, whether in the body or out of it at the time of His Advent, will, by Divine decree (δεῖ), have to come before Him for approbation or condemnation, there to be made manifest (2 Corinthians 3:3) by having his real character disclosed (John 3:21; Ephesians 5:13; Colossians 3:4; Revelation 3:18; Revelation 15:4). φανερωθῆναι is stronger than ‘appear’ (A.V.), which is φαίνεσθαι.

ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ βήματος. Comp. Romans 14:10. The word is used of earthly judgment-seats Matthew 27:19; John 19:13; and often in Acts. In the LXX. it is a ‘pulpit’ or ‘platform,’ rather than a ‘judgment seat’ (1Es 9:42; Nehemiah 3:4; 2Ma 13:26), or a ‘footstep, walk’ (Deuteronomy 2:5; Sir 19:30; Sir 45:9).

τοῦ βήματος τοῦ χριστοῦ. See also Polycarp 6. In Romans 14:10 we have τῷ βήματι τοῦ θεοῦ. “It is important to notice how easily St Paul passes from Χριστός to θεός. The Father and the Son were in his mind so united in function that they may often be interchanged. God, or Christ, or God through Christ, will judge the world. Our life is in God, or in Christ, or with Christ in God” (Sanday and Headlam ad loc.).

ἵνα κομίσηται ἕκαστος. That each one may receive. The treatment will be individual, soul by soul. From implying that what is received is one’s own or one’s due (Tob 7:12-13; 2Ma 7:11) κομίζομαι easily acquires the sense of ‘am requited for’ (Colossians 3:25; Ephesians 6:8; Leviticus 20:17). It is used of receiving wages and reaping a reward (2 Peter 2:13; 2Ma 8:33).

τὰ διὰ τοῦ σώματος. The things (done) by means of the body as an instrument, and therefore while the agent ἐνδημεῖ ἐν τῷ σώματι. In Plato we have such expressions as ἡδοναί, or αἰσθήσεις, αἱ διὰ τοῦ σώματος.

πρὸς ἃ ἔπραξεν, εἰτε�. See critical note. It is of course more probable that κακόν should have been substituted for the less common φαῦλον, than that φαῦλον should have been substituted for κακόν. But φαῦλον is so common of moral evil (Aristotle passim), that a copyist might have thought it more appropriate here than the vaguer κακόν (see on 2 Corinthians 13:7). Therefore the alteration of κακόν into φαῦλον is not impossible. For this use of πρὸς comp. Luke 12:47; Galatians 2:14 : according to the things which he did while in the body, whether he did good or did bad. The neuter singular sums up the single acts (τὰ διὰ τ. σ.) as one result. There are gradations of recompense (2 Corinthians 9:6); but nothing is said here either for or against the doctrine of a probation after death. There is silence as to the possibility of such probation. The Apostle says that all Christians will have to answer, each by himself, for what has been done by them in this life. The natural, but not necessary, implication is, that there will be no other period in which either reward or punishment can be earned. Nor is there anything to show whether S. Paul thought of the judgment of each person as taking place when he left this world, or as being deferred till Christ’s Return to judge all who are still in the body.

2 Corinthians 5:11 to 2 Corinthians 6:10. THE LIFE OF AN APOSTLE

It is not easy to find a suitable heading for this section, which, although consecutive, touches on a variety of topics connected with the office of an Apostle and with S. Paul’s own life and experiences. But there is a marked transition from the Sufferings and Supports of an Apostle (2 Corinthians 4:7 to 2 Corinthians 5:10) to matters which do not fall under that head. He once more makes personal explanations as to his conduct, and in particular as to his work in the capacity of a preacher (2 Corinthians 5:11-19), of an ambassador (2 Corinthians 5:20-21), and of a minister (2 Corinthians 6:1-10). All this has been of a character which ought to commend him to those among whom he has worked.