Romans 14:10

the same subject: mutual care and love more important and sacred than eager assertions of liberty

10. But why dost thou "Thou" is strongly emphatic here, as in contrast to the Lord. So just below, in the next sentence. Cp. Romans 14:4.

thy brother Here, evidently, "thy brother in Christ;" one of the "many brethren" who are such as being adopted by the Eternal Father in the supreme Elder Brother (Romans 8:29. See also on Romans 12:10).

all Strongly emphatic; the critic as well as the criticized will be there all on one level.

the judgment seat Lit. the bema; the Gr. equivalent of the Lat. tribunal. (Same word as e.g. Matthew 27:19; Acts 18:16-17). The great Session is imaged under the forms of imperial law.

of Christ The true reading, probably, is of God. On the interchange of the words Christand Godin this context, see on Romans 14:6. It is significant that in 2 Corinthians 5:10 (the best commentary on this passage) the undoubted reading is, as in E. V., "of Christ."

The "judgment seat" here is that of the Great Day, when "the books will be opened." This passage by no means implies that the Christian must wait till then to know whether he is accepted or not; a thought which would contradict both the letter and spirit of e.g. ch. Romans 5:1-11; Romans 5:8. (See especially also 2 Timothy 4:8.) But it does imply that the judicial declaration of his acceptance, and also of the Lord's verdict upon his life of new obedience, will be made to him as to one at the barand before the Judge. The Judge will be his Brother, but yet his Judge, his King.