For we must all be manifested before the judgement seat of Christ, that every one may receive the proper things of the body, according as he hath done, whether it be good or evil.

“And let the presbyters be compassionate and merciful to all, bringing back those that wander, visiting all the sick, and not neglecting the widow, the orphan, or the poor, but always "providing for that which is becoming in the sight of God and man;" abstaining from all wrath, respect of persons, and unjust judgment; keeping far off from all covetousness, not quickly crediting [an evil report] against any one, not severe in judgment, as knowing that we are all under a debt of sin. If then we entreat the Lord to forgive us, we ought also ourselves to forgive; for we are before the eyes of our Lord and God, and "we must all appear at the judgment-seat of Christ, and must every one give an account of himself." Let us then serve Him in fear, and with all reverence, even as He Himself has commanded us, and as the apostles who preached the Gospel unto us, and the prophets who proclaimed beforehand the coming of the Lord [have alike taught us]. Let us be zealous in the pursuit of that which is good, keeping ourselves from causes of offence, from false brethren, and from those who in hypocrisy bear the name of the Lord, and draw away vain men into error.”

“Those who drag in a doctrine of moral indifference do violence to some few passages of Scripture, thinking that they support their own love of pleasure; in particular, the passage "Sin shall have no authority over you; for you are not subject to sin but to grace." But there are other such passages, which there is no good reason to record for these purposes, as I am not equipping a pirate ship! Let me quickly cut through their attempt. The admirable apostle in person will refute their charge in the words with which he continues the previous quotation: "Well then! Shall we sin because we are no longer under law but under grace? God forbid!" With these inspired prophetic words, at a single stroke he undoes the sophistical skill at the service of pleasure. So they have not understood, it seems, that "we must all appear before Christ's tribunal, where each must receive what is due to him for his physical conduct, good or bad," that is, where a person may receive recompense for what he has done by means of his body. So then, "if any man be in Christ he is a new creation," no longer inclined to sin; "old things are passed away," we have washed off the old life; "behold new things have happened," there is chastity instead of fornication, continence instead of incontinence; righteousness instead of unrighteousness.”

“That Jesus Christ shall come as a Judge. ...Likewise according to John: "The Father judgeth nothing, but hath given all judgment to the Son, that all may honour the Son as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son, honoureth not the Father who hath sent Him." So too in the second Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians: "We must all appear before the judgment-seat of Christ, that every one may bear the things proper to his body, according to those things which he hath done, whether they be good or evil." That nothing that is done is hidden from God. ...Also in the Apocalypse: "And all the churches shall know that I am the searcher of the reins and heart; and I will give to every one of you according to his works." Also in the eighteenth Psalm: "Who understands his faults? Cleanse Thou me from my secret sins, O Lord." Also in the second Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians: "We must all be manifested before the tribunal of Christ, that every one may bear again the things which belong to his own body, according to what he hath done, whether good or evil."”

“Seeing then he has persuaded them by many good things, henceforth he alarms them also by those of gloomier aspect. For our interest consists both in the attainment of the good things and the avoidance of the evil things, in other words, hell and the kingdom. But since this, the avoiding of punishment, is the more forcible motive; for where penalty reaches only to the not receiving good things, the most will bear this contentedly; but if it also extend to the suffering of evil, do so no longer: (for they ought, indeed, to consider the former intolerable, but from the weakness and grovelling nature of the many, the latter appears to them more hard to bear:) since then (I say) the giving of the good things doth not so arouse the general hearer as the threat of the punishments, he is obliged to conclude with this, saying, "For we must all be made manifest before the judgment-seat." Then having alarmed and shaken the hearer by the mention of that judgment-seat, he hath not even here set down the woful without the good things, but hath mingled something of pleasure, saying, "That each one may receive the things done in the body," as many as "he hath done, whether" it be "good or bad." By saying these words, he both reviveth those who have done virtuously and are persecuted with those hopes, and maketh those who have fallen back more earnest by that fear. And he thus confirmed his words touching the resurrection of the body. 'For surely,' sayeth he, 'that which hath ministered to the one and to the other shall not stand excluded from the recompenses: but along with the soul shall in the one case be punished, in the other crowned.' But some of the heretics say, that it is another body that is raised. How so? tell me. Did one sin, and is another punished? Did one do virtuously, and is another crowned? And what will ye answer to Paul, saying, "We would not be unclothed, but clothed upon?" And how is that which is mortal "swallowed up of life?" For he said not, that the mortal or corruptible body should be swallowed up of the incorruptible body; but that corruption [should be swallowed up] "of life." For then this happeneth when the same body is raised; but if, giving up that body, He should prepare another, no longer is corruption swallowed up but continueth dominant. Therefore this is not so; but "this corruptible," that is to say the body, "must put on incorruption." For the body is in a middle state, being at present in this and hereafter to be in that; and for this reason in this first, because it is impossible for the incorruption to be dissolved. "For neither doth corruption inherit incorruption," saith he, (for, how is it [then] incorruption?) but on the contrary, "corruption is swallowed up of life:" for this indeed survives the other, but not the other this. For as wax is melted by fire but itself doth not melt the fire: so also doth corruption melt and vanish away under incorruption, but is never able itself to get the better of incorruption.”

“Here he shows the author of the supernatural desire for the heavenly dwelling. For the cause of the natural desire by which we do not wish to be stripped is that the soul is naturally united to the body, and conversely. But this, that we desire to be clothed over with the heavenly dwelling, is not from nature, but from God. And therefore he says "but he who works us unto this," etc., as if to say: we wish to be clothed over with the heavenly dwelling, yet in such a way that we are not stripped of the earthly, and yet this very thing, that we wish to be so clothed over, God works in us. Phil. 2:13: "It is God who works in us," etc. The reason for this is that upon any nature there follows an appetite fitting to the end of its nature, just as a heavy body naturally tends downward, and desires to rest there. But if there is an appetite for something above its nature, that thing is not moved to that end naturally, but by another that is above its nature. Now it is agreed that to enjoy the heavenly glory and to see God through essence, although it belongs to the rational creature, is nevertheless above its nature; therefore the rational creature is not moved to desire this by nature, but by God himself, "who works us unto this very thing," etc. But how he brings this about he adds, saying "who has given the pledge," etc. Concerning this it must be known that God works in us both natural desires and supernatural ones. Natural ones, indeed, when he gives us the natural spirit fitting to human nature. Gen. 2:7: "he breathed into his face," etc. Supernatural ones, however, he gives when he pours into us the supernatural spirit, namely the Holy Spirit. And therefore he says "he has given us the pledge of the Spirit," that is, the Holy Spirit, causing in us the certainty of this thing, with which we desire to be filled. Eph. 1:13: "you have been sealed with the holy Spirit of promise," etc. He says "pledge," because a pledge ought to be worth only as much as the thing is worth for which it is put down. But it differs from the thing for which it is put down in this: that the thing is possessed with fuller right when it is already had, than the pledge, because the thing is possessed as something one's own, whereas the pledge is kept and held as it were for the certainty of the thing to be had. So it is with the Holy Spirit, for the Holy Spirit is worth as much as the heavenly glory, but it differs in the manner of having, because now we have him as it were unto the certainty of obtaining that glory; but in the homeland we shall have it as a thing already ours, and possessed by us. For then we shall have it perfectly, now imperfectly. Thus, then, the desire of grace is held back by the desire of nature. But is it hindered? No, but the desire of grace conquers. And this is what he says, "daring, therefore," etc., as if to say: there are two desires in the saints: one by which they desire the heavenly dwelling, another by which they do not wish to be stripped. And if these two were compossible, they would not be contrary, and one would not be held back by the other. But the apostle shows that they are incompossible, and that it is necessary that one conquer the other. Hence concerning this he does three things. For first he shows the incompossibility of the said desires; second he inserts a certain proof, at "for by faith," etc.; third he shows which of these conquers, at "but we dare," etc. He shows the incompossibility when he says "daring, therefore," etc. To dare, properly, is to mix oneself into the dangers of death, and not to yield on account of fear. But although the saints naturally fear death, nevertheless they dare toward the dangers of death and do not yield through fear of death. Prov. 28:1: "the just man is confident as a lion." Eccli. 48:13: "in his days he did not fear the prince." And "knowing" — that is, we know — this, which confirms in us boldness, so that we do not fear to die for Christ, since while we are in this mortal body, we are on pilgrimage, that is, we are removed far, from God. Ps. 119:5: "woe is me, that my sojourning," etc. We are on pilgrimage, I say, because we are outside our homeland, which is God, otherwise we would not be said to be on pilgrimage from him. And this is not from our nature, but from his grace. But that we are on pilgrimage from the Lord, he proves when he says "for we walk by faith," that is, we proceed in this life by faith, and not by sight, that is, not by perfect vision. For the word of faith is like a lamp by which we are illuminated for walking in this life. Ps. 118:105: "a lamp to my feet is the word," etc. But in the homeland there will not be a lamp of this kind, because the very brightness of God, that is, God himself, will illuminate it. And therefore then, by sight, that is, by essence, we shall see him. He says, however, "we walk by faith," because faith is of things not seen. For "faith is the substance of things to be hoped for, the evidence of things not appearing," Hebr. 11:1f. But as long as the soul is united to a mortal body, it does not see God through essence. Ex. 33:20: "man shall not see me," etc. Hence, insofar as we assent, by believing those things which we do not see, we are said to walk by faith and not by sight. Thus, then, the incompossibility of the two desires is clear, because we cannot, with this body, be clothed over with the heavenly dwelling; and the proof of this is, that we walk by faith. There follows, consequently, the victory of one of the two desires over the other, namely the desire of grace, when he says "we dare," etc. And "knowing," placed above, ought to be resumed, because the text is left suspended, so that it might be said thus: this, I say, knowing, that while we are in this body, etc., we dare and have a good will, etc. He says two things, of which one imports the resistance which is present in willing, which comes about through fear of death — for where there is fear, there is no daring. For from the appetite of nature arises fear of death, from the appetite of grace arises daring. Therefore he says "we dare." The other imports an imperfection of soul in desiring, because unless it were well desired, the fear of death would not be conquered, since it is quite natural. And therefore it is necessary not only to dare, but to have a good will, that is, to will with joy. For although, according to the Philosopher, in the act of fortitude joy is not required for the perfection of the virtue, as in the other virtues, but only that one not be sorrowful, nevertheless, because the fortitude of the saints is more perfect, they not only are not sorrowful in the dangers of death, but even rejoice. Phil. 1:23: "having the desire to be dissolved," etc. But what do we dare? Rather to be on pilgrimage from the body, that is, to be removed from the body through the dissolution of the body — which is against the desire of nature — and to be present to the Lord, that is, to walk by sight, which is the desire of grace. This the Psalmist desired, Ps. 41:3, who said: "my soul thirsted for God," etc. And note that here he concludes with the same two things which he proposed at the beginning, above, in the second place, namely that if our earthly house of this dwelling be dissolved — which is the same as what he here says, "to be on pilgrimage from the body" — and that we have a dwelling in the heavens not made by hand, and this, which is the same, "to be present to God." By these words is refuted the error of those who say that the souls of the departed saints are not led immediately after death to the vision of God and to his presence, but remain in certain dwelling-places until the day of judgment. For in vain would the saints dare and desire to be on pilgrimage from the body, if, separated from the body, they were not present to God. And therefore it must be said that the saints, immediately after death, see God through essence, and are in the heavenly dwelling. Thus, then, it is clear that the reward which the saints await is inestimable. There follows the matter of preparation for the reward, which comes about through the struggle against temptations and through the exercise of good works, and this is what he says, "therefore we strive," etc. The saints, moreover, are prepared for this reward in three ways: namely, first by pleasing God; second by benefiting the neighbor, at "but knowing the fear of God"; third by putting away from themselves carnal affections, at "and so we," etc. Now they please God by resisting evils, and therefore he says "therefore" — because, namely, our whole desire is that we be present to God — "we strive," that is, we strain with effort, or we labor with struggle and fight, against the temptations of the Devil, the flesh, and the world. Lc. 13:24: "strive to enter by the narrow gate," etc. "To please him," namely God, to whom we desire to be present; and this whether we are absent or present to him: because unless we strive to please him in this life while we are absent, we will not be able to please him, nor to be present to him in the other life. Sap. ch. 4:10: "being pleasing to God, he was made beloved," etc. Consequently, when he says "for we must all be manifested," etc., he adds the reason why the saints strive to please God, which reason indeed is taken from the consideration of the future judgment, where we must all be manifested. Now the apostle sets down five conditions of the future judgment. First he sets down its universality, because no one will be excepted from that judgment. And therefore he says "all of us," that is, all men, good and evil, great and small. Rom. 14:10: "we shall all stand before the tribunal of Christ." Apoc. 20:12: "I saw the dead, small and great, standing in the sight of the lamb," etc. But against this, objection is raised in two ways. First, because it seems that unbelievers will not come to judgment, for "he who does not believe is already judged," as it is said in Io. 3:18. Second, because certain ones will be there as judges, Matth. 19:28: "you shall sit upon seats," etc. Therefore not all will be before the tribunal, to be judged. Response. It must be said that in the judgment there will be two things, namely the pronouncing of the sentence, and the discussion of merits, and as to this, not all will be judged, because those who have totally renounced Satan and his pomps, and in all things have clung to Christ, will not be examined, because they are already gods. But those who in nothing have clung to Christ, neither through faith nor through works, likewise do not need examination, because they have nothing in common with Christ; but those who have something in common with Christ, namely faith, and in some respect have withdrawn from Christ, namely through evil works and depraved desires, will be examined concerning those things which they committed against Christ. Hence, as to this, only sinful Christians will be manifested before the tribunal of Christ. Again, in the judgment there will be the pronouncing of the sentence, and as to this all will be manifested. But concerning children it does not seem so, because it is said that "each one may bring back the things proper to the body according as he has done"; but children have done nothing in the body, therefore, etc. But the Gloss resolves this, because they will not be judged for those things which they themselves have done through themselves, but for those things which they have done through others, insofar as through them they believed or did not believe, were baptized or were not baptized. Or they will be damned for the sin of the first parent. Second, he sets down the certainty of the judgment. In the judgment of men many can be deceived, since some are judged evil who nevertheless are good, and conversely. And the reason for this is that hearts are not made manifest; but in that judgment there will be the most perfect certainty, because there will be there a manifestation of hearts. Hence he says "be manifested." I Cor. 4:5: "do not judge before the time," etc. Third, he sets down the necessity of the judgment, because neither through an interposed person, nor through obstinacy, will anyone be able to escape that judgment. Hence he says "it is necessary," that is, it is a necessary thing. Iob 19:29: "know that there is a judgment." Eccle., last chapter: "God will bring all things that are done," etc. Fourth, he sets down the authority of the judge. Hence he says "before the tribunal of Christ," namely that he may come to judge men in the same form in which he was judged by men, so that, existing in human form, he may be seen by the good and the evil — for the evil cannot see the glory of God. Io. 5:27: "he has given him power to execute judgment," etc. "Tribunal," moreover, signifies judiciary power, and is taken from the ancient custom of the Romans, who chose three tribunes of the people, to whose office it belonged to judge the excesses of the consuls and senators, and the places of these were called tribunals. Fifth, he sets down the equity of the judge, because according to each one's own merits there will be rewards or punishments. Hence he says "that each may bring back," etc. Rom. 2:6: "he will render to each according to his works." And he says "of the body," not only for those things which he did by movement of the body, but for those things which he did in mind, otherwise unbelievers would not be punished. And therefore when he says "of the body," it is to be understood, that is, for those things which he did while he lived in the body.”

“For we must all appear . The particle for gives the reason of what has just been said. We strive to please the Lord in 70 SECOND EPISTLE TO THE all our works, in order that, at the tribunal of Christ, before which we all must stand, we may be gifted with a glorious body, and with the blissful presence of God and the Beatific Vision. We would not be deprived of it with those who, by their evil works, have displeased God. Before the judgment seat of Christ We must all be made manifest to Christ the Judge and to all men before the dread tribunal, that each may see the good and evil deeds of every one. Hence it follows that Paul and the other Apostles must also be judged, but in such a way that at the same time they may be judges of others, and condemn those who have refused to believe (S. Matt xix. 28). That every one may receive the things done in his body , &c. Glory or punishment will be awarded in proportion to each one’s merits or demerits. Observe 1. that the deeds of the body are also deeds of the soul ; for the soul in this life does nothing and can do nothing without the body; so much so, that for thought itself it needs the help of images drawn from corporeal things. In this way what the soul does by the instrumentality of the body is done by the body. 2. Chrysostom points out that each one’s own deeds are here spoken of, because the merits of others, as, e.g., of our parents, will not avail us before the judgment-seat of Christ Cf. Ezek. xiv. 14, 20. If we would think of this tribunal when we are tempted by our companions, by lust, by pride, by gluttony, we should easily overcome them all, and should not suffer ourselves to be drawn away by fear or lust from obedience to the law of God. Cf. Chrysostom (Horn. 10 Moral.). The Pelagians inferred from this verse that infants have no sin, and that there is no such thing as original sin ; for it is said here that Christ, when He comes to judgment, will only call into question the sins that each has committed in his body. But infants have done nothing, nor could do anything of their own ; and, therefore, they conclude that they have no sin on which Christ can pass judgment. S. Augustine ( Ep . 107) answers that this sentence of the Apostle’s UNIVERSAL JUDGMENT 71 reaches even to infants; for, he says, original sin as a habit is theirs individually and inheres in them, but the actual sin of Adam, viz., the eating of the forbidden fruit, which was his own and physically inherent in him, from which original sin as a habit was derived to every one bom from him, may be said to morally belong to each infant, and be regarded as its own proper act; and in this sense they committed this sin, not directly but in Adam ; for the will of Adam was regarded as the will of all his descendants, including even children. But a better answer can be given, and one more in harmony with the Apostle’s meaning, viz., that the Apostle is not speaking of infants but of adults. For he is exhorting them to do all that they can to please God in all things, that each may receive a reward from God proportioned to their deeds. Infants, though they will have to appear before the judgment-seat of Christ, yet will not need to have their works examined nor their demerits, but will receive the punishment due to original sin, as S. Augustine says (Serm. de Omnibus Sanct. and also Nazianzen ( Oral '. 60)”

“Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord,.... Or the fear of the Lord; by which is meant either the grace of the fear of the Lord, implanted in the hearts of the apostles, and in which they acted in their ministry, faithfully dispensing to men the mysteries of grace; from which they could by no means be moved, because the fear of God was before their eyes, and upon their hearts; or rather the terror of the Lord in the last judgment, which will be very great, considering the awfulness of the summons, arise ye dead, and come to judgment; the appearance of the Judge, which will be sudden, surprising, and glorious; the placing of the thrones, the opening of the books, the position of the wicked, the dreadful sentence pronounced on them, and the immediate execution of it; all which the ministers of the word know from the Scriptures of truth; they know the Judge, that there will be a general judgment, and that the day is fixed for it, though they know not the exact time: and therefore persuade men; not that their state is good because of a little outside morality, nor to make their peace with God, or get an interest in Christ, or to convert themselves, neither of which are in the power of men to do; but they endeavour to persuade them by the best arguments they are masters of, taken from the word of God, and their own experience, that they are in a dangerous state and condition, walking in a way that leads to destruction; that they are liable to the curses of the law, the wrath of God, and everlasting ruin; that present duties of religion will not make amends for past sins, nor can their tears atone for their crimes, or any works of righteousness done by them justify them before God; and that salvation is only by Christ, who is both able and willing to save the chief of sinners: and they endeavour to persuade and encourage poor sensible sinners to venture on Christ, and believe in him to the saving of their souls. So the Arabic version reads it, "we persuade men to believe"; though when they have done all they can, these persuasions of theirs are ineffectual, without the powerful and efficacious grace of the Spirit of God; however, in so doing they discharge a good conscience, and act the faithful part to God and men: but we are made manifest unto God; who searches the heart, and tries the reins, who knows all actions, and the secret springs of them; to him the sincerity of our hearts, and the integrity of our conduct, are fully manifest; we can appeal to him that it is his glory, and the good of souls, we have in view in all our ministrations: and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences; that you also can bear witness to our faithfulness and honesty, to the unwearied pains we have taken, and the hearty concern we have shown for the welfare of the souls of men. One of Stephens's copies reads, "and we trust"; which agrees with the apostle's speaking in the first person plural in this, and the preceding verses.”

“For we must all appear before the judgment seat - We labor 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 ἑκαστος· 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.”

“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.”