What is "the doctrine of eternal judgment"? According to the above inspired words, it is part of that body of divinity styled "the principles of the doctrine of Christ."
One cannot teach about Christ without teaching about repentance, faith, cleansing, gifts, resurrection, and about the coming day of judgment. The "doctrine of eternal judgment," of everlasting condemnation, etc., is part of the "doctrine of Christ." It is also part of "the gospel." It is part of preaching the gospel to warn men of this coming day and to exhort them to prepare for it. Wrote Paul: "In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel." (Rom. 2:16)
Commented Albert Barnes:
"of eternal judgment...This is the sixth element or principle of religion. It is, that there will be a judgment whose consequences will be eternal. It does not mean, of course, that the process of the judgment will be eternal, or that the judgment day will continue forever; but that the results or consequences of the decision of that day will continue for ever. There will be no appeal from the sentence, nor will there be any reversal of the judgment then pronounced. What is decided then will be determined forever. The approval of the righteous will fix their state eternally in heaven, and in like manner the condemnation of the wicked will fix their doom forever in hell. This doctrine was one of the earliest that was taught by the Saviour and his apostles, and is inculcated in the New Testament perhaps with more frequency than any other; see Acts 17:31. That the consequences or results of the judgment will be “eternal,” is abundantly affirmed; see Matthew 25:46; John 5:29;; 2 Thessalonians 1:9; Mark 9:45, Mark 9:48."
Sobering words! Men may scoff at the idea of eternal judgment, condemnation, and punishment, but the scriptures are quite clear in their affirmation of it.
The Promise For Believers
"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life." (John 5: 24 KJV)
"Shall not come into condemnation (εἰς κρίσιν οὐκ ἔρχεται)" obviously does not mean that believers will not be judged in the day of judgment. What it does mean is that he will not be found guilty and condemned. The Greek word for "condemnation" in this passage is "krisin" (from which we get our word "crisis") and simply denotes judgment, and is sometimes used in reference to the final judgment. It also may denote the adverse result of such judgment, that is, punishment or penalty. Said Dr. Gill in his commentary: "though he may come into judgment, yet not into condemnation: he shall stand in judgment, and be acquitted by the righteousness of Christ, which he, by faith, receives as his justifying righteousness." Expositor's Greek Testament says:
I have not read all Godet said on this passage, but I find that he did say this, which seems to contradict what was said above about his views.
Godet - "The all is prefixed to remind us that no one will escape from that judge. It is well said, no doubt, John 5:24, that the believer “shall not come into judgment;” but that does not mean that he shall not appear before the tribunal (2 Cor. 5:10). Only he will appear there to be owned as one who has already voluntarily judged himself by the light of Christ’s word and under the discipline of His Spirit."
"Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." (KJV)
In this passage the Greek word is different than in John 5: 24, being from the Greek word κατάκριμα (katakrima). This word is used only three times in the NT, two in Romans 5 and the other here. In both passages in Romans 5, "judgment" precedes "condemnation." They say "judgment (krima) was by one to condemnation (katakrima)" (5:16) and "judgment came upon all men to condemnation" (5:18).
Judgment (krima from kríno = to judge; suffix –ma indicates result of judging) denotes the result of the action signified by verb krino and thus is a judicial sentence from the magistrate. It is the sentence pronounced, the verdict, the act of judging. Krima signifies judgment carried out. Strong says it is "an adverse sentence (the verdict):—condemnation." Thayer says it is a "damnatory sentence, condemnation." Barnes writes that krima means...
The sentence; the declared penalty. The word expresses, properly, the sentence which is passed by a judge. Here it means the sentence which God passed, as a judge, on Adam for the one offence, involving himself and his posterity in ruin, Ge 2:17; Ge 3:17-19. (Commentary)
In Greek katá, meaning "down, according to," intensifies kríma and means "the results of judgment." It denotes the sentence of condemnation handed down after due process has established guilt. The idea is of judgment coming down on someone. And, of course, condemnation is essentially the opposite of justification.
Katakrima means to judge someone as definitely guilty and thus subject to punishment, which accounts for the literal translation of "adverse judgment and resultant punishment." It is a legal technical term for the result of judging, including both the sentence and the execution or the sentence followed by a suggested punishment. Katakrima is always an adverse verdict. Stated another way, katakrima (condemnation) relates to the sentencing for a crime, but its primary focus is not so much on the verdict as on the penalty that the verdict demands.
A believer should know that he is safe from condemnation. He carries his pardon in his hand. The Christian's confidence comes from the very Judge himself who sits upon the throne.
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