75:7 For God is the judge! 1
He brings one down and exalts another. 2
14:10 But you who eat vegetables only – why do you judge your brother or sister? 8 And you who eat everything – why do you despise your brother or sister? 9 For we will all stand before the judgment seat 10 of God. 14:11 For it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow to me, and every tongue will give praise to God.” 11 14:12 Therefore, each of us will give an account of himself to God. 12
20:11 Then 15 I saw a large 16 white throne and the one who was seated on it; the earth and the heaven 17 fled 18 from his presence, and no place was found for them. 20:12 And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne. Then 19 books were opened, and another book was opened – the book of life. 20 So 21 the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to their deeds. 22
1 tn Or “judges.”
2 tn The imperfects here emphasize the generalizing nature of the statement.
3 tn Or “ruler.”
4 sn Will not the judge of the whole earth do what is right? For discussion of this text see J. L. Crenshaw, “Popular Questioning of the Justice of God in Ancient Israel,” ZAW 82 (1970): 380-95, and C. S. Rodd, “Shall Not the Judge of All the Earth Do What Is Just?” ExpTim 83 (1972): 137-39.
5 tn Or “condemn.”
6 tn Or “given,” or “handed over.”
7 tn Grk “all.” The word “people” is not in the Greek text but is supplied for stylistic reasons and for clarity (cf. KJV “all men”).
9 tn Grk “But why do you judge your brother?” The introductory phrase has been supplied in the translation to clarify whom Paul is addressing, i.e., the “weak” Christian who eats only vegetables (see vv. 2-3). The author uses the singular pronoun here to rhetorically address one person, but the plural has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons.
10 tn Grk “Or again, why do you despise your brother?” The introductory phrase has been supplied in the translation to clarify whom Paul is addressing, i.e., the “strong” Christian who eats everything (see vv. 2-3). The author uses the singular pronoun here to rhetorically address one person, but the plural has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons.
11 sn The judgment seat (βῆμα, bhma) was a raised platform mounted by steps and sometimes furnished with a seat, used by officials in addressing an assembly or making pronouncements, often on judicial matters. The judgment seat was a familiar item in Greco-Roman culture, often located in the agora, the public square or marketplace in the center of a city.
11 sn A quotation from Isa 45:23.
13 tc ‡ The words “to God” are absent from some
15 tn The infinitive περιπατῆσαι (peripathsai, “to walk, to live, to live one’s life”) is best taken as an infinitive of purpose related to “praying” (προσευχόμενοι, proseucomenoi) and “asking” (αἰτούμενοι, aitoumenoi) in v. 9 and is thus translated as “that you may live.”
16 tn BDAG 129 s.v. ἀρεσκεία states that ἀρεσκείαν (areskeian) refers to a “desire to please εἰς πᾶσαν ἀ. to please (the Lord) in all respects Col 1:10.”
17 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.
18 tn Traditionally, “great,” but μέγας (megas) here refers to size rather than importance.
19 tn Or “and the sky.” The same Greek word means both “heaven” and “sky,” and context usually determines which is meant. In this apocalyptic scene, however, it is difficult to be sure what referent to assign the term.
20 tn Or “vanished.”
19 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
20 tn Grk “another book was opened, which is of life.”
21 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the books being opened.
22 tn Grk “from the things written in the books according to their works.”