Question: You said that Christ commands his servants to judge and that Christ himself judged. But in John 3:17 and John 12:47 Christ says he came not to Judge. How do you explain that?
Donald Bohanon: In John 3:17 and John 12;47 Christ is talking about a different kind and phase of judgment which God will do at a specific time.Which is emphasized in Revelation 20:11-15. Which is a time when all men will stand before God and Christ and give an account for the things done in this physical body.
To give an account for their works and or behavior. That same judgment that God will execute is also emphasized in Ecclesiastes 12:13-14, Romans 2:16, and 2 Corinthians 5:10-11 . Also notice John 12:47-48 where Christ emphasizes the difference between the judgment he and God will perform. Christ emphasizes here that he came not into the world in his physical body to judge it unto condemnation, but to save it in terms of laying his life down for the sins of men.
The primary point being, his purpose was to die for the sins of men, not to judge them in terms of pronouncing sentence and punishment for their sins at that time . But he does emphasize that any man or woman who rejects his words/instruction/judgment, God will judge that man or woman at the last day John 12:48. That judgment is exclusive to God and he will execute or perform it, which involves holding all men and women responsible for their actions. But if you notice in John 8:26 and John 9:39 below.
Ecclesiastes 12:13-14
King James Version (KJV)
13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.
John 8:26
King James Version (KJV)
26 I have many things to say and to judge of you: but he that sent me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I have heard of him.
John 9:39
King James Version (KJV)
39 And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.
John 12:47-48
King James Version (KJV)
47 And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.
48 He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.
Romans 2:16
King James Version (KJV)
16 In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.
2 Corinthians 5:10-11
King James Version (KJV)
10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
11 Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.
Revelation 20:11-15
King James Version (KJV)
11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
Christ emphasizes that he came into the world to judge,or in his physical life, to judge. Now is Christ contradicting himself or the bible contradicting itself? Absolutely not.The judgment Christ is emphasizing is in the context of exposing the evil that’s in the world and calling it what it is or was at that time, when he walked the earth. Something that he did in Matthew 23:13-33 and commands in Matthew 23:23 and John 7:24.
Matthew 23:13-33
King James Version (KJV)
13 But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.
14 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.
15 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.
16 Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor!
17 Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?
18 And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty.
19 Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift?
20 Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon.
21 And whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein.
22 And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon.
23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.
24 Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.
25 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.
26 Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.
27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness.
28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
29 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous,
30 And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.
31 Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets.
32 Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.
33 Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?
Matthew 23:23
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.
And this is the same judgment he commands his servants to apply or engage in in Matthew 23:23 and John 7:24. These are two separate and distinct forms of judgment done at different times.One is based on God judging the works or behavior of all men when they stand before him, a judgment God will perform.God will do the judging and condemning.
The other is based on Christ exposing evil in all it’s forms and calling it what it is, when he walked the earth. In fact the judgment that Christ said he came into the world to do in John 8:26 and John 9:39 is designed to prevent or avert condemnation in the judgment outlined in Romans 2:16, 2 Corinthians 5:10-11, and Revelation 20:11-15.By encouraging or urging the evil doer to depart from the evil to prevent them from being condemned for their evil.
Some may argue that Christ will judge in that judgment as well, based on what’s outlined in 2 Corinthians 5:10-11… but when you consider that Christ sits in the throne of God, and is God, but yet separate, in that context we will stand before the judgment seat of Christ as well,but God will do the judging primarily.But God is Christ and Christ is God, as is emphasized throughout the bible.So in that context one can argue that they both will be judging.
The judgment seat of Christ is the throne of God, which Christ also occupies, notice Revelation 3:21. So in that context mankind is standing before the judgment seat of Christ as well.But keep in mind Christ and God are one and the same.
So to put it in a nutshell and better clarify it, when Christ said “he came not to judge but to save” that is what he meant, and that is he came not into the world to judge or condemn it at that time, but to save it in terms of laying down his life for the sins of men.
The other judgment he outlines is in the context of God/Christ judging in terms of holding all men responsible for their actions/behavior/works at a specific time when they stand before him/them/God/Christ in the judgment. I hope this adequately answers your question.
Matthew 23:23
23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.
John 7:24
King James Version (KJV)
24 Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.
John 8:26
King James Version (KJV)
26 I have many things to say and to judge of you: but he that sent me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I have heard of him.
John 9:39
King James Version (KJV)
39 And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.
Revelation 3:21
King James Version (KJV)
21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.