Jehovah's Witness since you believe that you, yourself die to pay for your sins, how does that reconcile with 2 Corinthians 5:10?

For clarification, Jehovah's Witnesses believe that death ACQUITS a person from his sin. That's how they have translated Romans 6:7 in their NWT: "For he who has died has been acquitted from his sin." Their thinking goes something like this:

The wages of sin is death (true)

Death acquits a person from their sin (false)

Virtually everyone will be resurrected to get a second chance to be saved (false)

Judgment Day lasts for the duration of the thousand year reign of Christ Jesus (false)

During this thousand years, the resurrected dead get another chance to be saved (false)

Wages are earned and because we are all sinners that is why we all die. We get our just reward. So far, so good. But death does not mean that the person has now been acquitted! Death is what we all deserve.

Man is destined to die once, and after that, to face judgment (Hebrews 9:27). Nowhere does the Bible say people who have died in their sin get a second chance. They are judged on the basis of what they said and did while alive.

Revelation 20 describes how the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus are part of the first resurrection - they reign with Christ for a thousand years. But the rest of the dead do not come to life until the thousand years are over (Revelation 20:5). So how the Witnesses conclude that billions of dead people are resurrected during the thousand years in order to be judged then is beyond me.

The Bible is clear: "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due to him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad" (2 Corinthians 5:10).

The judgment seat of Christ is in heaven, by the way. More information about that in the first link below. The second judgment is that of unbelievers who will be judged at the Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:11-15). This judgment does not determine salvation, either. Everyone at the Great White Throne is an unbeliever who has rejected Christ in life and is therefore already doomed to the lake of fire. Revelation 20:12 says that unbelievers will be “judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.” Those who have rejected Christ as Lord and Savior will be judged based on their works alone, and because the Bible tells us that “by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified” (Galatians 2:16), they will be condemned. No amount of good works and the keeping of God’s laws can be sufficient to atone for sin. All their thoughts, words and actions will be judged against God’s perfect standard and found wanting. There will be no reward for them, only eternal condemnation and punishment. More information in the second link below.

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. 2 Cor. 5:10

You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or why do you treat them with contempt? For we will all stand before God's judgment seat. It is written: "'As surely as I live,' says the LORD, 'every knee will bow before me; every tongue will acknowledge God.'" Rom. 14:10-11

that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Phil. 2:10-11

They can't reconcile those honestly because they believe their salvation and judgment rests in the hands of an angel. They also don't believe they will literally stand before Jesus and be judged. Perhaps they believe they are in the one true religion, the one supposedly chosen by Jesus, and this will be good enough, that He will overlook the wrongs - as before, like when they were celebrating Christmas, birthdays, praising pyramids and using the cross.

Based on scripture, I think it would probably go something like this. Jesus: "You're imperfect and believed wrongly about being able to die a physical death and be acquitted from sin? Get away from me! I never knew you." But, I'm not the judge. All I can say is they're wrong and that they need to repent and come to the Lord Jesus - and find out what the Bible REALLY teaches.

I think your question should be reworded to:

Jehovah's Witnesses since you believe that resurrected persons are not judged for sinful acts committed before they died, how does that reconcile with 2 Corinthians 5:10?

How its currently worded kinda clouds the issue, that is assuming that I understand what you're really asking.

2 Corinthians 5:10 makes it very clear that resurrected persons "before the judgment seat of christ" are judged for sins they committed before death ("while in the body"). The truth is JWs cannot reconcile their teaching with this scripture except by dishonestly twisting the meaning of the verse.

There's also another text in the gospels where Jesus told his listeners that people will be judged (in the future judgment) for things they say now. The JW teaching that resurrected people aren't judged for their pre-death sins is a false teaching.

You're probably thinking about Romans 6:23 where it says the wages sin pays is death. Everyone inherits sin so we all die. No one's death pays for itself, because Jesus died for the world (John 3:16). Romans 5:7,8. Even tho we're sinners, Jesus died for us. But when we die, we just follow the natural course of things because we sin and so we die and it's because of him all people receive forgiveness from God. Romans 5:10.

Jehovah's Witnesses do not believe that "you, yourself die to pay for your sins." Death is a consequence of being sinful - scripture says we are born in sin and we inherited from Adam and Eve. I do not see anything in your question to reconcile.

Hannah J Paul

The Bible speaks of Jesus as “appointed,” “decreed,” and “destined” to do judging. (Ac 10:42; 17:31; 2Ti 4:1)

That Jesus is thus authorized by God resolves any seeming contradiction between the text that says that individuals will “stand before the judgment seat of God” and the verse that says they will “be made manifest before the judgment seat of the Christ.”Rom 14:10; 2Corin 5:10.

Remember the bible says:

Psalms 110:1 Jehovah declared to my Lord:

“Sit at my right hand

Until I place your enemies as a stool for your feet.”

What does the bible say!!!!

As we read at Romans 6:23: “The wages sin pays is death.”( the penalty for sin is death.)

Rom. 6:7: “He who has died has been acquitted from his sin.”(The apostle Paul states that the person who dies is “acquitted [form of di·kai·oʹo] from his sin,” having paid the penalty of death.—Ro 6:7, 23.)

Edit to comments:

Interesting misuse of scripture. Thank you for proving my point.

Thank you for presenting only half of what God says that agrees with your belief.

Your own scripture tells us that we are judged for what we have done, also known as works or deeds.

You comments prove that you disagree with Paul in this verse, yet you quote him to 'prove' your belief.

What was the word Jesus used to describe such people?

Jesus in Revelation chapter 3, removes people from the book of life, not because of their lack of faith, but because of their deeds or works.

Jesus tells us that when persecuted, those who 'endure to the end' are saved (Matt 10:22)

Faith in the bible is a verb. Verbs require action. If our faith isn't a verb, then our faith is dead and so are we. (James 2)

Matt 7:24-28.

You are correct though, our actions or works or deeds do not buy use salvation, this is a free gift.

Given to those who believe and obey Jesus. (John 3:36)

Given to those who have a living faith. (James 2)

Paul said we aren't under the [Mosaic] Law, but he also said we are under Christ's Law.

(Galatians 6:2) 2 Go on carrying the burdens of one another, and in this way you will fulfill the law of the Christ.

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Interesting verse;

We all have eternal life or eternal death before us.

Of all those who die, will they all receive a resurrection to life?

No, even though they 'paid the price of sin' (Rom 6:23) Jesus will judge them unworthy of life.

Why?

Did they sin against the holy spirit? (Matt 12:31, 32)

Did they practice sin willfully after receiving an accurate knowledge of truth?

(Hebrews 10:26) 26 For if we practice sin willfully after having received the accurate knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice for sins left,

Jesus as Jehovah's appointed judge will rightfully judge all people, not by his standards, but by Jehovah's.

side point, it would be better question to ask those who believe 'all you need if faith'.

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2 Corinthians 5:10 Douay-Rheims

They will disappear like a mist dissolve into nothingness. It is possible jw must have erased the verse from their nwt book.

JW don't believe in what the bible say 's they believe in what the governing body TELL'S them to believe in.