A response to The Skeptic's Annotated Bible

There are two important things to understanding regarding the question of whether Jesus judges people or not. First, what is judgment and second when he would and would not judge. It is not often well understood that since the wages of sin are death, once a person dies they are acquitted of their sins. (Romans 6:7) It is also not often well understood that there will be a resurrection of the righteous as well as the unrighteous. (Acts 24:15)

At John 5:22 it is clear that Jesus was appointed as judge. But a few verses later, at John 5:23-29 Jesus points out that those who took his message to heart would not be judged but would pass over from death to life. He was talking about the spiritually dead - those who would become spiritually alive upon hearing his message. (1 Peter 4:3-6) In other words the faithful had, in a sense, already been judged, released from God's condemnation. They only had to suffer eventual physical death thus receiving in full the wages of sin, which they inherited. They are not judged in the sense that it is their actions upon hearing the message of Christ that condemns or saves them. They judge for themselves whether or not to act accordingly.

At John 5:29 the KJV uses the term resurrection to damnation, from the Greek Anastasin kriseos; Latin resurrectionem iudicii which more accurately reads "Resurrection of judgment." (YLT / ASV / ESV / NASB) Since the wages of sin are death those who are resurrected to judgment are not being tried judicially for their sins. They have been acquitted of their sins. So the resurrection of the unrighteous refers to those who have died without having the opportunity to judge for themselves whether they want to live forever under Jehovah God's standards. Countless people throughout time from all over planet Earth have had no introduction to Jehovah and his written word, the Bible. They died too young or in a godless time and place. So they will then have the opportunity they had missed in what is called "Judgment Day." Like the days of Creation this day is not a literal 24 hour period. At the end of the period of time lasting 1,000 years, Satan, who had been imprisoned, is released in order to give those people a chance to see the other side of the issue. They can then judge for themselves whether they choose life or destruction. This is why the Bible uses the term "First" and "Second" death. The second death is total destruction, symbolized by the "Lake of fire." From which there is no resurrection. Once those who are "unrighteous" are resurrected and choose to reject the standards of the Creator, Jehovah God, they will, along with Satan, suffer complete destruction, symbolized by the lake of fire. Death and hell (the grave) are also destroyed because people will live forever without sin in paradise Earth as God intended Adam to do. (Revelation 20:7-10 / Revelation 20:14)

At 2 Corinthians 5:10 Paul uses a form of the Greek word Bema. The Bema or Rostra was a public elevated platform, a judgment seat, where petitioners would wait to appear before a magistrate. Since people often gathered there it was also an excellent place for public speaking. Paul was stressing the importance of public ministry, but also pointing out that the faithful Christian followers, the 144, 000 of spiritual Israel who would be changed in the twinkling of an eye immediately upon death, were not waiting for judgment but were under judgment in the present. As mentioned earlier they were spiritually dead, and then made spiritually alive(1 Peter 4:17-18)

Revelation 19:11 refers to Christ as righteous, faithful and true judge and King of Jehovah God's creation. As a man in the flesh on earth he has demonstrated that mankind could live without sin and remain faithful to the perfect life everlasting which Adam could have enjoyed. Without falling into sin.

Is There A Contradiction?

What is meant, then, by the alleged contradiction of John 8:15 and 12:47? No. There is no contradiction. In these two verses Jesus was telling his apostles that he hadn't come to Earth at this time to judge anyone, but only to offer the opportunity to receive salvation through him. Much later, after going to heaven and when the time was right he would serve as the appointed judge. Notice that at that time, during their lives, the apostles were also not meant to judge but later would serve as judges with him as well. (1 Corinthians 6:2 / Luke 22:28-30)