2 Cor 5:10

How do I work out the meaning of a Greek text? How can I best understand the forms and vocabulary in this particular text?
Forum rules
This is a beginner's forum - see the Koine Greek forum for more advanced discussion of Greek texts. Please quote the Greek text you are discussing directly in your post if it is reasonably short - do not ask people to look it up.

When answering questions in this forum, keep it simple, and aim your responses to the level of the person asking the question.
Post Reply
Brett Williams
Posts: 2
Joined: January 6th, 2018, 6:39 am

2 Cor 5:10

Post by Brett Williams »

τοὺς γὰρ πάντας ἡμᾶς φανερωθῆναι δεῖ ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ βήματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἵνα κομίσηται ἕκαστος τὰ διὰ τοῦ σώματος πρὸς ἃ ἔπραξεν, εἴτε ἀγαθὸν εἴτε φαῦλον

I am trying to look at the word βήματος with all its nuances/meanings. Here it is used with κομίσηται. What I am trying to understand is the meaning of these two words used together. It would appear that the word βήματος is a reference to the tribunal set up in the city, a place where innocence or guilt were determined. But what I want to know, because some people argue for a meaning unfamiliar to me, is whether or not the βήματος was used for a place where an official handed out rewards to the winning party/individual? I can't recall ever reading outside the NT where βήματος was used to indicate the place where awards were meted out based on some criteria. I am quite aware that my reading outside the NT is a bit limited. Can anyone help me in my search for a meaning where βήματος was used for a place where rewards were given out?
S Walch
Posts: 274
Joined: June 13th, 2011, 4:27 pm
Location: Manchester, UK

Re: 2 Cor 5:10

Post by S Walch »

You'd probably be better searching for the lemma form rather than the genitive: βῆμα.

Can try Perseus Online as a start: http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/mor ... ek#lexicon

Click on "LSJ", and you'll get the following: http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/tex ... 3Dbh%3Dma1

As the βῆμα is any sort of "raised platform" (usually with steps), whilst I've yet to come across somewhere that gives this as a usage of the word, I wouldn't be surprised if it has that sort of meaning, somewhere.
Stephen Carlson
Posts: 3351
Joined: May 11th, 2011, 10:51 am
Location: Melbourne
Contact:

Re: 2 Cor 5:10

Post by Stephen Carlson »

If you image-search for "Corinth bema" you can see (what's left of) what the Corinthians would have visualized at the bema in question.
Stephen C. Carlson, Ph.D.
Melbourne, Australia
Post Reply

Return to “What does this text mean?”