Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Romans 14:10

"But thou, why dost thou judge thy brother? or thou again, why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment-seat of God." — Romans 14:10 (ASV)

Both groups will have to answer to God in the coming day. It is premature to pass judgment on one another (cf. 1 Corinthians 4:5), since Christ will assume that responsibility. He gave his life, laying it down in obedience to the will of God and thereby purchasing the church by his blood (Acts 20:28). But he is also “Lord” by virtue of his resurrection, an event that established his claim to deity, to Saviorhood, and to universal dominion. He is in fact the Lord of both the dead and the living.

Against this background the apostle returns in v.10 to direct address, first to the weak brother, then to the strong. The former is prone to judge, the latter to depreciate or even scorn. Both attitudes are virtually the same, because they involve improper judgment. The true judge is God, and his time for judging is coming, making human judgment not only premature but also a usurpation of God’s role. Notable is the ease with which Paul passes from the Lord (v.9) to God (v.10). The two are inseparable in their operations. In fact, God’s judgment seat (v.10) can be identified with the judgment seat of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:10). The same phenomenon occurs in the quotation in v.11, which combines Isa 49:18 and 45:23 (cf. Php 2:10–11). In Paul’s summary of the situation in v.12, the note of judgment is retained, but the emphasis falls on the fact that each person must give a personal account of himself or herself to God (cf. Galatians 6:5).