One of the worst doctrines to come out of Dispensationalism is the creation of multiple judgments. For example, they will say that Christians will only be judged according to which rewards they get. From All about God
“Bema Seat - What Is It and When Is It?
The concept of the Bema Seat comes from the ancient Olympics, where a judge would sit on the Bema Seat at the finish line. The judge's purpose was to determine what position the runners came in-first, second, and so on-and then to give out the appropriate rewards. That is the imagery behind what is known as the Bema Seat.”
But is this definition biblical? Below is every instance of the Bema seat in scripture:
Mt 27:19, “When he was set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him.”
Joh 19:13, “When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus forth, and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called the Pavement, but in the Hebrew, Gabbatha.”
What we have here is Pilate sitting on his judgment seat, judging Jesus. This is not just a judgment of rewards…Pilate was not deciding which metal Jesus should receive.
Ac 18:12, “And when Gallio was the deputy of Achaia, the Jews made insurrection with one accord against Paul, and brought him to the judgment seat,”
Ac 18:16, “And he drave them from the judgment seat.”
Ac 18:17, “Then all the Greeks took Sosthenes, the chief ruler of the synagogue, and beat him before the judgment seat. And Gallio cared for none of those things. ”
Ac 25:6, “And when he had tarried among them more than ten days, he went down unto Caesarea; and the next day sitting on the judgment seat commanded Paul to be brought. ”
Ac 25:10, “Then said Paul, I stand at Caesar's judgment seat, where I ought to be judged: to the Jews have I done no wrong, as thou very well knowest. ”
Ac 25:17, “Therefore, when they were come hither, without any delay on the morrow I sat on the judgment seat, and commanded the man to be brought forth.”
What we have here is Paul standing before the judgment seat of Rome. Paul is not waiting to receive a crown, Paul is giving his account and is in danger of being sentenced to death.
Ro 14:10, “But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. ”
2Co 5:10, “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.”
Now, Paul (as we saw in Acts) was very familiar with the Bema seat as he appeared before it many times. Does it make sense to assume that Paul is speaking of a ‘special reward platform’ or the judgment seat of a ruler who has the power to decide if you live or die? I understand it to be the latter. Also, notice the end of 2 Cor. 5:10, it says that we will be judged according to what we have done, whether good or bad .
There is one judgment in which God will separate the sheep from the goats. The Biblical standard is that all people will be sorted by nature and judged by works.
