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“And He commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is He which was ordained of God to be the Judge of [the] quick and [the] dead.” – Acts 10:42

This is the climax of the first Christian sermon to the Gentiles delivered by Peter in the house of the Roman centurion, Cornelius.  Peter emphasized the truth that Jesus was not just the promised Messiah of Israel, but that “He is Lord of all” – Acts 10:36, and that it is He alone who will judge the ‘quick and dead’.

This striking phrase occurs only three times in the Bible, each time denoting that Christ is Judge of all men.  Paul wrote to Timothy as follows: “I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom; preach the word…” – 2 Timothy 4:1-2.

The third time was when Peter wrote concerning the gross Gentile sins from which his readers had been delivered: “[They] shall give account to Him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead” – 1 Peter 4:5.

The term ‘quick’ is the same as ‘living’.  When Christ returns, “the dead in Christ shall rise first” – 1 Thessalonians 4:16, and then all believers, including those still alive in the flesh at His coming, “must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ” – 2 Corinthians 5:10.  This will be the judgment of the ‘quick’.  All the saved are alive in Christ at ‘the resurrection of life’.

As the Lord Jesus said to Martha, “ ‘I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die.’ ” – John 11:25-26.

“ ‘…and He gave Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man.  Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life; those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment.’ ” – John 5:27-29

He will also judge the dead – that is, those who are “dead in [their] trespasses and sins” – Ephesians 2:1 at the “ ‘resurrection of damnation’ ” – John 5:29, at the Great White Throne Judgment, for “ ‘the Father…hath committed all judgment unto the Son’ ” – John 5:22. 

“ ‘He who rejects Me and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day.’ ” – John 12:48

 “And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God…and they were judged every man according to their works…and whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire…this is the second death.” – Revelation 20:12-14.

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