by Dr. Bob Wilkin
In 2 Cor 5:10 Paul said, "For we must all appear
before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive
the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether
good or bad." The word translated bad is in question textually.
The Critical Text reads phaulon. The Majority Text reads
kakon.
Many commentators suggest that phaulos here
does not mean bad, but instead worthless (see, for
example, P. E. Hughes, 2 Corinthians, NICNT, p 181 where he says
that worthless is "the proper meaning of phaulon"). Thus
the contrast would not be between good and bad deeds, but
between good and worthless deeds. Then worthless
deeds may be explained either as good deeds done with the wrong
motives, or as morally neutral deeds that are neither good nor
bad.
However, not only does the vast majority of manuscripts
read kakon, but so do leading Critical Text manuscripts
B and p46. The textual evidence is overwhelming in favor of the
word that unambiguously means bad.
A scribe who felt that kakon was an obvious
error might well have changed the reading to phaulon to
correct what he perceived as an earlier error in copying. Or one
might have put phaulon in the margin and a later scribe
inserted it.
Not only does the vast majority of manuscripts read kakon,
but so do leading Critical Text manuscripts B and p46.
The textual evidence is overwhelming in favor of the word
that unambiguously means bad.
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Interestingly, while commentators tend to understand
phaulon here as referring to worthless deeds, translators
uniformly understand it as referring to bad deeds.
The word phaulos in the NT always is translated
as bad or evil (or once, vile):
John 3:20, "everyone practicing evil [ho
phaula] hates the light and does not come to the light, lest
his deeds should be exposed" (compare v 19, "because their deeds
were evil [ponera]").
John 5:29, "and [they will] come forth those who
have done good [ta agatha], to the resurrection of life,
and those who have done evil [ta phaula], to the resurrection
of condemnation."
Titus 2:7-8, "in all things showing yourself to
be a pattern of good works [kalon ergon]... [showing] sound
speech that cannot be condemned, that one who is an opponent may
be ashamed, having nothing evil [phaulon] to say
of you."
James 3:16, "For where envy and self-seeking exist,
confusion and every evil [phaulon] thing are there."
None of the other uses of phaulos in the
NT is translated worthless in any of the major translations.
The NASB, NIV, RSV, NKJV, KJV all have evil or bad
in all four places, with the exception of the RSV which in Jas
3:16 reads vile --- hardly a softer translation.
In fact, even though in 2 Cor 5:10 the NASB, NIV,
and RSV are all translating the Critical Text word phaulon,
they read either bad (NASB, NIV) or evil (RSV) here
as well. Clearly the opposite of good (agathos)
is bad. If any Greek word appeared here that had bad
in its field of meaning, a first year student would know it means
bad here. The context demands it. Even so, if one's theology
does not allow for believers to be accountable for their bad deeds,
then the obvious correct reading must be overthrown, and then
the obvious meaning of the incorrect reading must be abandoned
as well.
This textual problem illustrates the fact that
even when textual variants do not change the obvious translation
or interpretation of a verse, commentators and preachers often
take advantage of the alternate reading to support an interpretation
that better fits their theological position. Since many preachers
do not have firm convictions on textual criticism, it is not uncommon
for speakers to pick and choose the reading that best suits them
and then make of it what they wish.
At the Bema the Lord Jesus will consider all of
our deeds, good and bad. Our Savior will then be our Judge (Jas
5:9). And this is completely consistent with the biblical principle
that "whatever a man sows, that he will also reap" (Gal 6:7-9).
Since one of the things teachers will be judged
for is how faithfully we proclaimed God's word (Jas 3:1), textual
criticism may well come into play at the bema.
While eternal life is a free gift and is not of
works lest anyone should boast, believers are nonetheless accountable.
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