I. Des articles de la foi — Le 13e dimanche
The Return of the Judge
The catechism affirms Christ's future return from heaven to judge both the living and the dead.
83. Minister: Go on. Student: "From there he will come to judge the living and the dead."✦ " That is to say, he will appear once from heaven for judgment, just as he was seen ascending there (Acts 1:11).✦
The Transformation of the Living
The text explains how those alive at the end of the age will be transformed to meet the incorruptible state required for judgment.
84. M: Since the judgment will happen at the end of the age, how can you say that some will be alive then and others dead, given that it’s appointed for everyone to die once (Hebrews 9:27, 28)? E: Saint Paul answers this by saying that those who are still alive at that time will be suddenly changed, so that their corruption is done away with and their bodies are renewed to be incorruptible (1 Corinthians 15:52; 1 Thessalonians 4:17). 85. M: So you understand that this change will be like a death for them, because it will abolish their former nature in order to raise them up in another state.✦ C: That's right.1
Consolation in the Judgment
Believers find comfort in the judgment because their Judge is also their Advocate and Savior.
86. M: Does it bring us any comfort to know that Jesus Christ will one day come to judge the world?✦ E: Yes, a special comfort—because we are certain he will appear only for our salvation.✦2 Christ our Judge and Advocate✦ M: So we shouldn't fear the final judgment with horror, then.✦ E: No, because we won't have to appear before any judge other than the very one who is our advocate and has taken our case in hand to defend it.✦✦
Read the original Latin
83. M : Poursuis outre. E : « De là viendra juger les vifs et les morts. » Qui est à dire qu'il apparaîtra une fois du ciel en jugement, ainsi qu'on l'y a vu monter (Actes 1:11).
84. M : Puisque le jugement sera en la fin du siècle, comment dis-tu que les uns vivront lors, et les autres seront morts, vu qu'il est ordonné à tous hommes de mourir une fois (Hébreux 9:27, 28)? E : Saint Paul répond à cette question disant que ceux qui seront lors survivants seront subitement changés, afin que leur corruption soit abolie et que leur corps soit renouvelé pour être incorruptible (1 Corinthiens 15:52 ; 1 Thessaloniciens 4:17).
85. M : Tu entends donc que cette mutation leur sera comme une mort, pour ce qu'elle abolira leur première nature pour les faire ressusciter en autre état. E : C'est cela.
86. M : Nous revient-il quelque consolation de ce que Jésus-Christ doit une fois venir juger le monde? E : Oui, singulière, car nous sommes certains qu'il n'apparaîtra sinon en notre salut.
Christ notre juge et avocat 87. M : Nous ne devons pas donc craindre le dernier jugement pour l'avoir en horreur. E : Non pas, puisqu'il ne nous faudra venir devant autre juge que celui même qui est notre avocat et a pris notre cause en main pour la défendre.
Scripture echoes
- ↩Acts.10.42;2Tim.4.1;1Pet.4.5 — And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God as judge of the living and the dead. 2Tim.4.1 — I charge you before God and Christ Jesus, who is about to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: 1Pet.4.5 — They will give an account to the one who is ready to judge the living and the dead.
- ↩Acts.1.11 — Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way you saw him go into heaven.
- ↩1Cor.15.52;1Thess.4.17 — in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet—for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 1Thess.4.17 — Then we who are alive, who are left behind, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.
- ↩Acts.17.31;2Tim.4.1 — because he has set a day on which he is going to judge the inhabited world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed, and he has given proof of this to all by raising him from the dead. 2Tim.4.1 — I charge you before God and Christ Jesus, who is about to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom:
- ↩Heb.9.28 — So also Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, apart from sin, to those who eagerly wait for him, for salvation.
- ↩1John.2.1;Rom.8.34 — My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous One. Rom.8.34 — Who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus—the one who died, and more than that, was raised—who is also at the right hand of God, and who also intercedes for us.
- ↩Matt.25.31-Matt.25.46;Acts.17.31;2Cor.5.10 — When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Matt.25.32 — And all the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate them from one another, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. Matt.25.33 — And he will place the sheep at his right hand, but the goats at his left. Matt.25.34 — Then the King will say to those at his right hand, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.' Matt.25.35 — For I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you welcomed me in; Matt.25.36 — I was naked and you clothed me; I was sick and you visited me; I was in prison and you came to me. Matt.25.37 — Then the righteous will answer him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?' Matt.25.38 — And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? Matt.25.39 — Or when did we see you sick or in prison, and did not come to you? Matt.25.40 — And the King will answer them, 'Truly I tell you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.' Matt.25.41 — Then he will also say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.' Matt.25.42 — For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, Matt.25.43 — I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me. Matt.25.44 — Then they also will answer, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not serve you?' Matt.25.45 — Then he will answer them, saying, 'Truly I tell you, as much as you did not do it for one of the least of these, you did not do it for me.' Matt.25.46 — And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life. Acts.17.31 — because he has set a day on which he is going to judge the inhabited world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed, and he has given proof of this to all by raising him from the dead. 2Cor.5.10 — For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what has been done through the body, whether good or evil.
- ↩1John.2.1 — My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous One.
- ↩Rom.8.33-Rom.8.34 — Who will bring a charge against God's elect? God is the one who justifies. Rom.8.34 — Who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus—the one who died, and more than that, was raised—who is also at the right hand of God, and who also intercedes for us.
Notes
- 1 ↩Source speaker label is E (Enfant). Rendered as C (Child) to match English catechetical dialogue; if the project standardizes E as Scholar/Student, align speaker labels across sections.
- 2 ↩French singulière (agreeing with consolation) means a rare, distinctive comfort, not merely 'odd'. en notre salut is rendered 'for our salvation' (unto our salvation), not a vague 'in our well-being'.
Catechism of the Church of Geneva (Le catéchisme de l'Église de Genève) companion
Rule yourself daily, not just on retreat
Chosen Portion turns the mirror into a daily practice — a short reading and examining question each morning before you lead anyone.
Chosen Portion makes the mirror daily: the ruler-formation questions this collection preserves become a two-minute morning examination in the app.
- A daily formation reading drawn from centuries of counsel to those in authority
- One pointed examination question a day — two minutes, before the meetings start
- Track your practice over weeks and watch the examined life become a habit