Judgment and the Gift of Life

In John 5, Jesus claims that His authority to pass judgment and His power and raise the dead both come from the Father. How are these two prerogatives related? Are they identical? Does Jesus give life and condemn to death in passing judgment? It seems that this is possible:

1) The sequence from verse 21-22 appears to who that the Father giving judgment to the Son is equivalent to the Father providing life-giving power to the Son. Verse 21 states that the Father raises the dead, and in the same way the Son gives life. Verse 22 is an explanation of this life-giving power that is possessed by the Son. If we take the GAR at the beginning of verse 22 in a strong sense (because, for this reason), then verses 21-22 may be read: “The Father gives life, and so also does the Son. This is because the Father has given all authority in judgment to the Son.” That is to say, the grant of authority to judge includes the authority to raise the dead.

2) It is possible that the Word spoken by the Son the passage should be understood as a judicial verdict. Whoever hears and believes the Word of the Son does not come into judgment. “Judgment” here means “condemnation,” used in the same sense in verse 29, where “resurrection of judgment” contrasts with “resurrection of life.” So, the Word of the Son is a judging Word; the response of the hearer to this Word determines his standing at the judgment – whether he will have life or condemnation. Verses 28-29 imply the same. The voice of the Son of Man that raises the dead also distinguishes between those who receive life and those who receive condemnation. The life-giving Word is simultaneously a judicial verdict. Eternal life is a manifestation of a verdict unto life.

It is true that resurrection here is universal – even the condemned are raised for condemnation. So, resurrection and justification are not identical (as they are in Rom 4:25 and 1 Tim 3:16). But eternal life and justification do appear to be identical. Justification (favorable judgment) takes form in the life of the believer as the enjoyment of eternal life. This describes both present justification (“has passed out of death into life” for those who “hear My word, and believes Him who sent Me”) and future justification (“resurrection of life” for “those who did the good”). Perhaps a distinction should be made here between the judgment passed and the life given: Jesus speaks, someone believes, Jesus (exercising the authority of the Father) judges them favorably, and they enter into life. Justification would then be logically prior to “regeneration.” But it might also be that these should be conceived of as logically identical: The favorable judgment is simply the event of transition from death to life.