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particularly with judicial decisions "sue thee at law" (Matt. 5: 40), and so to the sentence
passed "condemned already" (John 3: 18). From this root comes krisis, "judgment",
"sentence" (Matt. 5: 21; 23: 33). The English usage of crisis, is not found in the N.T.,
it is a development with which all students of language will be familiar.
Krites, "he who decides":
"I will be no judge of such matter" as "words, names and your law", said Gallio to the Jews
(Acts 18: 15).
Kriterion, an instrument of krinein, a touchstone, and then, a court of justice
(James 2: 6). In modern usage criterion is "a canon or standard by which anything is
judged".
Kritikon, the discerner, as in Heb. 4: 12.
In modern use, the word critic has fallen from its high place and is often used in a
carping, captious sense.
"You know who the critics are? The men who have failed in literature and art" (Disraeli).
Modern depraved usage, however, is no "criterion" for the Bible student.
We do not propose following this root krino through all its variations in the N.T., there
are twenty-nine altogether, and no student of the Word is really equipped who is not
personally acquainted with them all. This part of the reader's education is, however, not
within our province, we have merely traveled so far in order to let the reader see that Paul
could speak of the Saviour as a "righteous Judge", without necessarily referring to the
question of salvation or condemnation.
The Umpire at the Greek sports was called Krites, and at Athens it was used especially
for the judges at poetic contests. It is this aspect of judgment that Paul had in mind when
he wrote:
"Henceforth is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord the righteous
Judge shall give me at that day; and not to me only but unto all them also that love His
appearing" (II Tim. 4: 8).
"Henceforth", loipon. This word comes from loipos "remnant" (Matt. 22: 6); "the
rest" (I Cor. 11: 34), and means "something left over". The course having been finished
there was nothing left but to await the day when the Lord would assess every man's
service and reward those who had "kept the faith". The word loipon is translated
"finally" five times in Paul's epistles. The translation "henceforth" is a link with
Heb. 10: 13, where the Lord having "finished" the work which He came to do, sat down at
the right hand of God, "from henceforth expecting". The exhortation to run the race with
the example of Christ in view which the apostle had given in Heb. 12: 1, 2, he has now
fulfilled in his own life and service.