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Matthew 10:15

"Truly, I say to you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgement for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town". ESV My emphasis.

John 3:18

"Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God".

On the one hand reading these two verses side by side might suggest that as judgement/condemnation has already occurred, that therefore the day of judgement has occurred.

On the other hand, what "earlier" judgement has already occurred and what judgement is reserved still for a yet to come "day of judgement"?

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Matthew 10:15 speaks of the future Day of Judgment in which all people will stand before God, the righteous being commended and the unrighteous being condemned in the final eschatological sense. See: (Matthew 25:31-46)

John 3:18 speaks to the current state of affairs that the unregenerate are currently persisting in. In other words, they refuse to believe in the name of the only Son of God by which they may be saved.

Such an impenitent continuous action on part of those who are atheistic or agnostic in their way of life is what makes them criminals before God, before judgment day.

Romans 1:18-32 shows that mankind knows of God’s existence but they stifle that general revelation which in turn provokes God’s wrath against them: (Romans 1:18-22).

God is angry even before the “day of wrath”(Rom 2:5), because He commands all men everywhere to repent (Acts 17:30) and He has appointed a day when He will judge the world in righteousness by Jesus Christ: (Romans 2:16)

The comparison between Matthew 10:15 and John 3:18 is one of rebels who refuse to repent & believe in Christ for their own salvation, and are held accountable here and now. They store up for themselves wrath by persisting in unbelief.

Scriptures to consider:

Romans 1:18-Chapter 3:20 (AKA God’s lawsuit against humanity), Acts 17:22-31.

God holds men accountable for their refusal to repent:

“The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, so as not to worship demons, and the idols of gold and of silver and of brass and of stone and of wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk; and they did not repent of their murders nor of their sorceries nor of their immorality nor of their thefts.” ‭‭Revelation‬ ‭9:20-21‬

CONCLUSION: There is an already & not yet for condemnation, since all are sinners in Adam: (Romans 5:12-21).

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    Good answer. +1.
    – Dottard
    May 13, 2022 at 22:12
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ESVMark 16:16: “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.”

Hebrews 12:25: “See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven.”

1 John 3:14: “We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death.”

John 5:24: “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.”

Cf. 1Jo 5:10; 1Jo 5:12; Heb 12:25; Heb 2:3; Joh 20:31; Joh 3:36; Joh 5:24; Joh 6:40; Joh 6:47; Mr 16:16; Ro 5:1; Ro 8:1; Ro 8:34

John writes about the certainty of the justice as though it has already happened. As though they are sealing their fates, from a divine perspective.

Romans 8:30: “And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.”

JFB commentary:

He that believeth on him is not condemned, х ou (G3756) krinetai (G2919)] - literally, 'is not being judged,' or 'is not coming into judgment.' The meaning is, as the apostle expresses it, that "there is now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus" (Rom 8:1). Compare Joh 5:24, "He that heareth my word, and believeth on Him that sent me hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but is (or hath) passed from death unto life."

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