2 Timothy 4:8

8. henceforth] Or, ‘it remains only that’ as in Mat_26:45, in the Garden of Gethsemane ‘it remains only for you to sleep on,’ ‘there is nothing else to be done.’ St Paul commonly uses the word (with and without the article) to introduce the closing words of exhortation in his Epistles, 2Co_13:11; Eph_6:10; Php_3:1, and again after a digression 2Ti_4:8; 2Th_3:1. It seems unnecessary to have recourse to the sense in which Polybius uses the word, ‘accordingly,’ ‘proinde,’ ‘itaque.’ In construction it is a neuter adjective used adverbially.

there is laid up] Cf. Luk_19:20, ‘laid up in a napkin,’ Col_1:5 ‘the hope which is stored up for you in the heavens.’

a crown of righteousness] The crown; the genitive ‘righteousness’ is similar to the genitives of the particular contests in which the crown was won; e.g. Pind. Nem. 2Ti_4:9, ‘Pytheas, broad-shouldered son of Lampo, won the crown of the double-contest (wrestling and boxing) at the Nemean games.’ ‘Righteousness’ then is the ‘race’ of the Christian life. So in 1Ti_6:11; 2Ti_2:22, ‘follow after righteousness,’ and in ch. 2Ti_3:16, ‘the discipline which is in righteousness,’ the word is instead of a volume. The genitives in Jas_1:12, ‘the crown of life,’ 1Pe_5:4, ‘a crown of glory,’ are similar to the genitives of the particular material of which the crown was made; e.g. Pind. Nem. 6:18, ‘He too was victor at Olympia and first won himself the crown of olive for the Æacidæ from Alpheus.’ The crown at the Pythian games was of laurel leaves, at the Nemean of parsley, at the Isthmian of ivy.

shall give] Award; the word has occurred 1Ti_5:4, where see note. This and the well-known passages Luk_19:8, ‘I restore fourfold,’ Luk_20:25, ‘Render unto Cæsar the things that are Cæsar’s,’ Rom_13:7, ‘Render to all their dues,’ shew the force of the compound verb here ‘give the due award.’

‘A pound of that same merchant’s flesh is thine;

The court awards it and the law doth give it.’

The same word is used by Christ of the judgment, ‘then shall he reward (R.V. render) every man according to his works’ Mat_16:27.

unto all … that love his appearing] The perfect part.; the sense is fully given by who have their love set on, as R.V. well renders the similar perfect, 1Ti_4:10, ‘we have our hope set on the living God.’ For the special force of this higher word agapân for ‘to love’ see Trench, N. T. Syn. § 12 ‘a word born within the bosom of revealed religion,’ and Westcott, Joh_21:15, ‘St Peter lays claim only to the feeling of natural love of which he could be sure; he does not venture to say that he has attained to that higher love which was to be the spring of the Christian life.’

his appearing] As in 2Ti_4:1, of the second coming; to which all the six occurrences of the substantive in N.T. refer. The verb in Luk_1:79 and Tit_2:11; Tit_3:4 refers to the first Epiphany.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

4:8 Only one thing remained for Paul: the victor’s crown (see also Jas 1:12; 1 Pet 5:4; Rev 2:10; 3:11). • If we live expecting that Christ is indeed coming again, we can eagerly look forward to his appearing (see 1 Tim 6:14) to set up his kingdom (2 Tim 4:1). If we don’t follow Christ’s commands, we cannot look forward to his coming as Judge and King.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

2Ti 4:8. Λοιπὸν, Henceforth) How delightful is this particle!—the decisive moment. Paul, in accordance with the actual moment of his departure, looks to his three states: 1. the past, I have fought; 2. the immediately present, there is laid up; 3. the future, the Lord shall give.—ἀπόκειται, there is laid up) after all hardship and danger have been for ever overcome.—δικαιοσύνης) of righteousness, for which I have contended. The righteous refers to this.—στέφανος, a crown) The crown used to be bestowed after wrestling, running, fighting.—ἀποδώσει, will award) The word righteous accords with this, 2Th 1:6-7.—ὁ Κύριος, the Lord) Christ. Of whom also, 2Ti 4:1; 2Ti 4:14; 2Ti 4:17-18; 2Ti 4:22, speak.—ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ, in that day) Whether or not Paul knew of the first resurrection, and claimed any such thing for himself, I do not know. That day is the last—the day of the universal judgment. A great part of the glory will then, and not till then, be added to the elect, 2Co 5:10; a passage which ought to be understood universally. There is nothing to prevent the partakers of the first resurrection from receiving a crown also at the last day, and from obtaining in that general assembly of all men an entirely new award of praise. The number of the brethren, Mat 25:40, will be far less than that of the others who conferred benefits upon them. Therefore the favourable sentence passed upon those ‘brethren’ is taken for granted as already awarded.[14]—ἐμοὶ, to me) Individual application.—πᾶσι, to all) This is a great additional source of joy to Paul; it is calculated to sharpen Timothy. Paul had gained many of these.—ἠγαπηκόσι, who love and have loved) This has a higher signification in the preterite, than ἀγαπήσας, 2Ti 4:10; where see a mournful antithesis. This desire of the appearing of the Lord presupposes in the individuals the whole state of sincere Christianity, especially faith. A Metonymy of the consequent for the antecedent.—ἐπιφάνειαν, His appearance) viz. the first and the second.

[14] The ‘brethren’ are supposed as already having had glory awarded to them, and as sitting beside the Judge as His assessors in judgment.—ED.

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

2Ti_4:8. Λοιπόν] Wahl interprets it by ἤδη (jam, already), but this meaning is very doubtful. Other expositors take it to be equivalent to τὸ λοιπόν: for the future; Heydenreich: one day, after course and fight are finished. But the present ἀπόκειται is against this; it cannot be future in sense (Hofmann), for the signification of the word forbids it. Bezas interpretation suits the context best: in reliquum; and with this de Wette and Wiesinger agree. At the end of his life-course, when he has faithfully played out his part, there remains nothing more for the apostlethan to receive the reward which is already prepared for him.

ἀπόκειταί μοι] comp. Col_1:5 (see my Commentary, p. 57).

ὁ τῆς δικαιοσύνης στέφανος] Continuation of the figure from 2Ti_4:7.

ὁ στέφανος is used for the prize of victory in 1Co_9:25. The genitive τῆς δικαιοσύνης, like τῆς ζωῆς in Jam_1:12, Rev_2:10, and τῆς δόξης in 1Pe_5:4, may be taken most naturally as the genitivus appositionis, and δικαιοσύνη as the perfect state, granted at the judgment to the believer by the sentence that justifies him (so, too, van Oosterzee). Δικαιοσύνη does not denote the act of justifying so much as the state of justification.

Two other interpretations are found in Heinrichs: στεφ. δικαιοσ., i.e. corona, vel quae δικαίως dabitur ei, qui ea dignus est, a δικαίῳ κριτῇ (the crown of just recompense, Heydenreich, Matthies, and others; but δικαιοσύνη never means recompense), vel quae mihi ob δικαιοσύνην debetur. This last interpretation is found in Chrysostom: δικαιοσύνην ἐνταῦθα τὴν καθόλου φησὶν ἀρετήν; also in de Wette, Wiesinger, Plitt. It is indeed possible, but improbable, because in that case we would not be told of what the crown of victory consists. Besides, the analogy of the passages quoted is against this interpretation.[63]

It is manifestly quite out of place to understand ΔΙΚΑΙΟΣΎΝΗ here, as Calovius and Mosheim do, of the imputed righteousness of Christ.

ὋΝ ἈΠΟΔΏΣΕΙ (often used to denote the divine recompense on the day of judgment, Mat_16:27; Rom_2:6) ΜΟΙ Ὁ ΚΎΡΙΟς (i.e. Christ) ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ, ὁ δίκαιος κριτής (see 2Ti_4:1), in apposition to Ὁ ΚΎΡΙΟς. There is nothing strange in laying stress on the righteousness of the judge, since that forms the main element in the divine judgment. Gods χάρις does not take away His ΔΙΚΑΙΟΣΎΝΗ, and the gospel does not deny, but confirms, the truth that for the believer the judgment will take place ΚΑΤᾺ ΤᾺ ἜΡΓΑ ΑὐΤΟῦ, or ΚΑΤᾺ ΤῊΝ ΠΡᾶΞΙΝ ΑὐΤΟῦ. To this truth Paul often directs attention, not only for exhortation, but also for comfort; see 2Th_1:5.[64]

While Paul expresses for himself the hope of the reward of victory, he knows that he is not claiming something special for himself alone. Hence he adds: Οὐ ΜΌΝΟΝ ΔῈ ἘΜΟΊ (sc. ἀποδώσει κ.τ.λ.), ἈΛΛᾺ ΚΑῚ ΠᾶΣΙ ΤΟῖς ἨΓΑΠΗΚΌΣΙ] the perfect in the sense of the present: who have fixed their love on, i.e. who love (comp. Winer, p. 256 [E. T. p. 341]). But if we proceed from the standpoint of ἀποδώσει, the perfect may also be understood to mean: to those who in this mortal life have longed for the appearing of the Lord (Hofmann).

ΤῊΝ ἘΠΙΦΆΝΕΙΑΝ ΑὐΤΟῦ] is not to be understood of the first appearance of the Lord in the flesh, 2Ti_1:10, but, according to the context, and in harmony with 2Ti_4:1, of the second coming. The verb ἨΓΑΠΗΚΌΣΙ is not opposed to this, for it is used elsewhere to denote the desire for something future; see 1Pe_3:10. Matthies: to all who in love for Him wait longingly for His second coming.

[63] Hofmann disputes the interpretation given above, because Life, glory is a blessing, whereas righteousness is a condition which is rewarded; but righteousness, taken as it is taken here, is a blessing. On the other hand, Hofmann disputes Wiesingers interpretation, at the same time giving one of his own which is far from clear: he who obtains the στέφανος adjudged to him, is thereby acknowledged to be a righteous man.

[64] De Wette is wrong in his assertion, that this passage is incompatible with Pauls view of grace, and that from a subjective standpoint Gods righteousness can only be feared if we are rightly humble and have knowledge of self. If it is not denied that in the Pauline passages, Rom_2:5 ff., 2Th_1:5, a reward is expected from Gods righteousness, we cannot see why Paul could not possibly have claimed it for himself. Was the consciousness of his fidelity in the service of the Lord, which, moreover, he expresses elsewhere, altogether incompatible with his utterance of humility in Php_3:12?The contrast of objective and subjective point of viewto which contrast de Wette makes appealdoes not exist for the Christian consciousness.

Meyer — Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament — English translation by Peter Christie, edited by Frederick Crombie (T&T Clark, 1880) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

2Ti 4:8 . λοιπόν : For what remains . The R.V. renders it besides in 1Co 1:16 , moreover in 1Co 4:2 . The notion of duration of future time is not in the word any more than in the French du reste . St. Paul means here “I have nothing more to do than to receive the crown”. λοιπόν has the sense of in conclusion in 2Co 13:11 , 1Th 4:1 , and does not differ from τὸ λοιπὸν as used in Phi 3:1 ; Phi 4:8 , 2Th 3:1 ; or τοῦ λοιποῦ as used in Gal 6:17 , Eph 6:10 . The meaning of τὸ λοιπόν in 1Co 7:29 , Heb 10:13 is henceforth .

ἀπόκειται : reposita est (Vulg.). Cf. Col 1:5 , διὰ τὴν ἐλπίδα τὴν ἀποκειμένην ὑμῖν ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς , and, for the sentiment, 1Pe 1:4 .

ὁ τῆς δικαιοσύνης στέφανος : The whole context demands that this should be the possessive genitive, The crown which belongs to , or is the due reward of, righteousness , the incorruptible crown of 1Co 9:25 . The verbal analogies of στέφ . τῆς ζωῆς , Jas 1:12 , Rev 2:10 , and στέφ . τῆς δόξης , 1Pe 5:4 , support the view that it is the gen. of apposition; but it is difficult on this supposition to give the phrase an intelligible meaning. “Good works, which are the fruits of Faith and follow after Justification … are pleasing and acceptable to God in Christ” (Art. xii.). It is to be noted that στεφ . τῆς δικ . is applied to the golden fillet worn by the high priest in the Tests. of the Twelve Patriarchs , Levi, viii. 2.

ἀποδώσει : reddet (Vulg.). As long as we agree to the statement that Moses ἀπέβλεπεν εἰς τὴν μισθαποδοσίαν (Heb 11:26 ), it seems trifling to dispute the retributive force of ἀπο - in this word. Of course “the reward is not reckoned as of debt, but as of grace”. St. Paul could say, “It is a righteous thing with God to recompense ( ἀνταποδοῦναι ) … to you that are afflicted rest with us” (2Th 1:6-7 ), see also Rom 2:6 .

ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ : see on 2Ti 1:12 .

ὁ δίκαιος κριτής : The notion expressed in this phrase goes back to Gen 18:25 . For the actual words, see reff.

οὐ μόνον δὲ … ἀλλὰ καί : See on 1Ti 5:13 .

τοῖς ἠγαπηκόσι τὴν ἐπιφάνειαν αὐτοῦ : The ἐπιφάνεια here meant is the Second Coming of Christ. Those who love it do not fear it, for “there is no fear in love” (1Jn 4:18 ); they endeavour to make themselves increasingly ready and fit for it (1Jn 3:3 ); when they hear the Lord say, “I come quickly,” their hearts respond, “Amen; come, Lord Jesus” (Rev 22:20 ). The perfect tense is used because their love will have continued up to the moment of their receiving the crown, or because St. Paul is thinking of them from the standpoint of the day of crowning.

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

a crown--rather as Greek, "the crown." The "henceforth" marks the decisive moment; he looks to his state in a threefold aspect: (1) The past "I have fought"; (2) The immediate present; "there is laid up for me." (3) The future "the Lord will give in that day" [BENGEL].

crown--a crown, or garland, used to be bestowed at the Greek national games on the successful competitor in wrestling, running, &c. (compare Pe1 5:4; Rev 2:10).

of righteousness--The reward is in recognition of righteousness wrought in Paul by God's Spirit; the crown is prepared for the righteous; but it is a crown which consists in righteousness. Righteousness will be its own reward (Rev 22:11). Compare Exo 39:30. A man is justified gratuitously by the merits of Christ through faith; and when he is so justified God accepts his works and honors them with a reward which is not their due, but is given of grace. "So great is God's goodness to men that He wills that their works should be merits, though they are merely His own gifts" [POPE CELESTINE I., Epistles, 12].

give--Greek, "shall award" in righteous requital as "Judge" (Act 17:31; Co2 5:10; Th2 1:6-7).

in that day--not until His appearing (Ti2 1:12). The partakers of the first resurrection may receive a crown also at the last day, and obtain in that general assembly of all men, a new award of praise. The favorable sentence passed on the "brethren" of the Judge, who sit with Him on His throne, is in Mat 25:40, taken for granted as already awarded, when that affecting those who benefited them is being passed [BENGEL]. The former, the elect Church who reign with Christ in the millennium, are fewer than the latter. The righteous heavenly Judge stands in contrast to the unrighteous earthly judges who condemned Paul.

me--individual appropriation. Greek, "not only to me."

them that love--Greek, "have loved, and do love"; habitual love and desire for Christ's appearing, which presupposes faith (compare Heb 9:28). Compare the sad contrast, Ti2 4:10, "having loved this present world."

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 8. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown] This I can claim as my due; but the crown I expect is not one of fading leaves, but a crown of righteousness; the reward which God, in his kindness, has promised to them who are faithful to the grace he has bestowed upon them.

The Lord, the righteous Judge] He alludes here to the brabeus, or umpire in the Grecian games, whose office it was to declare the victor, and to give the crown.

At that day] The day of judgment; the morning of the resurrection from the dead.

Unto all them also that love his appearing.] All who live in expectation of the coming of Christ, who anticipate it with joyfulness, having buried the world and laid up all their hopes above. Here is a reward, but it is a reward not of debt but of grace; for it is by the grace of God that even an apostle is fitted for glory. And this reward is common to the faithful; it is given, not only to apostles, but to all them that love his appearing. This crown is laid up-it is in view, but not in possession. We must die first.

I have several times noted the allusions of St. Paul to the Greek poets, and such as seemed to argue that he quoted immediately from them. There is a passage in the Alcestis of Euripides, in which the very expressions used here by the apostle are found, and spoken on the occasion of a wife laying down her life for her husband, when both his parents had refused to do it.

Ουκ ηθελησας ουδ' ετολμησας θανειν

Του σου προ παιδος· αλλα την δ' ειασατε

Γυναικ' οθνειαν, ἡν εγω και μητερα

Πατερα τε γ' ενδικως αν ἡγοιμην μονην·

Και τοι καλον γ' αν τανδ' αγων' ηγωνισω,

Του σου προ παιδος κατθανων. Alcest. v. 644.

"Thou wouldst not, neither darest thou to die for thy son; but hast suffered this strange woman to do it, whom I justly esteem to be alone my father and mother: thou wouldst have fought a good fight hadst thou died for thy son."

See Sophocles and AEschylus, quoted 1Ti 6:15.

The καλοςαγων, good fight, was used among the Greeks to express a contest of the most honourable kind, and in this sense the apostle uses it.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

8 Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness Having boasted of having fought his fight and finished his course, and kept the faith, he now affirms that he has not labored in vain. Now it is possible to put forth strenuous exertion, and yet to be defrauded of the reward which is due. But Paul says that his reward is sure. This certainty arises from turning his eyes to the day of the resurrection, and this is what we also ought to do; for all around we see nothing but death, and therefore we ought not to keep our eye fixed on the outward appearance of the world, but, on the contrary, to hold out to our minds the coming of Christ. The consequences will be, that nothing can detract from our happiness.

Which the Lord the righteous Judge will render to me Because he mentions “the crown of righteousness” and “the righteous Judge,” and employs the word “render,” the Papists endeavor, by means of this passage, to build up the merits of works in opposition to the grace of God. But their reasoning is absurd. Justification by free grace, which is bestowed on us through faith, is not at variance within the rewarding of works, but, on the contrary, those two statements perfectly agree, that a man is justified freely through the grace of Christ, and yet that God will render to him the reward of works; for as soon as God has received us into favor, he likewise accepts our works, so as even to deign to give them a reward, though it is not due to them.

Here two blunders are committed by the Papists; first, in arguing that we deserve something from God, because we do well by virtue of our freewill; and secondly, in holding that God is bound to us, as if our salvation proceeded from anything else than from his grace. But it does not follow that God owes anything to us, because he renders righteously what he renders; for he is righteous even in those acts of kindness which are of free grace. And he “renders the reward” which he has promised, not because we take the lead by any act of obedience, but because, in the same course of liberality in which he has begun to act toward us, he follows up his former gifts by those which are afterwards bestowed. In vain, therefore, and to no purpose, do the Papists labor to prove from this, that good works proceed from the power of freewill; because there is no absurdity in saying that God crowns in us his own gifts. Not less absurdly and foolishly do they endeavor, by means of this passage, to destroy the righteousness of faith; since the goodness of God — by which he graciously embraces a man, not imputing to him his sins — is not inconsistent with that rewarding of works which he will render by the same kindness with which he made the promise.

And not to me only That all the rest of the believers might fight courageously along with him, he invites them to a participation of the crown; for his unshaken steadfastness could not have served for an example to us, if the same hope of obtaining the crown had not been held out to us.

To all who love his coming This is a singular mark which he employs in describing believers. And, indeed, wherever faith is strong, it will not permit their minds to fall asleep in this world, but will elevate them to the hope of the last resurrection. His meaning therefore is, that all who are so much devoted to the world, and who love so much this fleeting life, as not to care about the coming of Christ, and not to be moved by any desire of it, deprive themselves of immortal glory. Woe to our stupidity, therefore, which exercises such power over us, that we never think seriously about the coming of Christ, to which we ought to give our whole attention. Besides, he excludes from the number of believers those in whom the coming of Christ produces terror and alarm; for it cannot be loved unless it be regarded as pleasant and delightful.

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

(8) A crown of righteousness.—More accurately rendered, the crown of righteousness. St. Paul, after speaking calmly of death, the bitterness of which he was already tasting, looks on beyond death, and speaks of the crown which awaited him. The crown was the victory prize which the “good fight” of 2Ti_4:7 had won. It is called “the crown of righteousness,” it being the crown to which righteousness can lay claim—that is, the crown awarded to righteousness.

Which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me.—As a righteous judge will the Lord award him the crown, recognising him as one who had the prize of victory. Not improbably, the expression “the righteous judge” was written in strong contrast to that unrighteous judge who had condemned Paul, and in accordance with whose unjust sentence he would presently suffer a painful death.

At that day.—This is the third time the words “that day” are used in this Epistle (see 2Ti_1:12-18). The day of judgment is, of course, signified, the day when the Lord shall come again with glory.

And not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.—Then St. Paul, instead of concluding this section of his letter with the glorious words telling of his serene courage and of his confidence in a crowned and immortal life, adds a gentle reminder to Timothy: he, too, with any others who really look for the Second Coming of the Lord, might win the same glorious crown—the sure guerdon of righteousness. The Apostle specifies here exactly the persons for whom “the crown” was reserved—those who in this life have indeed longed for the appearance of the Lord in judgment. None here could in very truth desire “His appearing,” save His own, who love Him and struggle to live His life. Calvin well remarks: “(St. Paul) excludes from the number of the faithful those to whom Christ’s coming is a source of terror.”

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness,.... The happiness of the future state of the saints is signified by a crown, on account of the glory and excellency of it; and in perfect agreement with the character of the saints, as kings; and who are raised to sit among princes, and to inherit the throne of glory, and have a kingdom prepared for them; and this is called a crown "of righteousness", because it comes through the righteousness of Christ; it is that which gives a right unto it, and without which it cannot be enjoyed; and because it is obtained and possessed in a righteous way, and not by force and usurpation, as crowns sometimes are: it is God the Father's free gift unto his children, what they are born heirs unto, and have a meetness for, through regenerating and sanctifying grace, and have a legal title to it through the righteousness of Christ. Moreover, this may be expressive of the perfect holiness and righteousness of the heavenly state, and of the saints in it, wherein will dwell none but righteous persons, and who will be entirely without sin. And this happiness, signified by a crown, is "laid up"; in the covenant of grace for the saints, which is ordered in all things and sure; and in Christ, in whose hands their persons are, and their grace is, and with him also is their life of glory hid and secured: and this also is laid up in heaven, and reserved there, and that

for me, and thee; for particular persons, for all the vessels of mercy, for all that are chosen in Christ Jesus, and redeemed by his blood, and sanctified by his Spirit;

which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me at that day. By the Lord is meant the Lord Jesus Christ; as is evident from his character, as a Judge, for the Father judgeth no man; and from mention being made hereafter of his appearing: Christ is ordained Judge of quick and dead, for which he is abundantly qualified, and a "righteous" one he will be; he is righteous as God, and as man, and as Mediator, in the discharge of all his offices, and so he will be as a Judge, in the administration of that office; righteousness will be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins; and from Christ, under this character, the apostle expected to receive all his future glory and happiness; and that both in a way of gift, as a free grace gift from him, and through him, and in a way of righteousness; and this seems to be a Jewish way of speaking. One of the Septuagint interpreters, whom Ptolomy king of Egypt sent for from Judea, to translate the law of Moses into Greek, in answer to a question put to him by the king, uses this phrase of , "a crown of righteousness"; and which he represents as the gift of God (z):

at that day; either at the day of death, the time of his dissolution, which was at hand; or at the day of the resurrection, and of the last judgment, when Christ will appear under the above character: and the apostle further observes, to the comfort and encouragement of Timothy, and others, that this happiness was not intended and prepared for himself only, but for others:

and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing; that is, his appearing at his second coming; which is to be loved, and so looked for by the saints, not only because it will be glorious in itself, in its attendants and consequences, but will be of great advantage to the saints; Christ will appear unto salvation to them, and so to their joy; they will appear with him in glory, and be like him, and enjoy the everlasting vision of him. The devils believe this appearance of Christ, but tremble at it; wicked men will behold him, and fear; saints know, believe, and love both Christ and his appearing; and such will wear that crown: the Ethiopic version renders it, "who love him at his coming"; all that love him now, will love him then.

(z) Aristeae Hist. 72. Interpr. p. 91, Ed. Oxon.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

8 Henceforth there 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.

Ver. 8. There is laid up a crown] Beyond a crown the wishes of mortal men extend not. Alexander inviting many to supper, provided a crown of 180 pounds to be given to those that drank most. Forty-one killed themselves with drinking to get that crown. Shall these do more for a trifle than we will do for heaven?

A crown of righteousness] So salvation is called; not for that it is of right due to us, but because it is purchased for us by the righteousness of Christ, and shall be freely given to those that are justified by faith.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Henceforth there is laid up for me - At the end of my race, as there was a crown in reserve for those who had successfully striven in the Grecian games; compare the notes on 1Co 9:25. The word “henceforth” - λοιπὸν loipon - means “what remains, or as to the rest;” and the idea is, that that was what remained of the whole career. The race had been run; the conflict had been waged; and all which was now necessary to complete the whole transaction, was merely that the crown be bestowed.

A crown of righteousness - That is, a crown won in the cause of righteousness, and conferred as the reward of his conflicts and efforts in the cause of holiness. It was not the crown of ambition; it was not a garland won in struggles for earthly distinction; it was that which was the appropriate reward of his efforts to be personally holy, and to spread the principles of holiness as far as possible through the world.

Which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me - The Lord Jesus, appointed to judge the world, and to dispense the rewards of eternity. It will be seen in the last day that the rewards of heaven are not conferred in an arbitrary manner, but that they are bestowed because they ought to be, or that God is righteous and just in doing it. No man will be admitted to heaven who ought not, under all the circumstances of the case, to be admitted there; no one will be excluded who ought to have been saved.

At that day - That is, the time when he will come to judge the world; Matt. 25.

And not to me only - “Though my life has been spent in laboriously endeavoring to spread his religion; though I have suffered much, and labored long; though I have struggled hard to win the prize, and now have it full in view, yet I do not suppose that it is to be conferred on me alone. It is not like the wreath of olive, laurel, pine, or parsley (See the notes at 1Co 9:25), which could be conferred only on one victor (See the notes at 1Co 9:24); but here every one may obtain the crown who strives for it. The struggle is not between me and a competitor in such a sense that, if ‘I’ obtain the crown, ‘he’ must be excluded; but it is a crown which ‘he” can obtain as well as ‘I.’ As many as run - as many as fight the good fight - as many as keep the faith - as many as love his appearing, may win the crown as well as I.” Such is religion, and such is the manner in which its rewards differ from all others.

At the Grecian games, but one could obtain the prize; 1Co 9:24. All the rest who contended in those games, no matter how numerous they were, or how skilfully they contended, or how much effort they made, were of course subjected to the mortification of a failure, and to all the ill-feeling and envy to which such a failure might give rise. So it is in respect to all the prizes which this world can bestow. In a lottery, but one can obtain the highest prize; in a class in college, but one can secure the highest honor; in the scramble for office, no matter how numerous the competitors may be, or what may be their merits, but one can obtain it. All the rest are liable to the disappointments and mortifications of defeat. Not so in religion. No matter how numerous the competitors, or how worthy any one of them may be, or how pre-eminent above his brethren, yet all may obtain the prize; all may be crowned with a diadem of life, of equal brilliancy. No one is excluded because another is successful; no one fails of the reward because another obtains it. Who, then, would not make an effort to win the immortal crown?

Unto all them also that love his appearing - That is, unto all who desire his second coming. To believe in the second advent of the Lord Jesus to judge the world, and to desire his return, became a kind of a criterion by which Christians were known. No others but true Christians were supposed to believe in that, and no others truly desired it; compare Rev 1:7; Rev 22:20. It is so now. It is one of the characteristics of a true Christian that he sincerely desires the return of his Saviour, and would weLcome his appearing in the clouds of heaven.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

A crown of justice, which the Lord, the just judge, will render to me. These words confirm the Catholic doctrine, that good works performed with the assistance of God’s grace, deserve and are meritorious of a reward in heaven: it is what is signified, 1. by a crown of justice, 2. from a just judge, 3. which he will render or give as a reward. Yet we own with St. Augustine that we have no merit, but what is also a gift of God from his grace and mercy, and grounded on his promises. (Witham) --- "A crown of justice," which the Protestant translate, of righteousness; but let us see how the learned St. Augustine, 1400 years ago, expounds the apostle’s meaning: "How should he repay as a just judge, unless he had first given as a merciful Father?" (De grat. et lib. arb. chap. vi.) See Hebrews vi. 10. God is not unjust, that he should forget your works; the the Protestants change into, God is not unrighteous.

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

Henceforth there is laid up for me; as to what remains for me, (so the word λοιπον signifies, not henceforth, as we translate it), there is prepared, and in safe keeping for me, Col 1:5; or, there is appointed for me: see Heb 9:27.

A crown; another kind of crown than what the conquerors used to have in the Grecian games; a high and great reward, a glory with which my whole man shall be encompassed, as a man’s head is with a crown.

Of righteousness; the purchase of Christ’s righteousness, and an ample reward of mine also, the giving out of which also will be the effect of God’s truth and justice, 1Jo 1:9.

Which the Lord, the righteous judge; and Jesus Christ, who in this shall show himself a righteous judge,

shall give it me of his free mercy, for all I have done hath not merited it, at that day, at the day of judgment; my soul shall have it at my dissolution, my whole man in the resurrection.

And not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing; nor is this crown my particular reward, but if any persons so lead their lives in this world, as that they can desire and be pleased with the thoughts and hopes of the second coming of Christ to judgment, Christ will give them also the same reward.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

8. Henceforth—Paul speaks as from the moment of his martyrdom. It is to be noted that he looks for his crown, not as bestowed in the intermediate and disembodied state, but as at the judgment. In the happiness of that intermediate state he fully believes, (Php_1:23,) but his thought glances to the advent as the time of his coronation.

Crown of righteousness—So Jas_1:12, the crown of life. 1Pe_5:4, the crown of glory; that crown so glorious as to be made of glory; a crown so living as to be made up of life; a crown so holy as to be made up of righteousness. In all these cases the blessedness bestowed upon the man is idealized into a crown.

Love his appearing—For fearful as is that day to the wicked, so fearful that the righteous may well tremble, it is still to the latter the day of his vindication and his crown.

3. St. Paul’s personal relations to his fellows, 9-13.

Of the seven of his fellow labourers here noted, four had left him; one, Demas, voluntarily and blamably; two, Crescens and Titus, voluntarily, but unblamed; a fourth, Tychicus, sent away. One only, Luke, was with him, and two, Timothy and Mark, are requested to come to him.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The fora, A.V; to me for me, A.V; only to me for to me only, A.V; also to all them for unto all them also, A.V; have loved for love. Henceforth (loipon); as Heb_10:13. The work of conflict being over, it only remains to receive the crown. The crown of righteousness means that crown the possession of which marks the wearer as righteous before God. The analogous phrases are, "the crown of glory" (1Pe_5:4) and "the crown of life" (Jam_1:12; Rev_2:10) The righteousness, the glory, and the life of the saints are conceived as displayed in crowns, as the kingly dignity is in the crown of royalty. The righteous Judge (krithv). In Act_10:42 the Lord Jesus is said to be ordained of God Krithntwn kai nekrwn. "the Judge of quick and dead;" and inntwn, Heb_12:23 we read, Krith Qew pa "God the Judge of all." But nowhere else, either in the Old Testament or the New Testament, is this term applied directly either to God or to Christ. Surely its use here is influenced by the preceding metaphor of the ajgwn and the dromov and the stefanov; and "the righteous Judge" is the impartial brabeuv, or "judge," who assigned the prizes at the games to those who had fairly won them. And this is the proper meaning of krithv, "the umpire," applied, especially at Athens, to the "judges" at the poetic contests (Liddell and Scott). Thucydides contrasts the krithv and the ajgwnisthv; Aristophanes the kritai and the qeatai, the "spectators;" and the word "critic" is derived from this meaning of kithv and kritikov. The whole picture is that of the apostle running his noble race of righteousness to the very end, and of the Lord himself assigning to him the well earned crown of victory in the presence of heaven and earth assembled for the solemnity of that great day. That have loved his appearing. It will be a characteristic of those who will be crowned at that day that all the time they were lighting the good fight they were looking forward with hope and desire for their Lord"s appearing and kingdom. "Thy kingdom come" was their desire and their petition. They will be able to say at that day, "So, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the Lord; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation". (Isa_25:9) His appearing; as in ver. 2.

The great reward.

there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness." This is the keynote. Many successful Roman generals and some of the philosophers of the old world committed suicide in weariness and disgust of life. To live was ennui, and worse; for all was "vanity and vexation of spirit.

I THE FUTURE IS PROVIDED FOR. "Henceforth for, or, "as to the rest" there is laid up for me." Christ will not let any one of his faithful servants go uncrowned; all receive the prize only their crown will be the perfecting of character, as the flower blossoms in its summer beauty. Heaven is the everlasting summer of the saints; and there "the crown of righteousness," which never was fully attained upon earth, will be given to all those who endure unto the end. Sometimes it is called "the crown of glory," sometimes "the crown of righteousness," and sometimes "the crown of life;" for the crowns of God are not the tinsel of earth"s corruptible gold, but crowns of conscience, mind, and character in one word, crowns of life.

II THE RIGHTEOUS JUDGE WILL BE THERE. He before whom all hearts are open, he whose judgment is according to knowledge, and who understands all the unknown and unnoticed conflicts of every earnest soul. He is the righteous Judge. Human judgment at its best cannot be perfectly righteous it may approach to it, but "What man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him?" None, indeed, but himself and God.

III THE UNIVERSAL CHURCH WILL SHARE IN THE CORONATION. "And not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing. " Some men dread that appearing. They never have liked thoughts of God, and how shall they like the presence of God? Those who have lived in pleasure, and said to God, "Depart from us!" may well tremble at his appearing. But the true Christian, who has walked by faith, loves Christ"s appearing.

1. We long to see equity or righteous judgment triumphant in the universe.So much judgment seems to miscarry now.

2. We long to see the Saviour, whom not having seen, we love; for at hisappearing "we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is." St. Paul was no rhapsodist, but he desired to depart and be with Christ, which was far better. W.M.S.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The crown of that righteousness - Which God has imputed to me and wrought in me. Will render to all - This increases the joy of Paul, and encourages Timotheus. Many of these St. Paul himself had gained. That have loved his appearing - Which only a real Christian can do. I say a real Christian, to comply with the mode of the times: else they would not understand, although the word Christian necessarily implies whatsoever is holy, as God is holy. Strictly speaking, to join real or sincere to a word of so complete an import, is grievously to debase its noble signification, and is like adding long to eternity or wide to immensity.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

Ver. 8. Henceforth (λοιπὸν, quod reliquum est, Beza) there is laid up (or aside, ἀπόκειταί, reserved) for me the crown of righteousness; not a crown merely, but the crown—that which is associated with righteousness, either as its proper object or its destined possession. A return is made to the figure of the contest; and as the victor in each particular species of game—wrestling, running, etc.—got the crown appropriated to it, so the apostle designates his reward as the crown of righteousness: therefore the righteous crown, or the crown which by divine appointment belongs to it, which is (prospectively) its own. In plain words, it is that kind and measure of bliss which the wrestler in righteousness alone is either entitled or prepared to enjoy—the destiny, as it is put in Rev 3:21, to share in Christ’s throne, as having previously shared in His triumph over sin. It is reserved, therefore, till this triumph is completed; and then, in that day, the terminating point of the believer’s struggles and exertions, it shall be awarded by the Lord as the judge—the righteous judge or arbiter of the contest. Considered in the light of a recompense, the future inheritance of bliss and glory is fitly connected with the Lord’s righteousness or justice—as it is also elsewhere (2Co 5:10; Rom 3:6; Eph 6:8, etc.)—because the bestowal of it shall be in accordance with the just and holy principles on which the divine government is conducted toward men. Yet grace is not hereby superseded or made of no account. On the contrary, it is regarded as the basis on which the whole administration of reward proceeds in the kingdom of Christ. It is an economical arrangement, made by God in Christ for carrying out the purposes of His salvation; but as the salvation itself, so the bestowal of reward connected with it, is all of grace—to be thankfully received, but never to be claimed as a debt. For without the Spirit of grace working both to will and to do in them that believe, there could be neither righteousness nor reward; and so, while those who, as partakers of grace, have faithfully done their part here, shall all, like the apostle, in the great day receive their crowns from the Lord, they shall again lay them at His feet, in lowly and grateful acknowledgment of the source whence they have been derived, ascribing to Him, as alone worthy, the honour and the glory (Rev 4:10, Rev 5:9-10). (Comp. Delitzsch on Heb 6:10.)

The apostle gracefully concludes by noticing this participation of others with him in the anticipated good: the crown which the Lord the righteous judge shall award, he says, not only to me, indeed, but to all those that love His appearing—ἠγαπηκόσι τὴν ἐπιφάνειαν αὐτοῦ, the second appearing, doubtless, as the connection requires; and the action of the loving being put in the perfect, betokens it as a thing commenced in the past, but continuing on till the proper completion is reached: who have fixed their love on His appearing, and so still love (Winer, Gr. § 40:4, b). A remarkable characteristic! How rarely is it possessed by believers as it ought to be! If they might justly be represented as loving Christ, yet how seldom should we think of describing them as loving precisely His appearing—when He shall come to wind up the affairs of His administration, and distribute to every one as his case may be! To love Him in this particular aspect bespeaks not only faith, but such a full assurance of faith and hope in Him as casts out fear, and carries with it the confidence that, when He appears, we shall also appear with Him in glory. Why should the followers of Christ fail of this peaceful and loving anticipation, when even Old Testament believers hailed the prospect of the Lord’s appearing to judgment with songs of joy and hope? (Psa 94:11, Psa 94:13, Psa 98:9)

Patrick Fairbairn — An Exposition of Ezekiel (1851), Jonah (1849), and The Pastoral Epistles (1874) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

righteousness

(See Scofield "1Jn 3:7").

The Scofield Reference Bible (1917 edition), notes by C. I. Scofield — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

8. Henceforth there is laid up for me. As the successful competitor in the games receives a crown, so the crown awaited him. The crown of righteousness. The crown given for righteousness. The righteous judge. He was about to die by the sentence of an unrighteous judge. The higher Judge would reverse the sentence and give him a crown. And not to me only. All can have the same hope. All who serve him, and would love to see him come as their best friend, shall have the same crown.

B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.

8. λοιπὸν ἀπόκειταί μοι κ.τ.λ. Henceforth is laid up for me the crown of righteousness.

λοιπὸν is used here (as at Act 27:20) in its strict sense of from this time forward, henceforth, for the time that remains; it is sometimes used in a looser sense to introduce a clause, = ‘moreover,’ ‘finally’ &c. (1Co 1:16; 1Co 4:2; 2Co 13:11; 1Th 4:1 &c.).

For the use of ἀπόκεισθαι cp. Col 1:5, διὰ τὴν ἐλπίδα τὴν ἀποκειμένην ὑμῖν ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς, and 2Ma 12:45.

ὁ τῆς δικαιοσύνης στέφανος, the crown of righteousness, sc. (probably) the crown appropriate to the righteous man, and belonging to righteousness. The force of the gen. would thus be quite different from that which it has in ‘the crown of life’ (Jas 1:12; Rev 2:10) or ‘the crown of glory’ (1Pe 5:4). If we take these phrases as strictly parallel, the reward spoken of here would be righteousness, as a crown. See the note on 1Ti 6:12.

ὃν ἀποδώσει μοι ὁ κύριος ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ, which the Lord, sc. Christ, will give to me in that day, sc. the day of the last Judgement. For ἀποδιδόναι in such a context cp. Rom 2:6; ἀπό suggests the idea of requital or reward. For the phrase ἐκείνη ἡ ἡμέρα cp. 2Ti 1:12; 2Ti 1:18 and 2Th 1:10.

ὁ δίκαιος κριτής, the righteous judge. The title goes back to Psa 7:11; cp. also 2Ma 12:6; 2Ma 12:41 and 2Th 1:5.

οὐ μόνον δὲ ἐμοὶ ἀλλὰ καὶ κ.τ.λ. For this form of expression cp. 1Ti 5:13 and 3Ma 3:23.

πᾶσι τοῖς ἠγαπηκόσι τὴν ἐπιφάνειαν αὐτοῦ, to all those who have loved, and do love, His appearing. For ἐπιφάνεια see note on 1Ti 6:14. “The remark of Calvin is gravely suggestive; ‘e fidelium numero excludit quibus formidabilis est Christi adventus’: thus then we may truly say with Leo, ‘habemus hic lapidem Lydium, quo examinemus corda nostra’ ” (Ellicott).

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

8.] henceforth (perhaps this adverb expresses λοιπόν better than any other. It appears to be used in later Greek, from Polybius downwards, in this sense of ‘proinde,’ ‘itaque:’ cf. Polyb. ii. 68. 9; iv. 32. 5; x. 45. 2) there is laid up (reff.) for me the (not ‘a,’ as E. V.) crown (reff., and cf. Php 3:14) of righteousness (i.e. the bestowal of which is conditional on the substantiation and recognition of righteousness—q. d. ‘a crown among the righteous:’ τὸν τοῖς δικαίοις ηὐτρεπισμένον λέγει, Thdrt.: and so De W. after Chrys., δικαιοσύνην ἐνταῦθα πάλιν τὴν καθόλου φησὶν ἀρετήν. This is better than with Huther, al., to take the gen. as one appositionis, as in Jas 1:12, ὁ στ. τῆς ζωῆς: and 1Pe 5:4, ὁ τῆς δόξης στ.: both these, ζωή and δόξα, may well constitute the crown, but it is not easy to say how δικαιοσύνη can. Thdrt.’s alternative, τὸν δικαίᾳ ψήφῳ δωρούμενον (so Heydenr., Matth., al.), is equally objectionable. There is, as Calv. has shewn, no sort of inconsistency here with the doctrines of grace: “neque enim gratuita justificatio quæ nobis per fidem confertur, cum operum remuneratione pugnat quin potius rite conveniunt ista duo, gratis justificari hominem Christi beneficio, et tamen operum mercedem coram Deo relaturum. Nam simulatque nos in gratiam recipit Deus, opera quoque nostra grata habet, ut præmio quoque (licet indebito) dignetur.” See further on this point Estius’s note, and Conc. Trident. Canones, Sess. vi. c. 16, where the remarkable expression is quoted from the Epist. of Pope Cælestinus I. 12, “Dei tanta est erga omnes homines bonitas, ut eorum velit esse merita, quæ sunt ipsius dona”), which the Lord (Christ: cf. ἐπιφάν. αὐτοῦ below) shall award (more than ‘give:’ see reff., and Mat 6:4, Mat 6:6, &c., 16:27: the idea of requital should be expressed. Compare however Ellicott’s note) me in that day (reff.), the righteous (subj., ‘just;’ but the word ‘righteous’ should be kept as answering to ‘righteousness’ above) judge (see Act 10:42. In this assertion of just judgment, there is nothing, as De W. imagines, to controvert the doctrines of grace: see above);—and (but) not only to me (better than ‘not to me only,’ E. V., &c. (οὐδὲ ἐμοὶ μόνῳ), which though true, does not correctly represent the sense), but also to all who have loved (who shall then be found to have loved and still to be loving, see Winer, edn. 6, § 40. 4 a: loved, i.e. (reff.) looked forward with earnest joy to) His appearing (ver. 1).

Henry Alford, The Greek Testament (1849–1861) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

8. ἀπόκειται] is stored away safely; cf. Col 1:5 and OGIS.. 383:189 οἷς ἀποκείσεται παρὰ θεῶν καὶ ἡρώων χάρις εὐσεβείας, and other inscriptions in M.M. s.v.

τῆς δικαιοσύνης] the crown which belongs to, which is won by righteousness; perhaps also the crown which consists in perfect eternal righteousness; cf. Job 33:26 ἀποδώσει ἀνθρώποις δικαιοσύνην, and this is parallel to τὸν στέφανον τὴς ζωῆς, Rev 2:10, Rev 2:1 P 5:4, Jas 1:12, all probably based upon some unwritten saying of the Lord (cf. Resch, Agrapha, p. 252). Cf. Wisd 4:2, of virtue, ἐν τῷ αἰῶνι στεφανηφοροῦσα πομπεύει, τὸν τῶν ἀμιάντων ἄθλων ἀγῶνα νικήσασα.

ἀποδώσει] corresponding to ἀπόκειται: give as due to him, give back what he has deposited with him, what he has earned (cf. παραθήκη p. 90). The thought here is not that of a generous giver, but of a righteous judge. Cf. 14, Rom 2:6 ὃς ἀποδώσει ἑκαστῷ κατὰ τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ, and Heb 12:11 πᾶσα παιδεία . . . καρπὸν εἰρηνικὸν τοῖς διʼ αὐτῆς γεγυμνασμένοις ἀποδίδωσι δικαιοσύνης: and for the thought, Ign. ad Polyc. 6, τὰ δεπόσιτα ὑμῶν τὰ ἔργα ὑμῶν. ἵνα τὰ ἄκκεπτα ὑμῶν ἄξια κομίσησθε: 2Jn 1:8.

οὐ μόνον δὲ ἐμοί] added not only to encourage Timothy, but perhaps also to emphasize the blessing in store. We shall be with many others there; cf. 1Th 4:17 σὺν αὐτοῖς . . . σὺν κυρίῳ.

ὁ δίκαιος κριτής] cf. Rom 2:5, Rom 2:6. Here perhaps with intentional contrast to the unjust tribunal at Rome, I 6:15 note and 1 P 2:23.

τοῖς ἠγαπηκόσι] cf. Jas 1:12 ὃν ἐπηγγείλατο τοῖς ἀγαπῶσιν αὐτόν: here the tense is viewed from the time of the judgment; cf. 1Ti 6:17 ἠλπικέναι. For this aspect of the Christian life, cf. Tit 2:13, 1Co 1:7, and 4 Esdr 7:98—

“They shall rejoice with boldness,

be confident without confusion,

be glad without fear:

for they are hastening to behold the face of him

whom in life they served and from whom they are

destined to receive their reward in glory” (Box).

It is suggestive, but scarcely suitable to the context, to combine with this the thought of love for the first Appearing, or love for the many manifestations of Christ to the believer’s heart (Chrys.).

International Critical Commentary — older volumes (1896–1929), various authors — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Henceforth [λοιπον] . Lit. as to what remains. Loipon or to loipon either finally, as 2Co 13:11; or henceforth as here, Mr 14:41; 1Co 7:29, Heb 10:13 : or for the rest, besides, as 1Th 4:1 (note); 2Th 3:1.

There is laid up [αποκειται] . Or laid away. In Pastorals only here. In Paul, see Col 1:5 (note). Luk 19:20 of the pound laid up in a napkin.

A crown of righteousness [ο της δικαιοσυνης στεφανος] . The phrase N. T. o. See on stefanoutai is crowned, chapter. 2Ti 2:5. Rend. the crown. Judge [κριτης] . Comp. verse 1. Mostly in Luke and Acts. o P. Only here in Pastorals. Applied to Christ, Act 10:42 Jas 5:9; to God, Heb 12:28; Jas 4:12.

Shall give [αποδωσει] . Most frequent in Synoptic Gospels. It may mean to give over or away, as Mt 27:58; Act 5:8; Heb 12:16 : or to give back, recompose, as here, Mt 6:4, 6, 18; Rom 2:6. At that day [εν εκεινη τη ημερα] . See on chapter 2Ti 1:12. That love his appearing [τοις ηγαπηκοσι την επιφανειαν αυτου] . For love rend. have loved. Appearing, Christ 's second coming : see on 1Ti 6:14; 2Th 2:8. The phrase N. T. o. Some have interpreted appearing as Christ 's first coming into the world, as chapter 2Ti 1:10; but the other sense is according to the analogy of 1Co 2:9; Phi 3:20; Heb 9:28.

Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (1887–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.