2 Timothy 4:8 - Exposition

The for a , 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 ( λοιπόν ); as Hebrews 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" ( 1 Peter 5:4 ) and "the crown of life" ( James 1:12 ; Revelation 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 ( κριτής ). In Acts 10:42 the Lord Jesus is said to be ordained of God κριτὴς ζώντων καὶ νεκρῶν . "the Judge of quick and dead;" and in Hebrews 12:23 we read, κριτῇ θεῷ πάντων , "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 ἀγών and the δρόμος and the στέφανος ; and "the righteous Judge" is the impartial βραβεύς , or "judge," who assigned the prizes at the games to those who had fairly won them. And this is the proper meaning of κριτής , "the umpire," applied, especially at Athens, to the "judges" at the poetic contests (Liddell and Scott). Thucydides contrasts the κριτής and the ἀγωνιστής ; Aristophanes the κριταί and the θεαταί , the "spectators;" and the word "critic" is derived from this meaning of κιτής and κριτικός . 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" ( Isaiah 25:9 ). His appearing ; as in Hebrews 12:2 .