SEV Biblia, Chapter 4:8
Desde ahora, me est guardada la corona de justicia, la cual me dar el Seor, juez justo, en aquel día; y no slo a mí, sino tambin a todos los que desean su venida.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - 2 Timothy 4:8
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.
ouk hqelhsav oud etolmhsav qanein` tou sou pro paidov? alla thn d eiasate gunaik oqneian, hn egw kai mhtera patera te g endikwv an hgoimhn monhn? kai toi kalon g an tand agwn hgwnisw, qou sou pro paidov katqanwn. 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 1 Tim. vi. 15.
The kalov agwn, good fight, was used among the Greeks to express a contest of the most honourable kind, and in this sense the apostle uses it.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 8. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness , etc.] 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 stefanov dikaiosunhv , a crown of righteousness; and which he represents as the gift of God f24 : 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.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 6-8 - The blood of the martyrs, though not a sacrifice of atonement, yet wa a sacrifice of acknowledgment to the grace of God and his truth. Deat to a good man, is his release from the imprisonment of this world, an his departure to the enjoyments of another world. As a Christian, and minister, Paul had kept the faith, kept the doctrines of the gospel What comfort will it afford, to be able to speak in this manner towar the end of our days! The crown of believers is a crown of righteousness, purchased by the righteousness of Christ. Believers have it not at present, yet it is sure, for it is laid up for them. The believer, amidst poverty, pain, sickness, and the agonies of death, ma rejoice; but if the duties of a man's place and station are neglected his evidence of interest in Christ will be darkened, and uncertaint and distress may be expected to cloud and harass his last hours.
Greek Textus Receptus
σπουδασον 4704 5657 V-AAM-2S ελθειν 2064 5629 V-2AAN προς 4314 PREP με 3165 P-1AS ταχεως 5030 ADV
Vincent's NT Word Studies
8. Henceforth (loipon). Lit. as to what remains. Loipon or to loipon either finally, as 2 Cor. xiii. 11; or henceforth as here, Mark. xiv. 41; 1 Corinthians vii. 29, Heb. x. 13: or for the rest, besides, as 1 Thessalonians iv. 1 (note); 2 Thess. iii. 1.There is laid up (apokeitai). Or laid away. In Pastorals only here. In Paul, see Col. i. 5 (note). Luke xix. 20 of the pound laid up in a napkin.
A crown of righteousness (o thv dikaiosunhv stefanov). The phrase N.T.o . See on stefanoutai is crowned, chapter. ii. 5. Rend. the crown. Judge (krithv). Comp. verse 1. Mostly in Luke and Acts. o P. Only here in Pastorals. Applied to Christ, Acts x. 42 Jas. v. 9; to God, Hebrews xii. 28; Jas. iv. 12.
Shall give (apodwsei). Most frequent in Synoptic Gospels. It may mean to give over or away, as Matt. xxvii. 58; Acts v. 8; Heb. xii. 16: or to give back, recompose, as here, Matt. vi. 4, 6, 18; Rom. ii. 6. At that day (en ekeinh th hmera). See on chapter i. 12. That love his appearing (toiv hgaphkosi thn epifaneian autou). For love rend. have loved. Appearing, Christ's second coming: see on 1 Timothy vi. 14; 2 Thess. ii. 8. The phrase N.T.o . Some have interpreted appearing as Christ's first coming into the world, as chapter i. 10; but the other sense is according to the analogy of 1 Cor. ii. 9; Philip. iii. 20; Heb. ix. 28.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
4:8 {Henceforth} (loipon). Accusative case, "for the rest." {There is laid up for me} (apokeitai moi). Present passive of apokeimai, old verb, to be laid away. See #Col 1:5 for the hope laid away. Paul's "crown of righteousness" (ho tes dikaiosunes stefanos, genitive of apposition, the crown that consists in righteousness and is also the reward for righteousness, the victor's crown as in #1Co 9:25 which see) "is laid away" for him. {At that day} (en ekeinei tei hemerai). That great and blessed day (#1:12,18). {The righteous judge} (ho dikaios krites). "The just judge," the umpire who makes no mistakes who judges us all (#2Co 5:10). {Shall give me} (apodwsei moi). Future active of apodidwmi. "Will give back" as in #Ro 2:6 and in full. {But also to all them that have loved his appearing} (alla pasin tois egapekosin ten epifaneian autou). Dative case of the perfect active participle of agapaw, to love, who have loved and still love his second coming. epifaneia here can as in #1:10 be interpreted of Christ's Incarnation.
