OUR CROWN OF REJOICING

Wednesday 19 July 2023

“For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?”

1 Thessalonians‬ ‭2‬:‭19 (KJV)

For who is our hope or joy or crown of exultation? Is it not even you, in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming?

(NASB)

For what is our hope or happiness or our victor’s wreath of exultant triumph when we stand in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming? Is it not you?

(Amplified)

For what is our hope or joy or victor’s laurel wreath of glorying? Are not even you yourselves such in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming?

(Wuest)

A crown is a wreath or garland given as a prize to victors in public games and thus a symbol of honour.

In Classical Greek, the crown was used as the crown of victory in games, of civic worth, military valour, nuptial joy, and festival gladness. Woven of oak, ivy, myrtle, olive leaves or flowers.

Paul did not say he would receive a crown, though this is suggested. He said that the saints themselves would be his crown when he met them at the Judgment Seat.

In the first use of crown in the NT, Matthew says that;

after weaving a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand; and they kneeled down before Him and mocked Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!

(Mt 27:29)

Earlier Paul had used crown as a verb reminding Timothy that;

if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the victor’s crown unless he competes according to the rules.

(2Ti 2:5NIV)

The crown was the only prize ancient Olympic athletes received and thus it was cherished as a great treasure.

How much more should we as believers “run with endurance the race that is set before” (He 12:1) us, knowing that the Olympic athletes do it to receive a perishable crown but we an imperishable.” (1Cor 9:25)

As John said: “We shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is” (1Jn 3:2). In this life it may be that the Believer’s loyalty will bring him a crown of thorns, but in the life to come it will surely bring him the crown of righteousness.

Crown is from a Greek word ‘stephanos’ which gives us the English name Stephen, the first New Testament martyr, “the crowned one”.

How fitting that the “crown” of the laurel wreath was awarded to the one who finished a race. So the crown is to the finisher, ‘Stephen’ who watched the heavens open (Acts 7:55 56) as his life leaves and says ‘’Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.’’ (Acts 7:59)

That is a man who “loved His appearing”!

The kingly crown by contrast is a diadem which is only associated with the Lord, for example describing the appearance of the Lord Jesus returning as the King of kings upon Whose “head are many diadems” (Rev 19:12), His return marking the final defeat of the antichrist at the end of the Great Tribulation.

Scripture also mentions;

1. a crown of life for “a man who perseveres under trial” (Jas 1:12),

2. the unfading crown of glory (1Pe 5:4) for those who “shepherd the flock of GOD” (1Pe 5:2),

our hope or joy or crown of exultation referring to believers whose life we have had a role (Php 4:1), and

a wreath (crown)… imperishable for those who run in the Christian race and are not disqualified.

The crown of righteousness is a phrase which in the present context is most likely the Greek construction referred to as genitive of apposition, the crown that consists in righteousness and is also the reward for righteousness.

As we daily present our “members as slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification”, we are working “out (our) salvation” and this process equates with sanctification or experiential righteousness.

At the completion of our life, Christ’s righteousness will be perfected in us. To say it another way, when death ends the process of sanctification and we enter glorification, experiential righteousness is consummated in perfect positional righteousness.

When we have finished our course, we will receive the unfading crown of righteousness from the Lord Himself, the righteous Judge.

So here the crown Paul is referring to is the righteousness of the Redeemer granted in full perfection to the glorified believer, for as John writes “when He appears, we shall be like Him.” (1Jn 3:2), glorified and eternally clothed in His perfect righteousness.

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