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.
All Commentaries on 2 Timothy 4:8 Go To 2 Timothy 4
John Chrysostom
AD 407
Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness.
Here again he calls virtue in general righteousness. You should not grieve that I shall depart, to be invested with that crown which will by Christ be placed upon my head. But if I continued here, truly your might rather grieve, and fear lest I should fail and perish.
Which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me at that day, and not to me only, but to all that love His appearing.
Here also he raises his mind. If to all, much more to Timothy. But he did not say, and to you, but to all; meaning, if to all, much more to him.
Moral. But how, it may be asked, is one to love the appearing (τὴν ἐπιφανειαν) of Christ? By rejoicing at His coming; and he who rejoices at His coming, will perform works worthy of His joy; he will throw away his substance if need be, and even his life, so that he may obtain future blessings, that he may be thought worthy to behold that second coming in a fitting state, in confidence, in brightness and glory. This is to love His appearing. He who loves His appearing will do everything to ensure, before His general coming, a particular coming to himself. And how, you will say, is this possible? Hear from Christ, who says, If a man love Me, he will keep My words, and My Father and I will come unto him, and make Our abode with him. John 14:23 And think how great a privilege it is that He who will appear to all generally, should promise to come to us in particular: for He says, We will come and make Our abode with him. If any man love His appearing, he will do everything to invite Him to himself, and to hold Him, that the light may shine upon him. Let there be nothing unworthy of His coming, and He will soon take up His abode with us.
And it is called His Epiphany, because He will appear above, and shine forth from on high. Let us therefore seek those things that are above, and we shall soon draw down those beams upon us. None of those who grovel below, and bury themselves in this lower earth, will be able to view the light of that Sun. None of those who defile themselves with worldly things will be able to behold that Sun of righteousness. He shines on none of those who are so occupied. Recover yourself a little, recover yourself from that depth, from the waves of a worldly life, if you would see the Sun, and enjoy His appearing. Then you will see Him with great confidence. Be even now a philosopher. Let not a spirit of perverseness possess you, lest He smite you severely, and bring you low. Let not your heart be hardened; nor darkened, lest you be shipwrecked there. Let there be no self-deceit. For the rocks beneath the sea cause the most fatal shipwrecks. Nourish no wild beasts, I mean evil passions, worse than wild beasts. Confide not in things ever flowing, that you may be able to stand firmly. None can stand upon water, but upon a rock all find a secure footing. Worldly things are as water, as a torrent, that passes away. The waters, he says, have come in unto my soul. Psalm 69:1 Spiritual things are as a rock. For he says, You have set my feet upon a rock. Psalm 40:2 Worldly things are as mire and clay; let us extricate ourselves from them. For so we shall be able to attain to the appearing of Christ. Whatever may befall us, let us endure. It is a sufficient consolation in all circumstances that we suffer for Christ. This divine incantation let us repeat, and it will charm away the pain of every wound.
And how can we suffer for Christ, you ask? If one accuse you falsely in any case, not on account of Christ, yet if you bear it patiently, if you give thanks, if you pray for him, all this you do for Christ. But if you curse him, if you utter discontent, if you attempt to revenge it, though you should not be able, it is not for Christ's sake; you suffer loss, and art deprived of your reward on account of your intention. For it rests with us either to profit, or to be injured, by afflictions. It depends not upon the nature of the affliction, but upon the disposition of our own minds. As, for instance, great were the sufferings of Job, yet he suffered with thankfulness; and he was justified, not because he suffered, but because in suffering he endured it thankfully. Another under the same sufferings, yet not the same, for none ever suffered like Job— but under lighter sufferings, exclaims, is impatient, curses the whole world, and complains against God. He is condemned and sentenced, not because he suffered, but because he blasphemed; and he blasphemed, not from any necessity arising from his afflictions, since if necessity arising from events were the cause, Job too must have blasphemed; but since he, who suffered more severely, did no such thing, it did not come to pass from this cause, but from the man's weakness of purpose. We want therefore strength of soul, and nothing will then appear grievous, but if our soul is weak, we find a grievance in everything.
According to our dispositions, all things become tolerable or intolerable. Let us strengthen our resolution, and we shall bear all things easily. The tree whose roots are fixed deep in the earth is not shaken by the utmost violence of the storm, but if it be set lightly in the surface of the ground, a slight gust of wind will tear it up from the roots. So it is with us; if our flesh be nailed down by the fear of God, nothing will be able to shake us; but if we merely intend well, a little shock will subvert and destroy us. Wherefore, I exhort, let us bear all with much cheerfulness, imitating the Prophet, who says, My soul cleaves to You; observe, he says not, draws near, but cleaves to You; and again, My soul thirsts for You. Psalm 62:3 He said not merely longs, that he might by such words express the vehemence of his desire; and again, Fix my flesh in Your fear. Psalm 118:120, Septuagint For he wishes us so to cleave and be united to Him, that we may never be separated from Him. If thus we hold by God, if thus we rivet our thoughts upon Him, if we thirst with the love of Him, all that we desire will be ours, and we shall obtain the good things to come, in Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost be glory, power, and honor, now and for ever. Amen.
