What is Paul’s Crown of Righteousness?

In Paul’s great valedictory address in 2 Timothy 4:6-8, he declares that he is eagerly waiting for a “crown of righteousness” that will be not only given to him, but to everyone who awaits the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. While not addressing other crowns in scripture, this particular crown merits special attention.  The following is not a commonly held view, but one worthy of consideration.

We know that the Bible mentions crowns in heaven for believers and says that believers will cast their crowns and the feet of Jesus Christ. However, the idea of the crown in this passage does present the Bible student with several questions.

If this crown is for righteousness, what particular acts of righteousness is it for?

If the righteousness that we have as believers is the righteousness of Christ, why would we be given crowns for it?

If this is a reward for acts of righteousness, how is it that all who love the appearing of Jesus Christ receive it? Even a more basic question might be for whom is this crown intended?

The word translated crown is the victors crown, given to those who were winners in the athletic games, had done well in civic duties or had been victorious in battle. It is not a crown of authority but a crown of reward. It was usually made of a wreath or a garland and because it was made from a plant, it would deteriorate over time. The value of the crown was not in what it was made of, but rather what it symbolized. Because Paul is using an analogy from the Greek language and culture, it is important to understand his context in order to understand his meaning.

This crown is for all believers.

which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing. (2 Timothy 4:8)

Paul knows he is getting this crown. He has no doubt. He anticipates it eagerly. However, he also knows that he will not be the only recipient of this crown. Others will get it too. All those who have loved the appearance of Jesus Christ will get it.

His appearing is a term that is used to refer to both the first and second advents of Jesus Christ. Paul uses the term in 2 Timothy 1:10 to describe the first coming of Jesus Christ. He also uses the term in 2 Timothy 4:1 to describe the second coming of Jesus Christ. Because of the context and the specific words used, it is more likely that he is referring to the second coming of Christ.

The question is whether this is a special crown destined for believers who eagerly anticipate the return of Christ as a separate group from other believers or whether Paul sees the longing for the return of Christ as a common characteristic of all believers. I believe that the latter is the more likely of the two.  Paul’s description of “all who love his appearing” is a beautifully poetic way of designating all true believers.

This crown is righteousness.

The words crown of righteousness can be taken several different ways depending on the use of the genitive in the original language. Most often this is taken to be an attributive use of the genitive. In simple terms, it is the crown associated with being righteous or the crown people get for being righteous. In this situation, Paul would be saying that he has lived righteously–so righteously, in fact, that he has absolute confidence that he will soon receive a crown for this righteous living. This hardly seems consistent with the man who considered himself the chief of sinners (1 Timothy 1:15) and was sent a thorn in the flesh to keep him from the sin of self-dependence and arrogance (2 Corinthians 12:7).  It is hard to imagine Paul boasting of his own righteousness at this moment in life, even if it is a crown that will commonly be given to all or many believers.

Another possibility is that it is the appositional use of the genitive or the crown that is righteousness. The essential nature of this crown is righteousness. I would like to make the case for the second of these two views as correct.

If the reward Paul was longing for was righteousness, he would be talking about the glorification that occurs for all believers at the moment of death when corruption puts on incorruption and mortal puts on immortality (1 Corinthians 15:51-54).

No believer has his own righteousness. We only have the righteousness of Jesus Christ. The hope of this ultimate glorification was Paul’s great longing as he looked forward to heaven.

Consider Paul’s similar joyful spirit and desire in Philippians 3:7-14.

But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

This was Paul’s longing, this was his hope, this was his joy. No heavenly acclaim can compare with being made completely new in the righteousness of Jesus Christ.

One of the greatest joys of heaven will be the release we receive from the confines of our sinful flesh and the sinful bodies we now inhabit. According to Philippians 3, this full righteousness that we find as we shed our earthly flesh also discards the last barrier of intimacy between us and our Lord Jesus Christ.

Such a crown will be wonderful indeed.