NOTES for Ti2 4:5-8

'...And now there is prepared for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing...' This sense that a crown awaits you, if not today then tomorrow, is known to every true Christian. Without it, our Christianity is not genuine. But what is the 'crown of truth' or 'crown of righteousness,' as Bishop Cassian translates, and is every suffering of ours this crown? In such translations it seems to us that this crown is something prepared only for saints. The word 'crown' itself sounds lofty, and adding to it the predicate of truth or righteousness raises the whole expression to a height inaccessible to ordinary mortals. How then are we to understand the apostle Paul's words that the crown is prepared for 'all'?

Let us turn to the Greek text. There stands the expression 'dikaiosynes stephanos.' Among its meanings there are indeed righteousness, rightness, truthfulness, faithfulness to law, desert, and worthiness; but in addition there are several somewhat different meanings, according to Dvoretsky's Ancient Greek-Russian Dictionary. Let us look at them: first, 'even, exact'; second, 'suitable'; third, 'having a right'; and finally, simply 'obligated.' Of course, the apostle hardly intended to put all these meanings into the text at once. But since we do not know his intentions exactly, by choosing only an elevated style we risk distorting the thought. Therefore it is no sin to look more closely at other, though related, meanings.

In fact, each of the four meanings given here is close to us. 'Even, exact' - for everyone knows that God gives us a crown exactly according to our strength. Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh observes that there is a certain boundary in attaining such spiritual clarity of sight that one can see one's soul in its true light, see it and freeze in horror at what is seen, sway as if about to fall - and yet stand. This state is familiar to everyone who has ever made an honest confession. 'Suitable': and is not the crown that God gives the only one, suitable only for me? As soon as we grasp at what is not ours, at a ministry not intended for us by God or simply not blessed by Him, we suffer shameful failure, drawing other people into it as well. We 'have the right' to our crown, for we received this right together with faith. And finally, we are simply 'obligated' to take it: for we are not saints and not martyrs; we are simply doing what we must.