The Watch Tower 'Crown of Righteousness'

 

For our latest Watch Tower Wednesday on Facebook we were again in the Examining the Scriptures Daily - 2022 where, for January 4, we read:

'The apostle Paul said that all true Christians are in a race. (Heb. 12:1) And all of us, young or old, energetic or tired, must endure to the end if we want to receive the prize that Jehovah offers us. (Matt. 24:13) Paul had freeness of speech because he had successfully “run the race to the finish.” (2 Tim. 4:7), But what, especially, is the race that Paul spoke about? Paul sometimes used features from the games held in ancient Greece to teach important lessons. (1 Cor. 9:25-27; 2 Tim. 2:5) On a number of occasions, he used running as in a footrace to illustrate the Christian course of life. (1 Cor. 9: 24; Gal. 2:2; Phil. 2:16) A person enters this “race” when he dedicates himself to Jehovah and gets baptized. (1 Pet. 3:21) He crosses the finish line when Jehovah grants him the prize of everlasting life.—Matt.25:31-34, 46; 2 Tim. 4:8. w20.04 26 ˚1-3'

When Paul writes about the 'crown of righteousness' what does he mean? Is it 'the prize of everlasting life' as the Watch Tower is teaching here? Jehovah's Witnesses are burdened with the task of earning eternal life.

Note they attribute Hebrews to Paul. Various authors have been suggested for this fine epistle, such as Barnabas, Clement, Luke, Apollos and, of course, Paul. Scholarship going back to the early church fathers has recognised significant differences between Paul’s writing style and method of argument and those of Hebrews. Still, if you are determined to not be informed by the scholarship of ‘Christendom’…

Which brings me to a second point. Looking through these daily homilies I can’t help but notice the continuing use of strange and awkward terminology – ‘Paul had freeness of speech.’ Where did that come from? In an earlier study I came across ‘evangeliser.’ They make word choices for no other reason, it seems, than a determination to not use established Christian terminology.

‘Crown of Righteousness’

Is the ‘crown of righteousness’ the prize of everlasting life given to those who finish the race? This is the familiar faith-and-works conundrum so fought over, particularly by the Reformers.

A key text in 2 Timothy is to, ‘preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.’ (2 Tim.4:2)

The word is the core message of Scripture, the gospel. What was Paul’s gospel?

‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved…’ (Acts 16:31)

‘All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus…’ (Rom.3:23,24)

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.’ (Rom.6:23)

Paul’s consistent message was that eternal life is a gift and not earned. He begins this letter:

‘Therefore, do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in the suffering of the gospel by the power of God, who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our wrks but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began…’ (2 Tim.1:8,9)

It would seem odd, then, that later in the same letter, and after a life devoted to the message of grace, he should write about eternal life as a reward. Paul clarifies what he means, proving consistent with everything he has taught, when he writes:

‘I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.’ (2 Tm.4:7,8)

The crown is not a reward for any meritorious act but an evidence of justification and true faith. It is for those ‘who have loved his appearing.’ The unrighteous cannot love his appearing, rather they dread the coming judgement. They are not prepared for that last day, but the Christian anticipates it with a glad and joyous heart. That believer ‘has eternal life.’ John 5:24

About That Race

If the believer, the one who has ‘loved his appearing,’ has eternal life, then what is the race, the prize? In Acts, Paul writes of, ‘the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.’ (Acts 20:24) Having been saved ‘by grace through faith’ Paul’s life exemplifies the faith journey of every true Christian believer.

This is the much misunderstood and misrepresented justification James writes about when he writes of Abraham being justified by works (Js.2:21). It is Christ who is our justification before God. Our works justify us before a watching world. In running the race we demonstrate the authenticity of our faith profession to men and to ourselves (how often have believers doubted their own salvation?)

The race is the process of sanctification, by God’s grace bringing us to completion (Mt.5:48) by the Spirit’s working power fitting us for heaven (1 John 3:2) Only in this way could even Paul express such confidence in what is laid up for him, ‘the crown of righteousness.’