2 Timothy 4:8

henceforth Or, -it remains only that" as in Matthew 26:45, in the Garden of Gethsemane -it remains only for you to sleep on," -there is nothing else to be done." St Paul commonly uses the word (with and without the article) to introduce the closing words of exhortation in his Epistles, 2 Corinthians 13:11; Ephesians 6:10; Philippians 3:1, and again after a digression 2Ti 4:8; 2 Thessalonians 3:1. It seems unnecessary to have recourse to the sense in which Polybius uses the word, -accordingly," -proinde," -itaque." In construction it is a neuter adjective used adverbially.

there is laid up Cf. Luke 19:20, -laid up in a napkin," Colossians 1:5 -the hope which is stored up for you in the heavens."

a crown of righteousness The crown; the genitive -righteousness" is similar to the genitives of the particular contests in which the crown was won; e.g. Pind. Nem. 2 Timothy 4:9, -Pytheas, broad-shouldered son of Lampo, won the crown of the double-contest (wrestling and boxing) at the Nemean games." -Righteousness" then is the -race" of the Christian life. So in 1 Timothy 6:11; 2 Timothy 2:22, -follow after righteousness," and in ch. 2 Timothy 3:16, -the discipline which is in righteousness," the word is instead of a volume. The genitives in James 1:12, -the crown of life," 1 Peter 5:4, -a crown of glory," are similar to the genitives of the particular material of which the crown was made; e.g. Pind. Nehemiah 6:18; Nehemiah 6:18, -He too was victor at Olympia and first won himself the crown of olive for the Æacidæ from Alpheus." The crown at the Pythian games was of laurel leaves, at the Nemean of parsley, at the Isthmian of ivy.

shall give Award; the word has occurred 1 Timothy 5:4, where see note. This and the well-known passages Luke 19:8, -I restorefourfold," Luke 20:25, - Renderunto Cæsar the things that are Cæsar's," Romans 13:7, - Renderto all their dues," shew the force of the compound verb here -give the due award."

-A pound of that same merchant's flesh is thine;

The court awardsit and the law doth give it."

The same word is used by Christ of the judgment, -then shall he reward(R.V. render) every man according to his works" Matthew 16:27.

unto all … that love his appearing The perfect part.; the sense is fully given by who have their love set on, as R.V. well renders the similar perfect, 1 Timothy 4:10, -we have our hope set on the living God." For the special force of this higher word agapânfor -to love" see Trench, N. T. Syn. § 12 -a word born within the bosom of revealed religion," and Westcott, John 21:15, -St Peter lays claim only to the feeling of natural loveof which he could be sure; he does not venture to say that he has attained to that higher lovewhich was to be the spring of the Christian life."

his appearing As in 2 Timothy 4:1, of the second coming; to which all the six occurrences of the substantive in N.T. refer. The verb in Luke 1:79 and Titus 2:11; Titus 3:4 refers to the first Epiphany.