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and He Who knows that measure, will not expect us to reach the standard demanded of
Paul.
It would be more true to the sense of the original to follow the R.V. here and read
"and not only to me". The apostle does not say that the crown is reserved for those who
"suffer", as he did in II Tim. 2: 12, or for those who "strive lawfully", nor for those
who "are temperate in all things" as he did in I Cor. 9: 24-26, nor for those who "forget
the things that are behind" and who "press toward the mark" as he did in Phil. 3:, nor
for those who stand in all their "completeness" in Christ and are "not beguiled of their
reward" as he did in Col. 2:, nor for those who fully followed the Lord, as they did in
Heb. 2: and 3:, he sums up all these qualities and qualifications in one comprehensive
expression:
"Those that love His appearing."
The perfect tense, egapekosin should be translated "those that have loved", meaning
that they not only loved in the past, but their love continued right through until the end.
Those who "love" His appearing, will be saved from falling into the position of the
evil servant who said "My Lord delayeth His coming" (Matt. 24: 48), they will not say
to their Lord, like the man who hid the talent "I knew Thee that Thou art an austere man"
(Matt. 25: 24). If the believer really "loves" the appearing of Christ, he will not lose
sight of it, and be ensnared by lesser attractions.
The "love" of the Lord's appearing is placed over against the "love" of Demas, and
"the appearing" and "that day" is set over against "this present world".
"Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world."
"His appearing." The Coming, Revelation, Presence or Appearing of the Lord Jesus
Christ is the hope that is set before the believer of each and every calling and
dispensation. The kingdom believer awaits the Advent of the King, The Bride awaits the
Bridegroom, The Body awaits the Manifestation of the Head. It does not follow,
however, that all callings and dispensations will realized their hope at exactly the same
time or in the same place.
"His feet shall stand in that day upon the Mount of Olives" (Zech. 14: 4),
and this will be the consummation of the hope of those who are members of the
kingdom upon earth. While the same blessed Person will fulfil Zech. 14: 4, as He will
II Tim. 4: 8, few there are who would teach that the fulfillment of Zechariah's prophecy
and the fulfillment of Paul's hope synchronize.
This leads us to recognize a most important principle in connexion with the subject of
"Hope". It will be found upon examination, that "Hope" in the Scriptures, when it refers
to the Coming of the Lord, is either: the fulfillment of a promise, or the realization of a
calling. Consequently, before we can speak with any certainty about the Second coming