CROWNS IN THE NEW TESTAMENT

There are two distinct Greek words for “crown” in the New Testament. The word diadema referred to a kingly crown. It also appears in Revelation in conjunction with the dragon who claims such a royal honor. In contrast, the word stephanos refers to a wreath woven of plant material or even of gold, and it encircled the head. It was usually bestowed on a victor in an athletic contest or given as a public honor in recognition of some noted service. I would like to concentrate on this latter type of crown and its occurrences in the NT in conjunction with believers.

I Corinthians 9:2,4

“The eternal hope is set against the transience of perishable wreaths (I Cor 9:2,5; I Pet. 5:4): in the former case there may be allusion to the use of withered parsley for the crown at the Isthymian Games.” (Hemer) Philippians 4:1 expresses the same idea of Paul's brothers and sisters in Christ being his crown.

I Thessalonians 2:19

Hahn says, “In the context of Christ's return, he [Paul] can describe the Thessalonians as his 'crown of boasting'...If he boasts of his own behaviour (2 Cor. 1:12, cf. Gal. 6:4; Jas. 3:14), he should do so only in so far as his life is lived in dependence on God and in responsibility to him. For in the last analysis the Christian can never boast about himself (1 Cor. 9:16), but only of his Lord.”

Hemer explains that, “At the official visit of a human potentate it was the custom to present him with a crown as a token of allegiance...Perhaps in 1 Thess. 2:19 the Thessalonians are seen as Paul's joyful tribute to the coming Christ. In 2 Tim. 4:8 (cf. 1 Pet. 54) this may be combined with the athletic image: Christ at his parousia, instead of demanding a crown from his people, will bestow on them the athlete's prize.

II Timothy 2:5; 4:8

An athletic metaphor is clearly in mind here also with its mention of a “crown of righteousness.”

Hebrews 2:7,9

The author of this epistle starts out by quoting Psalm 8:4-6, which talks about God making human beings for a while lower than the angels but then crowing them with glory and honor. This is followed in the letter by the explanation that it was Christ as the representative of humanity who received that crown. Bruce says, “Our author, applies these words not to the first Adam but to Christ as the last Adam, the head of the new creation and ruler of the world to come... It is as the true representative of humanity that Christ is viewed as fulfilling the language of the psalm, and as fulfilling therewith the declared purpose of the Creator when He brought man into being.”

Bruce notes that there is some controversy among scholars as to exactly when Christ was given “glory and honor,” before or after his crucifixion, but Bruce feels that “before” best fits the context of Hebrews.

James 1:12

“Endurance is necessary to receive the crown of life.” (C.Brown) He cites Romans 2:7-8 also for this teaching.

Revelation 2:10-11

Hemer explains that the phrase “crown of life” in v. 2:10 (cf. James 1:12) “is of special interest. The genitive here, as in the parallels, is best taken as epoxegetic, of the prize 'which consists in life.'”

Beale: “The continuation of the promise in v. 11b shows clearly that the 'crown of life' is a metaphor for eternal life...This crown connotes participation in Christ's heavenly, victorious rule...in reward of persevering through suffering as in Jas. 1:12, and 'the glorious crown' has the same meaning in I Pet 5:4.”

Morris says, “No-one, of course, can steal their crown. But they themselves can forfeit it, as Esau forfeited his place to Jacob.”

Morris says, “No-one, of course, can steal their crown. But they themselves can forfeit it, as Esau forfeited his place to Jacob.”

Revelation 3:11

Mounce says that “they are to hold fast to what they have (faith in Christ and obedience to His word; cf. vs.8) so that no one will take their crown. The crown was the wreath awarded to the winner of an athletic context (cf. I Cor 9:26; II Tim 11:8). The metaphor would be especially appropriate in this letter in that Philadelphia was well known for its games and festivals.”

The point Ford makes from this allusion is that “an athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. So, religious people must be watchful lest they forfeit their crown through misconduct.”

Revelation 4:4-11

In this opening throne scene, God is accompanied by 24 elders who are wearing golden crowns. They sing praises to the Lord and cast their crowns at his feet. But who are these elders? One popular opinion expressed by commentators such as Mounce and Phillips is that these are angels. Perhaps they are a special order of angels, with the number of them alluding back to the 24 courses of priests appointed to serve in the temple. As proof of this contention, Phillips notes that they are distinguished from men in Revelation 5:9-10.

On the other hand, Feuillet presents four strong pieces of evidence refuting this position:

    1. Angels are never said to occupy thrones.

    2. Crowns are never ascribed to angels.

    3. Angels are never called “elders” elsewhere.

    4. In Revelation 19:4, they can't be angels since they are “redeemed.”

And additional evidence has been offered indicating that the elders are not angels:

    5. Ford points out that the saintly people of the OT are called “elders” in Hebrews 11:2.

    6. Ellul notes that “the three principal attributes that identify them (white garments, thrones, crowns) are precisely those which in the course of the book are promised to Christians, particularly in all the letters.” He therefore concludes that they “represent the totality of the history of men before God, the time of history.” Not everyone would agree with his highly symbolic interpretation, but his argument does point to the human, rather than angelic, character to the elders.

Perhaps the most pervasive scholarly opinion is that the number 24 points to the total of the twelve tribes of Israel plus the twelve apostles, i.e. it is representative of God's people of all time, both OT and NT. Thus, Beale can say: “Probably the elders are angels who are identified with the twelve tribes and the twelve apostles, thus representing the entire community of the redeemed of both testaments (the songs in 15:3-4 may also point to the inclusion of OAT and NT saints).”

The two different understandings above also influence commentators' understanding of the meaning behind the elders casting their crowns at God's feet. Thus, if the elders are a special class of angels, they “acknowledge that their authority is a delegated authority. The honor given them is freely returned to the One who alone is worthy of universal honor.” (Mounce) In a similar vein, Phillips says, “They take off their crowns, which symbolize their own right to rule, and cast those crowns at His feet. They own with joyful abandon that the right to rule is His alone.”

Note that both Mounce and Phillips assume, incorrectly (see the above word definitions), that the presence of a crown (stephanos) indicates a ruler rather than someone who is being given an honor. Thus, Beale is probably much closer to the mark is stating, along with Stevenson that “the elders cast their crowns at God's feet to honor him as humanity's benefactor as Creator.” Similarly, Beasley-Murray says, “The elders recognize that only one is worthy to take preeminence in creation, and He is the Creator. He willed the existence of all things. He has the right to deal with them in sovereign freedom. All creation should acknowledge its subjection to Him and ascribe the glory and the honor and the power to His name.”

In summary, those Christians who seem obsessed with the size of their reward in heaven and how fancy their crowns is should keep in mind, in light of the above references:

    Your “crown” may consist of eternal life with God PERIOD.

    Your “crown” may consist of the people you have brought to faith.

    Your “crown,” whatever it is, will be handed right back over to God in any case.