1 Thessalonians 2:19, commentary and pictures

The people brought to faith are the worker's hope and joy and crown of rejoicing, to stand with him in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ at His coming. Each soul saved is a star and jewel in that crown, to shine forever in the kingdom of glory and to be the worker's reward and joy when he sees them before Jesus at that day. Jesus Himself is also the believer's hope and joy and crown of rejoicing, the One in whom is all hope of eternal life. The work that gains this crown is done to please God who tries the hearts, without flattery or covetousness or seeking glory from men, but with gentleness and affectionate desire to impart one's own soul as well as the gospel. The crown belongs to work faithfully completed and pronounced faithful, yet its stars can be lost when opportunities to save by example, kindness, prayer, and teaching are neglected and souls are left to fall.

Paul's Hope in Converts

The hope and joy and crown of rejoicing are the people brought to faith, to be the worker's glory and joy as they stand in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ at His coming. Paul looked forward to seeing the Thessalonian believers there as the joy and recompense of his labor, with their faith and the lasting results of his work among them as his glory and joy. The believers helped to faith are that crown when they stand before Jesus at His coming, and the fruit of faithful labor will be a cause for joy at that day.

People rescued through faithful gospel work and finally saved are the messengers' crown of rejoicing. They are those who received the truth presented to them, were sanctified through it, and were redeemed, and they will shine as stars forever. Those who presented the truth to them will eternally rejoice and be glad in having done so, for their joy and reward are bound up with those they helped save.

The fruit that makes converts this joy is lasting. It is seen in people who turn to God, serve Him, and await His Son, whose salvation is the missionary's joy. It is seen in those who stand firm in the liberty of the gospel and keep faith. It is seen in believers brought to Christ who grow in Christlike character, which is treasure laid up in heaven.

True ministry that produces this result is done not as pleasing men but God who tries the hearts. It is without flattering words, without a cloak of covetousness, without seeking glory from men, and without being burdensome. It is with gentleness as a nurse cherishes her children, and with affectionate desire willing to impart not the gospel only but also one's own soul, because souls are dear. Christ's return is the Christian hope centered in this joy, set on being in the presence of Jesus at His coming, and it should shape every word and work and relationship.

Stars and Jewels Rewarded

Each soul saved is a star or jewel in the crown of rejoicing, and those who are finally rescued through faithful gospel work, received, sanctified and redeemed, will shine as stars forever in the kingdom of glory. People brought to Christ are the worker's hope, joy and crown of rejoicing in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ at His coming, and those who presented the truth will eternally rejoice in having done so. That lasting value belongs to work for the salvation of others done through example, kindness, prayer and teaching, and neglecting such opportunities to help may leave souls lost. Faithful, loving efforts to win people, including a faithful God-fearing physician bringing grace and spiritual care into sickrooms and pointing the sick, even those near death, to the Saviour, provide joy and jewels for that crown.

A soul rescued from error and brought under Christ's banner adds a star to the worker's crown, and that person's godly influence can lead others to salvation so that the work multiplies. The full extent of this multiplying work will be revealed at the judgment, in the great day of accounts when the judgment sits and the books are opened. That crown is made of souls won by patient, persevering, kindly and loving labor, and the same work belongs in the family and in the church to feed Christ's lambs with sunshiny encouragement rather than discouraging blight. It gives kindly training and patient labor to peculiar-tempered, wayward, perverse, dull, defective and unpromising children and members who are generally neglected and shunned and who carry difficult hereditary tendencies, fitting them to be noble, elevated, pure and refined and to do a good work for the Master. Many of them develop undeveloped powers and become the most successful laborers in missionary fields because they know how to help others who need help as they did, and eternity alone will reveal the amount of good accomplished.

Stars in the crown can be lost, for if believers sink and let others fall, or fall back themselves, others may take those stars instead. Sinking means letting Israel fall, which faithful believers cannot endure to see, so they plead with Jesus as Advocate to save those bought by His blood and offer to do anything and go anywhere for Him, asking only for strength from the sanctuary to keep working. Standing firm requires looking away from self, trusting Jesus' mercy and drawing strength from Him, being washed and living a new life. The crown of rejoicing is connected with work faithfully completed and pronounced faithful, for those who follow the Lord and do His will have this joy when their work is so pronounced. It is a reward received from the Master, connected with being a perfect overcomer.

True success keeps the future life in view and uses godlike qualities to save souls, rather than living for self and seeking own pleasure, which proves an irreparable loss. Each one must answer in the presence of God how life has been spent, whether walking in the light, whether those labored for excel in self-denial and self-sacrifice, whether by precept and example leading to greater self-denial and consecration, and whether the armor is laid off because the work is well done. The issue is whether to sit with Christ upon His throne or to have a starless crown. The record books of heaven by which all are judged will show hours devoted to self-service and souls that might have been saved but are lost, alongside golden sheaves that ought to be brought to Christ, to be met with joy and not with grief.

Christ the Joy and Crown

Jesus Himself is the believer's hope, joy, and crown of rejoicing, the One to thirst and long for above all earthly things, with salvation and special help from God and life hidden with Christ in God, so that to be separated from Him is to be miserable. All hope of eternal life is through Him, and the joy of the verse is bound up with people who belong to Christ and with His coming, as He sustains His people and gives them a growing knowledge of God and of Himself. He is known now in close companionship with His sacred presence in the heart.

His love and tender compassion fill the heart with thankfulness and give comfort and continual consolation, even in terrible prolonged suffering with constant pain through the body and broken rest night after night, so that months of affliction become the happiest months of life because of His companionship and bring a better, personal acquaintance with Him as precious Lord and Saviour. Keeping the mind fixed on Him and His love brings assurance and joy amid difficulties, and looking to Him and trusting Him brings joy and peace even in suffering, making Him the believer's joy and confidence in life or in death. He gives light and love in affliction, and His presence brings comfort, hope, and soothing balm as an ever-present help in time of need, with spiritual refreshment from drinking deep of the water of salvation, for He is good and merciful. Perplexing thoughts are not to be cherished, but troubles are to be brought to Him in trusting faith for Him to carry.

Having Him as hope brings burning gratitude for God's mercy and lovingkindness, gladness for a compassionate Saviour, and rejoicing in His love with no doleful story to tell. It produces longing to do God's will, to show forth His praises for calling out of darkness into marvelous light, and to stir others to love and good works. Those who make Him their hope learn from His coming in greatest humility, when found in fashion as a man He humbled Himself, to humble themselves under the mighty hand of God, letting the Lord do all the exalting and letting Jesus do the fashioning of the mind and disposition and character. When a person comes to Jesus just as they are and surrenders way and will to Him as a lost sinner saved alone through the merits of Jesus Christ, receiving Him as personal Saviour who bought them with the price of His own blood, He takes them just as they are and the darkness surrounding them is dispelled. Affection once fastened upon human beings then fastens upon the One who died to save from eternal ruin, so the life no longer attracts attention to self but wins affections to Jesus, with believers making it a stronger and stronger habit to always be thinking of Him and bringing His meekness and lowliness into daily life, which gives a valuable experience and prepares for service.

Trusting the Saviour brings courage and joy, while following on to know the Lord and continuing in faith gives strength and Christian hope. The language of hope and a crown of rejoicing belongs to trusting the Lord, who guides the meek and cares for those who commit themselves to Him and leave self in His hands. Following Christ prepares believers for the mansions He has gone to prepare and the promised home, with readiness for His coming and the hope of immortal and everlasting life with thanksgiving and praise, for God is fitting His people for everlasting life and longs for them to share heavenly joy, and God Himself is the crown of rejoicing connected with the Lord and everlasting life. Clinging to Him and growing in knowledge of God and Christ sustains His people.

Christ is the joy and crown of rejoicing for those who serve Him faithfully and labor for souls in cooperation with Him, obeying His directions, following His guidance, and relying on His power and strength from above. The growth of God's kingdom and making the truth known among others is their hope and crown, which human effort alone cannot accomplish but Christ accomplishes with those who surrender themselves to Him. Ministers, teachers, physicians, and directors find this joy as they cooperate with Christ, follow His guidance, and depend on His strength, receiving power from above and finding reward in Christ and in the work He enables them to do.

At His appearing, triumph, and coronation, Christ's own redeemed people, shaped by His grace, are His joy and crown of rejoicing. Those who submit to His severe refining work of trial and discipline become polished jewels that reflect His character, shine as part of His crown, and bring honor to His name.

Reward at Christ's Coming

The people brought to faith through faithful labor are the worker's hope and joy and crown of rejoicing when they stand in the presence of Jesus at His coming, and their presence there is both the result and the reward of that work. Souls saved through such effort will be a cause for joy at that day, for those who labor to save souls will see the people they helped lead to truth standing before Jesus and will share the heavenly reward with them. When the work of this life is reviewed, those who have souls as the result of their labor will receive recognition from God.

That practical evangelistic work is not preaching sermons only but includes establishing churches and places of worship. Supporting the training of workers belongs to the same work, for it can help save souls who will shine as stars in the Redeemer's crown.

Educating others to serve and to lead still others to Christ is work directed toward that coming joy, and the crown is connected with patiently and faithfully preparing others for service so they too can bring people to Christ. Those who patiently develop neglected or struggling people through loving effort will find them among the fruits of their work and a reward in that day. The same work belongs in the family and in the church, to feed Christ's lambs with sunshiny encouragement rather than discouraging blight, and to give kindly training and patient, persevering, loving labor to peculiar-tempered, wayward, perverse, dull, defective, unpromising, neglected and shunned children and members who carry difficult hereditary tendencies. Such earnest work fits them to be noble, elevated, pure and refined and to do a good work for the Master, and many of them develop undeveloped powers and become the most successful laborers in missionary fields because they know how to help others who need help as they themselves were helped, and eternity alone will reveal the amount of good accomplished.

Faithful Work for Souls

A faithful, God-fearing physician can win people to Christ and gain jewels for that crown of rejoicing by carrying grace and spiritual care into sickrooms and pointing the sick to the Saviour. Those thus won become a source of hope and joy at the coming of Christ and will shine as jewels in that crown. This work reaches even those near death and dying, directing them to Christ and His grace.

Children become a parent's crown of rejoicing when faithful work is done for them as the purchase of Christ's blood, for whom He gave His life. God will require a strict account from parents for this work, because parents make children what they are. Children patiently and firmly trained for Him with loving, forbearing discipline and loving patience will stand pure and undefiled before God and shine as lights in the world. Children whose training is neglected become corrupt and defiled and are banished from His presence.

Fellow workers in Christ can also be this joy and crown of rejoicing. A devoted Christian wife who labors publicly and from house to house in Christ's cause is her husband's crown of rejoicing from the hour of marriage onward, bringing hope and joy through mutual help in God's cause, as in a marriage on August 30, 1846. Faithful witnesses gathered through unselfish labor in France are likewise pictured as stars in that crown at Christ's coming, for people won to the truth through faithful, unselfish labor will be the workers' joy and crown of rejoicing.

The hope of heavenly reward includes having stars in the crown because souls were saved through one's efforts, and their souls are the lasting reward of using what God entrusts to His servants for His work. People brought to salvation through faithful labor and service are therefore that person's joy and crown of rejoicing when Christ comes. For this reason believers should devote talents, means, and influence to God's service rather than seek to do as little as possible.