"...to all who have loved his appearing."

The title comes from the end of 2 Timothy 4:8. The whole verse is "Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will reward to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing."

This verse is an echo of what Paul has already talked about in 1:8-12. Second Timothy 1:10 explains the appearing of Jesus. His appearance manifest grace, which he gave to believers before the beginning of the world. Paul also mentions "that Day" in 1:12. He tells Timothy that he believes that God will guard what has been entrusted to Paul until the end.

So Paul ends his commands to Timothy by telling him about the crown he will receive when he dies. Paul is not the only one that will receive this crown, everyone who loved the appearance of Christ will also receive this crown. The crown is only giving to those that believe. Jesus is the Savior of the world, and those who believe in Him will be saved. Paul is very upfront about salvation being from eternally past because of His own purpose.

Paul also shows that it those that make it the end. The preceding verses explain that he is about to die. He has finished this course of life believing. He was faithful like a soldier and his reward is this crown. Now, he was saved by God's own pleasure and grace (1:19) but Paul seemingly was actively involved with maintain his salvation. Paul understands that this work is done by grace.

This is a call for us to remain faithful like Paul. Like Paul, we have a crown awaiting us when we see God when we die. Hebrews 12:1-2 tells us to throw off all hindrance and look towards Jesus who is the one will finish our salvation in glorification.  

The Calling of the Weak and Powerless.

1 Corinthians 1:26–31

26 For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. 30 And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”  

God calls the weak and powerless for His glory. This passage continues as Paul compares the world to God. In 1 Cor. 1:20-25, the world has its wisdom but God's is better. The world has its strength but when compared to God's weakness, it still can not be compared. This passage compares the calling of God with what the world calls on. Paul invites us to consider the calling of God in salvation. God chooses or elects people who are considered disgrace and weak, foolish and lowly. Paul shows that not everyone that God saves is the best and greatest in the world. In fact, most of the people are not in those position. The point is to see that God chooses people so that humans cannot boast in God.

This itself is against the wisdom of the world. The world seeks people that have power and people want power. We put on pedestals, people that we think are wise. We actively search for the people that will get things done. God, instead, picks people that are weak and foolish to shame the world from searching for wisdom outside of God. The boast is boasting that you have made yourself great. Instead, God uses the foolish and weak in this world to shame the strong and wise so that we can boast in God. Christ is the ultimate example because of the cross (1 Cor. 1:18-25). God used a tool to humiliating death to save those that He has called.

1 Corinthians 1:7-9

There is a strange connection between knowledge and lacking in gifts. This connection will be examined more within the letter but having full knowledge is connected to not lacking in any gift. Here is the verses starting in 4:

I give thanks to my God always, concerning you, for the grace of God which was given to you in Christ Jesus, that in all, You are made rich in Him, in all words and all knowledge, as the testimony of Christ confirmed to you, so that you may not be lacking in anything gift, waiting on the revelation of our Lord, Jesus Christ; who also will strengthen you until the end, blameless in the day of the our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful by you were called out into the fellowship of his son Jesus Christ our Lord.(My Translation)

 Being made rich is connected to knowledge. This knowledge is about Jesus, as seen in the "testimony of Christ." So the argument is "You are made rich in Him... so that you may not be lacking in anything gift." God has richly provide knowledge of Christ so that we do not lack in any gifts while we wait for Jesus. Knowledge thus is connected to being ready for the Lord's return. He richly provides what we need to be blameless for His coming. We seek this knowledge by reading and meditating on God's word as it provides sufficient knowledge of Him. God does not disconnect knowledge with faith, Our faith is rooted in a knowledge of God. It is Jesus who strengthen with the this knowledge so that we may be presented blameless before God. As we look for growth, we should not forget that God is the one that gives knowledge richly so that we can be sustained till the end by never lacking in his glorious gifts.