It will be convenient, in the course of this article, (1) to define the usage of the term; (2) to indicate its occurrence in the apostolic writings; (3) briefly to set forth the place of this conception in the apostolic teaching.

1. The verb ‘to reward’ is capable of neutral usage; it may mean to give in return evil as well as good (cf. Psalms 7:4; Psalms 35:12 [Authorized Version ]). But the usual meaning of ‘reward’ as a noun is an equivalent return for good. A ‘reward’ is a thing that carries with it the idea of gain, profit, or remuneration. The present discussion will confine itself to this view of the word and will endeavour to indicate the place which ‘reward,’ in the sense of payment or wages, holds as a factor in the Christian life.

2. The usual word in the NT for ‘reward,’ in the sense of hire or wages for work, is μισθός. It is so used by St. Paul (Romans 4:4, 1 Corinthians 3:8; 1 Corinthians 3:14; 1 Corinthians 9:17-18). In 1 Timothy 5:18 (quoting Luke 10:7) Revised Version translates ‘hire.’ In James 5:4, 2 Peter 2:13; 2 Peter 2:15, and Judges 1:11 Revised Version also translates by ‘hire’ But in 2 John 1:8, Revelation 11:18; Revelation 22:12 the rendering is again ‘reward.’ St. Paul also twice uses the late, non-classical compound ἀντιμισθία, which in each case Revised Version translates ‘recompense.’ This expression is neutral in meaning, for in Romans 1:27 the allusion is to due recompense of error; in 2 Corinthians 6:13, on the other hand, it is to corresponding enlargement of heart in response to the Apostle’s affection.

The normal verb to express reward, in the sense of equivalent payment, of either good or evil is ἀποδίδωμι. This occurs in NT passim, and is the basis of the substantive which occurs only once in the NT as used by St. Paul in Colossians 3:24, when, in urging slaves to single-hearted service, he says that they shall receive from the Lord τὴν ἀνταπόδοσιν τῆς κληρονομίας (Revised Version ‘the recompense of the inheritance’). This word is frequent both in Septuagint and in classical Greek. It occurs also in inscriptions and papyri (cf. Moulton and Milligan, Vocabulary of the Greek Testament, pt. i., London, 1914, s.v.).

From a combination of μισθός and ἀποδίδωμι we get the late and non-classical compound μισθαποδοσία, which word (with its corresponding μισθαποδότης, Hebrews 11:6) occurs in Hebrews only (Hebrews 2:2; Hebrews 10:35; Hebrews 11:26) and nowhere else in the Greek Bible. Revised Version translates μισθαποδότης by ‘rewarder,’ but μισθαποδοσία in each instance by ‘recompense of reward.’ The word is employed in a neutral sense, for Hebrews 2:2 refers to the consequences of transgression and disobedience, while Hebrews 10:35 refers to the consequences of Christian παρρησία, and Hebrews 11:6; Hebrews 11:26 refer to the reward of faith and faithful endurance. In fact, the word emphasizes the exact requital of either good or evil by a sovereign judge.

The word μισθαποδοσία does not occur in the writings of the Apostolic Fathers. The Pauline ἀντιμισθία appears now and then in 2 Clement (i. 3, 5, ix. 7). In xi. 6 it is coupled with a quotation from Hebrews 10:23, πιστὸς γὰρ ἐστιν ὁ ἑπαγγειλάμενος τὰς ἀντιμισθίας ἀποδιδόναι ἑκάστῳ τῶν ἔργων αὐτοῦ. xv. 2, speaking of faith and love, says, ταύτην γὰρ ἔχομεν τὴν ἀντιμισθίαν ἀποδοῦναι τῷ Θεῷ τῷ κτίσαντι ἡμᾶς.

ἀνταποδότης occurs in Ep. Barn. 19:11 and Didache iv. 7, in the same phrase in both places: οὐ διστάσεις δοῦναι οὐδὲ διδοὺς γογγύσεις• γνώσῃ γὰρ τίς ἐστιν ὁ τοῦ μισθοῦ καλὸς ἀνταποδότης.

μισθός is of fairly frequent occurrence in contexts suggesting reward or requital. Perhaps the most interesting for the present purpose are 1 Clem. xxxiv. 3 and Ep. Barn. xxi. 3, in both of which the allusion is to Isaiah 40:10 : Κύριος μετὰ ἰσχύος ἔρχεται … ἰδοῦ ὁ μισθὸς αὐτοῦ μετʼ αὐτοῦ. The Same idea is expressed in Ep. Barn. iv. 12: ἕκαστος καθὼς ἐποίησεν κομιεῖται.

3. The foregoing investigation has been concerned with the words usually employed by the apostolic writers to express the idea of requital in general and of reward in particular. The general idea of requital does not come up here for discussion. It may suffice to say that the idea of judgment, with the view that a man’s works, the general moral tenor of his life, is the standard by which he will be judged, is the consistent doctrine of Scripture throughout. The more immediate question is the place which the idea of reward holds in the apostolic teaching-the conception of the Christian life as a service rendered for which payment will be received.

It may be said that the conception of reward may be traced throughout the apostolic writings, the later as well as the earlier, and that, presumably, it reproduces the teaching of our Lord. That it formed part of His teaching is undeniable (cf. Matthew 6:4; Matthew 16:27). It is sometimes suggested that the holding forth of reward is not the highest ground of appeal for virtuous action, and that our Lord’s words here were conditioned by the exigencies of addresses to a popular audience. Without raising the question whether ‘virtue for virtue’s own sake,’ in total abstraction from all thoughts of consequences of any kind, is a thing really conceivable by any human intelligence, it may be asserted that the idea of reward as employed by Christ requires neither extenuation nor apology.

He came to proclaim the Kingdom of God. The relation of the members of that Kingdom to God is one of service, a service involving the corresponding idea of reward. This idea of service is in no way incompatible with that of sonship; a son as well as a subject must serve. It should also be remembered that reward, so far as it appears in Christ’s teaching, is conceived not quantitatively but qualitatively. The reward for which the disciple looks is simply the completion of his salvation. In all his service and all his sacrifice fur the Kingdom he is moved by the desire for participation in the completed kingdom. His reward lies in the attainment of that for which he has striven, and any other motive destroys the value of his service.

In fact, the idea of reward is entirely legitimate and appropriate when we remember in what the reward consists. It might be thought, for example, that the Johannine conception of salvation as eternal life, a life developing by its own inner necessity, would exclude the idea of reward. But in the Johannine writings, along with the idea of life, we have that of keeping Christ’s commandments. From this point of view the idea of service appears, and with it the presence of an impulse, which is provided by the promised reward what is the reward? Simply closer union with Christ. ‘He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself unto him’ (John 14:21); ‘if ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love’ (John 15:10); ‘ye are my friends, if ye do the things which I command you’ (John 15:14). A reward for service, which consists in abiding in Christ’s love, needs no apology, but may well stand as the highest conceivable motive to action. The reward may be otherwise expressed as honour bestowed by the Father (cf. John 12:24-28, a passage which comes into close contact with the Synoptic presentment of the matter in Matthew 10:32, Luke 14:11). It is the teaching of the Fourth Gospel, as quoted above, that forms the background to the passage in 2 John 1:8, ‘Look to yourselves … that ye receive a full reward.’

None of the various Greek words for ‘reward’ occurs in 1 Peter, but the general idea of the consummation of all things as a ‘reward’ to faith holds here, as it does in the teaching of Jesus; cf. 1 Peter 1:9, ‘receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.’ This is the object of the ‘hope’ to which repeated allusion is made. Here, too, the reward is homogeneous with the service; it simply consists in this, that faith is recognized, and receives glory, praise, and honour at the return of Christ (1 Peter 1:7). This is expressed in more figurative fashion in 1 Peter 5:4 as ‘the crown of glory that fadeth not away.’ It is quite true that life is viewed in this Epistle as a matter of Divine grace and Divine calling (cf. 1 Peter 5:10); but there is no inherent contradiction. The promised gift of grace is also viewed as a reward when the conditions for its attainment are admitted to have been fulfilled.

The fact is that the Christian salvation may be viewed under various aspects, which are not contradictory but mutually complementary. It is a life, it is sonship, it is membership in a kingdom, it is service; and with the last there goes, indissolubly, the idea of reward-a reward consisting in fuller life and opportunity for more faithful and loving service, with the Divine approbation and benediction. It is interesting to note that 2 Clem. iii. 3, speaking of Christ’s confession of His faithful followers before the Father, says, οὗτος οὗν ἐστὶν ὁ μισθὸς ἡμῶν. When these considerations are borne in mind, any seeming difficulty in St. Paul’s language tends to disappear. He undoubtedly speaks of reward, and at first sight he may appear to conflict with his own doctrine of justification by faith. But justification is a past act resulting in a present state. It pertains to the beginning of the Christian life. That life is one of action and of service, and the service is inspired by the hope of the reward. In Romans 2:6 f. (quoting Proverbs 24:12) St. Paul says that God ‘will render to every man according to his works: to them that by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honour and incorruption, eternal life.’ The conception of μισθός appears in 1 Corinthians 3:8-9; 1 Corinthians 3:14-15. The man whose work stands the test of the fire will receive his reward; the man whose work is destroyed will, apparently, though saved himself, lose his reward. The μισθός here does not appear to be identified with salvation, but more particularly with the opportunities of higher service as distinct from the man’s own personal salvation. In 1 Corinthians 9:17-18 the Apostle comes more closely to the general NT idea of the μισθός. The ‘pay’ that he prefers is the continued opportunity to preach the gospel without pay. The opportunity for fuller service is the reward. It is in no way inconsistent with this that he regards those who have believed through him as his ‘crown’ (1 Thessalonians 2:19, Philippians 4:1), and that, sharing the idea of St. James (James 1:12), St. Peter (1 Peter 5:4), and the Seer of the Apocalypse, he looks on to ‘the crown of righteousness’ that awaits him (2 Timothy 4:8). So in Colossians 3:24 the faithful and single-hearted slave will receive a ‘reward’ consisting in the Divinely promised inheritance.

It is quite mistaken to regard St. Paul’s language about rewards as a piece of earlier Judaism persisting in his Christian teaching, in which it forms an intractable and contradictory element. It presents no fundamental opposition whatever to his cardinal doctrine of justification by faith.

It remains to say a word about the language of Hebrews at this point. One great aspect of Christianity, as depicted in this Epistle, is that it is the fulfilment of the Divine promises. But here again, in so far as the receiving of the promises is connected with the performance of the duties of the New Covenant, it may be regarded as wages or reward; hence the use of μισθαποδοσία in Hebrews 10:35. So in Hebrews 11:6 God is conceived as the μισθαποδότης of those who seek for Him. It was the μισθαποδοσία for which he looked that nerved Moses to be ‘evil entreated with the people of God’ (Hebrews 11:25). And even in the case of Jesus Himself, the idea of reward is not alien; ‘Who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross’ (Hebrews 12:3).

The idea of reward accompanies, almost of necessity, belief in a personal God. Viewed as the apostolic writers were taught by our Lord to view it, it is the loftiest and most potent incentive to holiness of life.

Literature.-Sanday-Headlam, International Critical Commentary , ‘Romans’⁵, Edinburgh, 1902, on ii. 6; A. Robertson and A. Plummer, ib. ‘1 Corinthians,’ do., 1911, Index. s.v.; B. Weiss, Biblical Theology of the New Testament, Eng. translation of 3rd ed., do., 1882-83, s.v.; Dict. of Christ and the Gospels , s.v.

Dawson Walker.

Bibliography Information
Hastings, James. Entry for 'Reward'. Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/hdn/r/reward.html. 1906-1918.

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Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament

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Reward