The Perseverance of the Saints and Faithfulness in Ministry: A Biblical Theology of Perseverance and Faithfulness

On at least one occasion, the apostle Paul identifies faithfulness as the sole criterion for success in ministry and the basis on which his life will be evaluated at the judgment (bema) seat of Christ. ¹ Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 4:1-4,

This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful. But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. For I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me. ²

Paul makes two points in this passage that are important for this study. First, Paul is Christ’s servant and will be judged by Christ. Second, Paul’s judgment by Christ will be on the single basis of faithfulness. ³

Elsewhere Paul conditions final salvation and accountability at the judgment seat of Christ on the perseverance of the saints. In Colossians 1:22-23a, Paul writes,

Yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach—if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel.

Again, Paul makes two points in this passage that are important for this study. First, the readers will stand before Christ when he comes. Second, the readers must persevere in the faith for that to be true.

This article examines the nature of perseverance and the connection between perseverance and faithfulness as the sole benchmark for success in ministry and accountability at the judgment seat of Christ. What is meant by perseverance is that a true believer, one who has been regenerated by God’s Spirit through the gospel, will continue in faith, that is, will continue to believe the gospel. Perseverance also means that a true believer will demonstrate some level of faithfulness to God’s word as evidenced in good works. ⁴ In short, perseverance involves two propositions: (1) All true believers will persevere in faith; (2) all true believers will persevere in faithfulness or good works.

This study is developed in three parts. First, evidence is presented to support the first proposition that all true believers persevere in faith. Second, evidence is then presented to support the second proposition that all true believers persevere in faithfulness or good works. Third, building on parts one and two, evidence is then presented that faithfulness is the sole criterion for success in ministry and for evaluation at the judgment seat of Christ.

First Proposition: All True Believers Persevere in Faith

What is meant by the first proposition is that all true believers will persevere in faith, that is, in believing the gospel, without exception. On several occasions, the author of Hebrews (hereafter “AH”) identifies persevering in faith as the necessary mark of true believers. The key text is Hebrews 3:14. In this verse, the AH states, “For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end.” ⁵

The clause “for we have become partakers of Christ (μέτοχοι γάρ του Χρίστου γεγόναμεν)” represents the apodosis (“then…”) of a third-class condition. In the apodosis, the AH uses the perfect tense of an equative verb “we have become” (γεγόναμεν) to indicate a change in the readers’ nature or condition. ⁶ The apodosis describes those who have come to share in Christ and in the life of Christ in salvation. ⁷

However, the AH places a condition on those who have become partakers of Christ with the protasis (“if…”) of the conditional clause, “if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end (έάνπερ τήν άρχήν τής ύποστάσεως μέχρι τέλους βεβαίαν κατάσχωμεν).” The verb plus the object “hold fast (βεβαίαν κατάσχωμεν)” means to hold firmly or steadfastly to something. ⁸ The AH identifies what the readers are to hold fast as “the beginning of our assurance (τήν άρχήν τής ύποστάσεως).” The substantive “assurance (ύποστάσεως)” is used elsewhere in Hebrews to describe one’s conviction or confidence in Christ and in his return (Heb 3:6; 11:1; cf. 2 Cor 9:4; 11:17). ⁹ And the combination “the beginning of our assurance” describes the point at which the readers gained this assurance and confidence, that is, to their original commitment to Christ and the gospel at salvation. ¹⁰

The AH adds the prepositional phrase “until the end (μέχρι τέλους)” to indicate the extent of time the readers are to hold fast their assurance. ¹¹ The phrase can refer to the return of Christ to rapture the church. Or the phrase can refer to the end of one’s life. ¹² The second option is preferred, though either option is viable.

In any case, once a person dies, the destiny of that person is fixed and irrevocable (cf. Luke 16:19-31). From the surrounding context, the readers’ assurance that they are to hold fast refers to the salvation the Son has proclaimed—a reference to the gospel of Christ (2:3; cf. 2:13). Thus, to hold fast to their assurance until the end means to persevere in believing the gospel of Christ until death. ¹³

Three points need to be made concerning the third-class condition in support of the proposition that all true believers persevere in believing the gospel without exception. The first point is that a third-class condition expresses a broad range of options from what is likely to be fulfilled to what is hypothetical and unlikely to be fulfilled. In this case, the AH uses the third-class condition to express what is likely to occur. Elsewhere in his letter, the AH expresses confidence in the readers’ salvation (e.g., 6:9). ¹⁴

That said, the AH does not use a first-class condition which would assume the readers will hold fast their assurance to the end. The AH uses the third-class condition to function as an exhortation to encourage the readers to hold fast. Furthermore, all conditional clauses show a necessary connection between the protasis (if…) and the apodosis (then…). If the protasis is true—the readers holding fast to their assurance until the end, then the apodosis is also true—they have become partakers of the life of Christ. ¹⁵

The second point is that the AH uses the third-class condition in an evidence-inference relationship rather than a cause-effect relationship. If he had intended a cause-effect relationship, that would mean that perseverance in believing the gospel (the cause) is a necessary condition for partaking of the lire of Christ in salvation (the effect). In other words, believers would not share in the life of Christ in salvation until they had persevered to the end of life. Yet, Scripture is clear that sharing in the life of Christ in salvation starts with the initial exercising of repentant faith in the gospel (e.g., John 5:24). ¹⁶

Furthermore, a cause-and-effect relationship would make sharing in the life of Christ in salvation conditioned on the believer’s perseverance—a work. Elsewhere, Scripture rules out all works as a condition for salvation (e.g., Rom 4:1-5; Eph 2:8-10). Rather, the conditional clause in this verse has an evidence-inference relationship. “If you hold fast your confidence in the gospel (the evidence), then you have become a partaker of Christ (the inference).” In sum, the readers’ perseverance in believing the gospel is the necessary evidence that the apodosis is true, that is, that they have become partakers of Christ in salvation. ¹⁷

The third point, related to the second, is that the tenses the AH uses in this conditional clause make the conditional clause retrospective rather than prospective. ¹⁸ What is meant by this is that the apodosis (then) takes place prior to the protasis (if). In other words, the protasis—their perseverance in believing the gospel—is the evidence that they have already become partakers of Christ in salvation.

The AH uses the perfect tense in the apodosis and an aorist subjunctive in the protasis. The perfect tense in the apodosis means that the readers’ partaking of the life of Christ in salvation has taken place at some point in the past, with the results continuing up through the time of writing. ¹⁹ The aorist subjunctive simply identifies what must be true at any point in their lives in order for the apodosis to be true. ²⁰

Putting the above together, the AH identifies perseverance in believing the gospel as the necessary evidence that one has become a partaker of the life of Christ in salvation. Furthermore, the AH indicates that perseverance in believing the gospel must continue to the end of life for the evidence to be valid (cf. Matt 10:22; Rev 2:10). Finally, the conditional clause allows for no exceptions.

This conclusion does not rule out true believers having questions or even doubts. After all, toward the end of his life, in Matthew 11:3 John the Baptist asked Jesus, “Are you the Coming One, or shall we look for someone else?” We can understand and perhaps sympathize with John’s questions. After all, the Messiah had come, and John had proclaimed his faith by announcing that Jesus is the Messiah (e.g., John 1:15, 19-27, 29-34, 35-42). Yet, the Messiah’s kingdom had not been established, and John, the forerunner of the Messiah, found himself in prison facing execution. John’s questions notwithstanding, true believers will never come to abandon their faith in Christ and the gospel. So, restating the proposition, all true believers will persevere in faith to the end without exception.

Objection 1: The Warning Passages in Hebrews

Two objections are raised against the first proposition. The first objection involves the warning passages in Hebrews, and the second objection involves Peter’s denial of Jesus as recorded in the Gospels. Taking these in order, all five warning passages in Hebrews address the same issues and must be examined together for a proper interpretation of each passage. ²¹ That said, the consensus among interpreters is that Hebrews 6:4-6 is the key text.

For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted of the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God, and put Him to open shame. ²²

The AH’s descriptions of the individuals in 6:4-5 are used elsewhere in Hebrews and the rest of the NT to describe true believers. At the same time, his descriptions in these verses can also describe those who have experienced the general convicting work of the Spirit through the general call of the gospel, have made a profession of faith, and have witnessed miracles but who are not saved.

For example, this would include such individuals as Judas Iscariot and Simon Magus. The AH’s descriptions in these verses can legitimately be applied to both men. With the two options in mind—saved or not saved—the AH’s illustration about the two soils in 6:7-8 and his description of the readers in 6:9 argue for the second option.

Based on the other warning passages, the AH’s statement in 6:6 about those who “have fallen away” refers to apostasy. It describes the rejection of the gospel by those who once professed faith. The impossibility of renewal means that there is no remedy for those who have fallen away in this way. They are eternally lost and will experience God’s final judgment.

In short, the warning passages do not describe true believers reject-ing the gospel that at one time they had embraced and, as a result, los-ing their salvation. The warning passages describe those who have made a profession of faith but who have come to reject the faith, and, in do-ing so, have shown themselves to be unbelievers. Thus, the warning passages do not contradict the first proposition that all true believers will persevere in believing the gospel to the end, without exception.

Objection 2: Peter’s Denial of Jesus

The second objection concerns Peter’s denial of Jesus as recorded in Matthew 26:69-75 and elsewhere in the Gospels. Is Peter’s denial an exception to the first proposition? During Jesus’s interrogation by the high priest following Jesus’s arrest on the night before his crucifixion, Peter was confronted and questioned about being a follower of Jesus. Fearing the consequences and to avoid persecution, Peter denied that he knew Jesus.

Prior to Peter’s denial, Jesus had warned Peter that Peter would deny him, not once, but three times (Matt 26:31-35). Although Peter denied knowing Jesus in order to avoid persecution, there is no evidence that Peter rejected his faith in Jesus. In other words, Peter’s denial was a lapse in his faithfulness to Jesus, not an act of apostasy in rejecting the truth of the gospel. ²³

That said, the tension with Peter’s denial is over how to harmonize his denial with Jesus’s statement in Matthew 10:33, “Whoever denies me before men, I will also deny him before my Father who is in heaven” (cf. 2 Tim 2:12). ²⁴ For Jesus to deny someone before the Father means to deny that someone is saved, that someone is a true believer. ²⁵ The question is over what Jesus means by “whoever denies me before men (όστις δ’ αν άρνήσηταί με έμπροσθεν των άνθρωπων).” If Jesus includes what Peter did, then Peter must have been an unbeliever (and not saved) when he denied Jesus. Yet, the evidence appears conclusive that Peter was a believer (and saved) prior to his denying Jesus.

Support comes from Peter’s confession of Jesus recorded in Matthew 16:16, a confession that occurred well before Peter’s denial. In answer to Jesus’s question about who he is, Peter said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” In response to Peter’s confession, Jesus pronounced a blessing on Peter. Furthermore, Jesus pointed to Peter’s confession as exemplary and as something that God alone had revealed to Peter (Matt 16:17).

Beyond that, prior to Jesus’s prediction about Peter’s denial, Jesus acknowledged Peter’s faith. Jesus warned Peter that Satan wanted to attack him and then Jesus said, “but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers” (Luke 22:32). ²⁶

For Jesus to pray that Peter’s “faith may not fail (μή έκλίπη ή πίστις σου)” means to pray that Peter’s faith in Jesus will not come to an end—that it will not cease to be. ²⁷ Assuming Jesus’s prayer was answered, Peter’s faith did not fail even though he denied knowing Jesus. Furthermore, Jesus’s subsequent statement, “once you have turned again (ποτέ έπιστρέψας),” does not argue against Peter persevering in his faith. The statement refers to Peter’s restoration to faithfulness, not a restoration to faith in Jesus. ²⁸ Therefore, what Jesus must mean by “deny me (άρνήσηταί με)” in the Matthew 10:33 is to deny the truth of the gospel. ²⁹ This Peter did not do.

Second Proposition: All True Believers Persevere in Faithfulness

The second proposition represents the counterpart to the first. Scripture also teaches that perseverance in faithfulness or good works is absolute in that all true believers will produce good works. The key text in support of the second proposition is found in James 2:14. However, before looking at that verse, a good work must first be defined. James provides the definition in his illustration of Abraham’s works in 2:21-24. Using Abraham’s intent to offer Isaac as a sacrifice, James defines what kind of “works” are required as evidence of a true, saving faith. In short, James provides a classic definition of a “good work.”

From James’s illustration, a good work must include three things. First, a good work is something a believer does in obedience to God’s word. The question is raised with Abraham’s offering of Isaac, “Why would Abraham sacrifice Isaac?” God’s word clearly forbids human sacrifices (e.g., Lev 18:21; 20:2-5; Deut 12:31; cf. Mic 6:7) And the answer is that God commanded Abraham to do so (Gen 22:1-2). God commanded Abraham to offer Isaac, and Abraham responded in obedience to God’s command (Gen 22:3).

Second, a good work is motivated by love for God. In this case, the question is raised, “Did Abraham love Isaac?” And the answer is yes! Abraham dearly loved his son Isaac, the son of his old age and the son of promise. So, why would Abraham offer his son Isaac whom he loved? The answer is that Abraham loved God even more than he loved Isaac. This answer is supported in God’s response to Abraham following Abraham’s intent to offer Isaac as a sacrifice (cf. Gen 22:12, 16).

Third, a good work is also motivated by faith in God and in God’s promises. In this case, the question is, “Why would Abraham offer Isaac as a sacrifice, the one through whom all of God’s promises to Abraham would be fulfilled?” In other words, why would Abraham jeopardize all of God’s promises to him by sacrificing Isaac?

The answer to this question is given in Hebrews 11:17-19. Accord-ing to the AH, Abraham believed that if he sacrificed Isaac, God would surely raise Isaac from the dead. And the reason Abraham believed that God would raise Isaac is because God had promised that in Isaac’s off-spring, all of God’s promises to Abraham would be fulfilled. Thus, Abraham was convinced that in order for God to fulfill his promises, God would need to raise Isaac back to life. In sum, a good work is any-thing a believer does in obedience to God’s word motivated by faith and love toward God.

Returning to James 2:14, James introduces two rhetorical questions in this verse. ³⁰ The first question is, “What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith, but has no works?” ³¹ The second question is, “Can that faith save him?” ³² James’s second question clarifies the meaning of his first question and provides the key support for the second proposition. A rhetorical question represents an assertion in the form of a question. And the assertion is found in the answer to the question that the author makes clear in the context. ³³ As such, an author uses a rhetorical question to engage his readers and have them make the assertion for him.

In James’s second question, the articular noun “that faith (ή πίστις)” repeats the noun from the first question and serves as the subject of James’s second question. As in the first question, the noun faith is used in the active and subjective sense of the exercising of faith. The article on the noun is anaphoric and points back to the faith of the individual described in the preceding question. In the indicative mood, the verb, “can (δύναται),” identifies the second question as a question of fact. ³⁴ And what James asks about this faith—what this faith can do—is indicated by the complementary infinitive “save (σώσαι).”

As in James 1:21, the infinitive “save” means to deliver someone from spiritual danger in the sense of to protect someone from eternal condemnation and punishment. ³⁵ The pronoun “him (αύτόν)” serves as the object of the infinitive “save.” The pronoun has the indefinite pro-noun “someone (τις)” in the previous question as its antecedent, further linking the two questions. James adds the negative adverb (μή) to indicate that he intends a “no” answer to his second question. As such, the negative adverb is left untranslated. ³⁶ With that in mind, it is important to note what James denies with his second question.

With his second question, James does not ask, “Can faith save?” (as suggested in, e.g., the NRSV and NKJV). As mentioned above, the arti-cle on “faith” is anaphoric and points back to the description of the individual’s faith in the previous question. Thus, James asks, “Can a faith that does not have works save?” (so, e.g., NASB1995, NET, ESV, CSB, NIV). James raised the issue of God’s future judgment of the un-repentant at the end of the previous verse, in 2:13. What James denies in this verse is that a faith that does not produce good works is able to deliver someone from this judgment—it cannot save him. In sum, a faith that does not produce good works is not a true, saving faith.

The counterpart to James’s denial represents the second proposition—a saving faith must produce good works, if it is a saving faith. In other words, all true believers will persevere in faithfulness or good works as the necessary evidence that their faith is true saving faith. The converse is that anyone who professes faith and fails to produce goods works shows by that that their faith is not a true saving faith. Again, according to James, their faith cannot save them.

However, the second proposition must be clarified. Scripture also teaches that, while all true believers persevere in good works, not all do so to the same level of success. Support for the clarification is found in the Lord’s parable of the soils in Matthew 13:3-9, 1823־. With the parable of the soils, Jesus gives various responses to the gospel to explain why the gospel message has mixed results. Jesus identifies four kinds of soils and what happens when seed is sown in these soils. In his explanation to his disciples, Jesus says that the soils represent humans, and the seed that is sown represents the gospel.

Of the four soils only the last soil describes those who respond to the gospel in true saving faith. The support for this is two-fold. First, Jesus uses the phrase “good soil” only with the fourth soil. Second, only the fourth soil produces a crop, with the crop representing good works. The seed sown in the other three soils fails to produce any Listing fruit. As mentioned, only the fourth soil produces a crop. And the crop produced by those represented with the fourth soil is the evidence that their faith is true saving faith. ³⁷

With that in mind, the clarification of the second proposition is found in Jesus’s description of the fourth soil. Among those represented by the fourth soil, Jesus says that some will produce a hundredfold, some sixtyfold, and some thirtyfold. According to Jesus’s description, all true believers produce fruit or good works, though not all produce the same amount. ³⁸ Thus, to restate the second proposition, all true believers persevere in faithfulness or good works without exception, but all do so at varying levels of success.

Objection 1: 1 Corinthians 3:12—15 and the Loss of All Rewards

Two objections are raised with the second proposition. The first objection comes from Paul’s comments in 1 Corinthians 3:12-15. Paul describes a vocational minister who suffers the loss of all rewards at the judgment seat of Christ. ³⁹ Paul says, “he himself shall be saved, yet so as through fire.” ⁴⁰ Since rewards are issued for good works, does Paul’s description of this individual represent an exception to the second proposition? Can a true believer be devoid of good works, have no re-wards, and still be saved? The short answer is no. The longer answer is that Paul uses hyperbole in this passage to overstate his point. ⁴¹ And the reason Paul does this is to emphasize the security of believers at the judgment seat of Christ.

Paul’s point is this. If it were possible for a true believer to be de-void of good works and receive no rewards at the bema seat, nevertheless that person’s salvation is still secure. He would not suffer the loss of his salvation. Paul describes him as saved “yet so as through fire (ούτως δέ ώς διά πυρός)” in the sense that all his works and their rewards are burned up as worthless. ⁴² And, as mentioned, the reason Paul emphasizes that this person is still saved is to reinforce the security of the believer’s salvation.

In other words, what takes place at the judgment seat of Christ does not threaten the believer’s salvation. The judgment seat of Christ addresses the believer’s works and the issuing of rewards based on those works. The believer’s salvation is not in question. ⁴³ That said, Paul’s use of hyperbole in this passage to describe a believer who is devoid of good works is both hypothetical and impossible. Elsewhere, Paul argues for the importance and necessity of good works as the evidence of salvation (e.g., Eph 2:10). ⁴⁴

Furthermore, from James 2:14 we can conclude that there will be some spiritual fruit or good works in the life of even this individual, if he is truly saved. With that said, the good works produced in the life of every true believer are the evidence of salvation, not a condition for salvation. Scripture speaks with one voice on repentant faith as the sole condition for salvation. Salvation has always been by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, apart from any and all works (Rom 3:21-28; 4:1-13; Eph 2:8-10). In sum, good works are the necessary fruit of faith; they are not the root of faith.

Objection 2: 1 Corinthians 11:30 and a Believer’s Death over Unrepentant Sin

The second objection comes from 1 Corinthians 11:30 and Paul’s description of some believers who, because of persistent unrepentant sin, have died. To restate the point, God has taken the life of these believers because of unrepentant sin. That being the case, in what sense can these believers be described as persevering in good works? Is not the fact that God has taken the life of these believers give evidence that they have failed to persevere in good works? Again, the short answer is no.

Drawing on the analogy of faith or comparing one text with other texts addressing the same or similar topics, Scripture teaches that all believers continue to sin. In James 3:2, James says that “we all stumble (sin) in many ways.” ⁴⁵ In 1 John 1:10, John says that anyone who denies that he sins makes God a liar and God’s truth (word) is not in him. And, as mentioned from 1 Corinthians 11:30, Paul teaches that believers can get caught up in a given sin to the point where God disciplines them with physical death (cf. 1 John 5:16). ⁴⁶

That said, Scripture also teaches that true believers cannot have their entire lives characterized by the habit and pattern of sin. In his first epistle, John argues that true believers have lives that are characterized by righteousness and obedience, not by unrighteousness and disobedience (1 John 2:29; 3:4-10; 5:18). Furthermore, John argues in 1 John 1:9 that true believers recognize their sin and confess their sin on a regular basis. In 1 John 1:9, John uses a customary present tense to describe the believer’s ongoing confession of sin (έάν όμολογώμεν τάς άμαρτίας ήμών). ⁴⁷

What we can conclude from this is that true believers can persist in some sin to the point where God takes their lives. God does this so that these believers do not continue to harm their testimony or bring reproach on the name of Christ. However, this one area of unrepentant sin does not characterize their entire lives.

As difficult as it may seem, in other areas these individuals must have lives that are characterized by obedience and not disobedience if they are true believers. Persisting in one area of unrepentant sin does not mean that their entire lives are characterized by unrepentant sin. From the previous discussion of James and 1 John, there must be some level of obedience and good works in the life of these individuals, if they are truly saved.

Putting the above arguments together, the two propositions are supported. All true believers persevere in faith and in faithfulness or good works without exception. Furthermore, from our previous discus-sion of Colossians 1:22-23 God preserves for final salvation all those who persevere in the faith. That said, Scripture also teaches that God causes all true believers to persevere in faith and in faithfulness (Phil 1:6, 12-13; Jude 24). For that reason, salvation is monergistic or a work of God alone. In sum, salvation is a gracious work of God from beginning to end and is designed to bring God glory.

Faithfulness as the Sole Benchmark for Success and Accountability in Ministry

The Relationship between Perseverance and Faithfulness

With the above in mind, the two questions raised in the introduction can now be addressed. The first question is over the relationship between perseverance and faithfulness. The second question is whether faithfulness is the sole criterion for success in ministry and accountability at the judgment seat of Christ. Returning to Paul’s statement in 1 Corinthians 4:2, Paul says, “Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful.” ⁴⁸

The substantive “faithful” (πιστός) can be taken in one of two ways. The substantive is frequently used in the New Testament to de-scribe someone who is trustworthy, dependable, or reliable, whether in speech or in conduct (cf. 2 Tim 2:2; Heb 3:5). ⁴⁹ In the parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14-30, Jesus provides a definition of what it means for a servant to be trustworthy and dependable, that is, to be faithful.

In the parable, a master gives talents to three of his servants. According to Matthew 25:26, these talents refer to responsibilities. This can be seen in that the master connects the use of these talents with sowing and reaping. The good servants are described as faithfully carrying out their responsibilities and are rewarded for their faithfulness when the master returns (Matt 26:21). As such, for a servant to be faithful means that a servant must fulfill the responsibilities that his master has assigned him. Or, to put it differently, a faithful servant remains steadfast in his duties; he perseveres in the responsibilities entrusted to him by his master.

At the same time, the substantive “faithful” can also be used to describe someone who exercises faith in the gospel, that is, to a believer (cf. John 20:27; 1 Pet 1:21). ⁵⁰ Paul’s evaluation of his life in 2 Timothy 4:6-8 provides a definition of what it means for a servant to be faithful in believing the gospel. In this passage, Paul gives a three-fold description of his life as Christ’s servant, “I nave fought the good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.” ⁵¹ Focusing on the third description, the articular substantive “the faith (τήν πίστιν)” is used in its passive and objective sense of a body of truth that is to be believed. ⁵²

Paul uses the articular substantive as shorthand for the special revelation that Jesus gave during his First Advent and which he also empowered his apostles and prophets to give. In this sense, the substantive “the faith” refers to the law of Christ (cf. 1 Cor 9:21). In terms of a definition, the law of Christ refers to everything that Jesus and his apostles and prophets taught in word and deed. Furthermore, the law of Christ has the gospel as its starting point, and the essence of the law of Christ has been preserved in the New Testament canon. ⁵³

Returning to 2 Timothy 4:7, the verb, “I have kept (τετήρηκα),” serves as the predicate and means to hold on to something so as not to give it up or lose it. ⁵⁴ Implied in keeping something in this way is the need to defend what is being kept from those threatening it. Thus, for Paul to say he has kept the faith means that he has persevered in believing the gospel broadly defined as the law of Christ and has defended the law of Christ against all those who oppose it. What is significant about Paul’s assessment of his ministry is that he gives it at the end of his life in anticipation of his giving an account of his service before Jesus at the bema seat of Christ.

Following the assessment of his ministry, Paul addresses the Lord’s evaluation of his life and what Paul anticipates will be the outcome. Because he has kept the faith in this way, Paul concludes by saying, “in the future there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award me on that day” (2 Tim 4:8). ⁵⁵ As such, a faithful servant is one who perseveres in believing the gospel of Christ as defined above and defends it against its opponents. And a faithful servant is one who perseveres in faithfulness to the tasks the Lord Jesus has entrusted to him. In short, to be faithful means to persevere in faith and in faithfulness or good works.

Faithfulness the Sole Criteria for Success and Accountability

Paul’s words in 2 Timothy 4 serve as a transition to the second question raised in the introduction. The second question is whether faithfulness is the sole criterion for success in ministry and accountability at the judgment seat of Christ. As mentioned in the introduction, a key text in answering this question is 1 Corinthians 4:1-4. Citing the passage again, Paul writes,

This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful. But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. For I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me.

Among the points Paul makes in this passage, three support the conclusion that the sole criterion for success in ministry and accountability is faithfulness. First, Paul discusses his role as a servant of Christ and a steward of the mysteries of God. The two expressions, “as servants of Christ” and “stewards of the mysteries of God,” describe Paul’s role as an apostle. As such, Paul discusses his apostolic role as a vocational minister and, specifically, as a minister of the gospel of Christ. Whatever Paul says in this verse about himself in that role can be applied to others in vocational ministry and, by extension, to all believers as servants of Christ (cf. 2 Cor 5:10).

Second, focusing on vocational ministers, the sole requirement Paul gives in this passage for Christ’s servants is faithfulness. From the discussion above, to be faithful in vocational ministry involves two responsibilities. The first responsibility is that a vocational minister must persevere in the faith. As discussed in 1 Timothy 4:7, a faithful minister must persevere in believing the gospel of Christ. And, hand-in-hand with this, a faithful minister must also persevere in defending the faith against those who oppose it.

And as discussed from Matthew 25:21, the second responsibility is that vocational ministers must persevere in faithfulness or good works. For vocational ministers, these good works can be summed up in the Great Commission. The Great Commission is found in various forms in all four Gospels and in the opening chapter of Acts just prior to the beginning of the church on the Day of Pentecost.

Its strategic placement at the end of each of the Gospels and at the beginning of the church in Acts makes it central to vocational ministry. Thus, persevering in faithfulness means persevering in evangelizing the lost and in discipling the redeemed. For the apostle Paul, being faithful meant giving special revelation and overseeing the founding and establishing of local churches.

For vocational ministers today, being faithful means carrying out the Great Commission in whatever role God has given them. According to Ephesians 4:11, God has given spiritually gifted individuals to the church. Of the gifts Paul lists in this passage, three gifts remain. ⁵⁶ The first gift is evangelists, those who engage in church planting by evangelizing the lost and establishing local churches. ⁵⁷

The second and third gifts are pastors and (other) teachers, those who shepherd the flock of God (pastors) and those who teach God’s word (teachers). ⁵⁸ In sum, perseverance in the faith and in faithfulness is the sum total of a vocational minister’s charge as Christ’s servant. This is what Paul means in 1 Timothy 4:7, when he says, “I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.”

Third, Paul says in 1 Corinthians 4:4 that the one who judges him is Christ. Paul specifically has in view his being judged by Christ when Christ returns to rapture the church. In 1 Corinthians 4:5, Paul writes, “Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God.”

Putting the above together, Paul establishes faithfulness as the sole criterion by which vocational ministers are judged at the judgment seat of Christ. And, if faithfulness is the sole criterion for accountability, then faithfulness must also be the sole criterion for success in ministry.

Objection

One additional passage must be addressed in that it raises questions about whether faithfulness is, in fact, the sole criterion for success and accountability in ministry. In the upper room discourse in John 15:8, Jesus says to his disciples, “By this is My Father glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples.” Here Jesus identifies the bearing of “much fruit” as the evidence that someone is his disciple and as the basis on which the Father is glorified. That being the case, is the bearing of much fruit included in the criteria for success and accountability for Christ’s servants?

To answer that question, a second question must be asked. “How does Christ’s servant bear much fruit?” And the answer must be that Christ’s servant bears much fruit by being faithful to the tasks that Christ has given his servant. Furthermore, spiritual fruit is something the Lord produces. It is not something the servant produces. Borrowing Paul’s agricultural metaphor from 1 Corinthians 3:5-9, the servant’s task is to sow (the word) and water (with the word). God alone brings the increase.

Conclusion

Christ produces spiritual fruit through the faithfulness of his servants. Returning to John 15:8, this verse clarifies what Christ desires to produce in and through his servants—much fruit—and how this glori-fies the Father. At the same time, this verse does not overturn the fact that faithfulness is the sole criteria for success in ministry and accountability at the judgment seat of Christ. The servant’s task is to sow and water, it is God who brings the increase. Thus, Paul’s declaration in 1 Corinthians 4:2 does establish the sole criterion for success and ac-countability for vocational servants, “It is required of stewards that they be found faithful.”

1. Dr. Compton is Professor of Biblical Languages and Literature at Detroit Baptist Theological Seminary.[↩]
2. English Standard Bible, 2017 ed. (ESV). All other Scripture citations are taken from the New American Standard Bible, 1995 updated edition, unless otherwise noted.[↩]
3. Similarly, Gordon D. Fee, The First Epistle to the Corinthians, 2nd ed., NICNT (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2014), 120.[↩]
4. See Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, s.v. “Perseverance,” by A H. Leitch, 4:709-10; New Dictionary of Theology, s.v. “Perseverance,” by R Kearsley, 506-7; Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible, s.v. “Perseverance,” by R E. O. White, 2:1647-48; New Dictionary of Theology: Historical and Systematic, 2nd ed., by A T. B. McGowan, 666-67. For a history ofthe doctrine, see John Jefferson Davis, “The Perseverance of the Saints: A History of the Doctrine,” Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 34 (June 1991): 21328־; Jan Henzel, ‘“And Grace Will Lead Me Home.’ Perseverance of Believers as Divine Gift and Human Responsibility,” European Journal of Theology 12 (2003): 27-34.

   Henzel identifies four views on perseverance in church history. (1) Perseverance is a necessary gift of God, but believers cannot be certain it was given to them—Aquinas; Roman Catholicism; Council of Trent. (2) Grounded in election, perseverance is a necessary gift of God, and it is certain for the believer—Calvin; Canons of Don. (3) Perseverance is necessary, but God does not determine who will persevere— Arminius; Wesley. (4) Perseverance is necessary for obtaining final rewards out not for salvation—Eaton; Kendall. The second option is supported in this study.[↩]

5. μέτοχοι γάρ τοϋ Χρίστου γεγόναμεν, έάνπερ την αρχήν της ύποστάσεως μέχρι τέλους βεβαίαν κατάσχωμεν.[↩]
6. BDAG, 198.[↩]
7. BDAG, 643.[↩]
8. BDAG, 172, 533.[↩]
9. BDAG, 1040-41.[↩]
10. BDAG, 137-38.[↩]
11. BDAG, 644.[↩]
12. BDAG, 998.[↩]
13. See, for example, Peter T. O’Brien, The Letter to the Hebrews, Pillar New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2010), 149-52.[↩]
14. Daniel B. Wallace, Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics: An Exegetical Syntax (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1997), 696-99 (hereafter, GGBB).[↩]
15. Ibid., 687.[↩]
16. See the discussion of John 5:24-25 in R. Bruce Compton, “The Ordo Salutis and Monergism: The Case for Faith Preceding Regeneration,” Bibliotheca Sacra 175 (April-June 2018), 166-69.[↩]
17. Wallace, GGBB, 682-83; Burst M. Fanning, “The Classical Reformed View,” in Four Views on the Warning Passages in Hebrews, ed. Herbert W. Bateman IV (Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2007), 206-16.[↩]
18. Contra Thomas R. Schreiner, Run to Win the Prize: Perseverance in the New Testament (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2010), 93, n. 8. Schreiner argues that the warning passages, including the exhortations in this verse and elsewhere, are all prospective, describing what will take place in the future. Thus, only if one holds fast, does one then become a partaker of Christ. Schreiner offers three arguments in defense: (1) He argues that the perfect tense in 3:14 replaces the present tense in the parallel exhortation in 3:6 and both should be translated as prospective or pointing to the future; (2) He argues that the protasis (holding fast) is generic or timeless and the apodosis (partakers) logically follows the protasis and, thus, is future oriented; (3) He argues that the conditional particle is emphatic and reinforces the fact that the protasis must be fulfilled before the apodosis can be realized. See Thomas R Schreiner and Ardel B. Caneday, The Race Set Before Us: A Biblical Theology of Perseverance and Assurance (Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press, 2001), 200-202.

    True, the judgments warned about in the warning passages are all prospective, describing that which is future. But the AH’s exhortations connected to these warning passages can be either. Taking Schreiner’s arguments in order. (1) While 3:6 is a parallel exhortation, the AH makes different points in the two verses using different tenses. In 3:6, the AH’s point is that if the readers persevere in faith, that shows they are presently members of God’s house or household (using the present tense). In 3:14, the AH steps back and gives the basis for 3:6. If the readers persevere in faith that demonstrates that they have previously become partakers of Christ (using the perfect tense). (2) Schreiner assumes the conditional clause in 3:14 represents a cause-effect relationship—if they hold fast, then they become partakers. As argued above, the conditional clause represents an evidence-inference relationship—if they hold fast, then that shows that they have previously become partakers of Christ. (3) Schreiner’s third argument is that the intensified conditional particle emphasizes that the apodosis must be fulfilled before the apodosis can be realized. But that argument, again, assumes the conditional clause represents a cause-effect relationship rather than an evidence-inference relationship as argued above. For further discussion and support, see Fanning, “The Classical Reformed View,” 206-16.[↩]

19. This is an intensive perfect, emphasizing the resultant state of a past completed action. See Wallace, GGBB, 574-76. Considerable debate exists over the aspect of the perfect tense in Koine Greek. For a recent survey of the views and an attempt at synthesis, see Michael G. Aubrey, “The Greek Perfect Tense-Form,” in Linguistics and New Testament Greek, ed. David Alan Black and Benjamin Merkle (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2020), 55-81.[↩]
20. Wallace, GGBB, 463, 469-70, 684.[↩]
21. I have already written on the warning passages in Hebrews and what follows represents a synthesis. See R Bruce Compton, “Persevering and Falling Away: A Reexamination of Hebrews 6:4-6, Detroit Baptist Seminary Journal 1 (Spring 1996), 135-67.[↩]
22. For a survey of evangelical views on the warning passages, see Herbert W. Bateman IV, ed., Four Views on the Warning Passages in Hebrews (Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2007).[↩]
23. NIDNTTE, s.v. “άρνέομαι,” 1:400 (4).[↩]
24. όστις δ’ αν άρνήσηταί με έμπροσθεν των ανθρώπων, άρνήσομαι κάγώ αύτόν έμπροσθεν τοϋ πατρός μου τοϋ έν [τοϊς] ούρανοϋς.[↩]
25. NIDNTTE, s.v. “άρνέομαι,” 1:400 (4).[↩]
26. έγώ δέ έδεήθην περί σοϋ ϊνα μή έκλίπη ή πίστις σου καί σύ ποτέ έπιστρέψας στήρισον τούς άδελφούς σου.[↩]
27. BDAG, 306.[↩]
28. BDAG, 382.[↩]
29. BDAG, 382. [↩]
30. I have already written on this passage and what follows represents a synthesis. See R. Bruce Compton, James 2:21-24 and the Justification of Abraham,” Detroit Baptist Seminary Journal 2 (Fall 1997): 19-45.[↩]
31. Τί τό όφελος, αδελφοί μου, έάν πίστιν λέγη τις έχειν, έργα δέ μή έχη;[↩]
32. μή δύναται ή πίστις σώσαι αύτόν;[↩]
33. Ernest De Witt Burton, Syntax of Moods and Tenses, 3rd ed. (Grand Rapids: Kregel, 1976; reprint of the 1889 ed. published by the University of Chicago), 76-77.[↩]
34. Burton, Syntax of Moods and Tenses, 76-77.[↩]
35. BDAG, 982-83.[↩]
36. Burton, Syntax of Moods and Tenses, 179.[↩]
37. For support and discussion, see among others, David L. Turner, Matthew, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2008), 337-38, 341-43; Grant R Osborne, Matthew, Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2010), 506-8, 512-17.[↩]
38. The parable of the minas or talents in Luke 19:11-27 makes a similar point (cf. Matt 25:14-30).[↩]
39. Although Paul addresses the evaluation of vocational ministers in this passage, Paul’s discussion applies to all believers in the church. See David E. Garland, 1 Corinthians, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2003), 115-17. See also the parallel passage in 2 Corinthians 5:9-10, where Paul discusses Christ’s evaluation of all believers in the church when he returns. Similarly, Roy E. Ciampa and Brian S. Rosner, The First Letter to the Corinthians, Pillar New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2010), 150. Ciampa and Rosner limit the application of 1 Corinthians 3 to vocational ministers but see Paul expanding the application to all Christians in 2 Corinthians 5:10.[↩]
40. αύτός δέ σωθήσεται, ούτως δέ ώς διά πυρός.[↩]
41. See, for example, James E. Rosscup, “Paul’s Teaching on the Christian’s Future Reward with Special Attention to 1 Corinthians 3:10-17” (Th.D. dissertation, University of Aberdeen, 1976), 107-8.[↩]
42. See Garland, 1 Corinthians, 118-19, 121.[↩]
43. Garland, 1 Corinthians, 118-19, 121.[↩]
44. Similarly, Robert Glenn Gromacki, Salvation is Forever (Chicago: Moody Press, 1973), 96; Ciampa and Rosner, First Letter to the Corinthians, 156-57.[↩]
45. πολλά γάρ πταίομεν απαντες.[↩]
46. I have written on this topic elsewhere and what follows represents a synthesis. See R. Bruce Compton, “Can a Christian Sin unto Death? Perseverance and 1 John 5:16,” (paper presented at the 72nd annual meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society, 18 November 2020), 1-14.[↩]
47. Wallace, GGBB, 521-22.[↩]
48. ώδε λοιπόν ζητείται έν τοϋς οίκονόμοις, ϊνα πιστός τις εύρεθη.[↩]
49. BDAG, 820-21.[↩]
50. BDAG, 821.[↩]
51. τον καλόν αγώνα ήγώνισμαι, τον δρόμον τετέλεκα, την πίστιν τετήρηκα.[↩]
52. BDAG, 820.[↩]
53. See Douglas J. Moo, “The Law of Christ as the Fulfillment of the Law of Moses: A Modified Lutheran View,” in Five Views on the Law and the Gospel, ed. Wayne G. Strickland (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2010), 319-76.[↩]
54. BDAG, 1002.[↩]
55. λοιπόν άπόκειταί μοι ό τής δικαιοσύνης στέφανος, ον αποδώσει μοι ό κύριος έν εκείνη τη ήμερα, ό δίκαιος κριτής.[↩]
56. For the cessation of the first two gifts, apostles and prophets, see R. Bruce Compton, “1 Corinthians 13:8-13 and the Cessation of Miraculous Gifts,” Detroit Baptist Seminary Journal 9 (2004): 97-144; R Bruce Compton, “The Continuation of New Testament Prophecy and a Closed Canon: Revisiting Wayne Grudem’s Two Levels of NT Prophecy,” Detroit Baptist Seminary Journal 22 (2017): 57-73; R Bruce Compton, “First Corinthians 13 and the Cessation of Miraculous Gifts: A Critique of Thomas Schreiner’s Spiritual Gifts: What They Are and Why They Matter,” Detroit Baptist Seminary Journal 25 (2020): 31-49.[↩]
57. For discussion and support, see William W. Combs, “The Biblical Role of the Evangelist,” Detroit Baptist Seminary Journal 7 (2002): 23-48.[↩]
58. In support, see Wallace, GGBB, 284.[↩]