When the chief Shepherd is revealed, you will receive the crown of glory that doesn't fade away.
The crown (Gr. stephanos, garland) of glory that does not fade probably refers to glory as a crown that will come to every faithful Christian when Christ returns. It is probably not a material but a metaphorical crown (as is the crown of righteousness in 2 Timothy 4:8, the crown of life in James 1:12 and Revelation 2:10, and the crown of joy in Philippians 4:1 and 1 Thessalonians 2:19-20). [Note: Michaels, p. 287. See Joe L. Wall, Going for the Gold, pp. 125-71, for a practical discussion of these crowns.] The reason for this conclusion is that the biblical writers described the crowns in figurative language (glory, righteousness, etc.), not in literal language (gold, silver, etc.; cf. Hebrews 2:9). Elders who are faithful now will receive glory that will not fade when Jesus Christ returns. [Note: For a further helpful study of elders, see Alexander Strauch, Biblical Eldership, pp. 295-308.] 