Survey
of the Letters of Paul: 1 Timothy 6:12
Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also
called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.
Lesson: 1 Timothy 6:12
Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also
called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.
This section has six verses:
1 Timothy 6:11-16
11 But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness,
godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.
12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art
also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.
13 I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things, and before
Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession;
14 That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the
appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ:
15 Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the
King of kings, and Lord of lords;
16 Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach
unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power
everlasting. Amen.
We will begin with the Barclay commentary.
CHALLENGE TO TIMOTHY
1 Timothy 6:11–16
First the paraphrase of the verses:
But you, O man of God, flee from these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness,
faith, love, endurance, gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith; lay hold on
eternal life, to which you are called, now that you have witnessed a noble
profession of your faith in the presence of many witnesses. I charge you in the
sight of God, who makes all things alive, and in the sight of Christ Jesus, who,
in the days of Pontius Pilate, witnessed his noble confession, that you keep the
commandment, that you should be without spot and without blame, until the day
when our Lord Jesus Christ appears, that appearance which in his own good times
the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and the Lord of lords, will
show, he who alone possesses immortality, he who dwells in the light that no man
can approach, he whom no man has seen or ever can see, to whom be honour and
everlasting power. Amen.
THE letter comes to an end with a tremendous challenge to Timothy, a challenge
all the greater because of the deliberate sonorous [high-flown; grandiloquent
or lofty style] nobility of the words in which it is clothed.
Right at the outset, Timothy is challenged to excel. He is addressed as man of
God. That is one of the great Old Testament titles. It is a title given to
Moses. Deuteronomy 33:1 speaks of ‘Moses, the man of God.’ The title of Psalm 90
is ‘A Prayer of Moses, the man of God.’ It is a title of the prophets and the
messengers of God. God’s messenger to Eli is a man of God (1 Samuel 2:27).
Samuel is described as a man of God (1 Samuel 9:6). Shemaiah, God’s messenger to
Rehoboam, is a man of God (1 Kings 12:22). John Bunyan in The Pilgrim’s Progress
calls Great-Grace ‘God’s Champion’.
Here is a tide of honour. When the challenge is presented to Timothy, he is not
reminded of his own weakness and sin, which might well have reduced him to
pessimistic despair; rather, he is challenged by the honour given to him, of
being God’s man. It is the Christian way, not to depress people by branding them
as lost and helpless sinners, but rather to uplift them by summoning them to be
what they have it in them to be. The Christian way is not to fling a humiliating
past in someone’s face, but to set before that person the splendour of the
potential future. The very fact that Timothy was addressed as ‘man of God’ would
make him stand up straight and throw his head back as one who has received his
commission from the King.
The virtues and noble qualities set before Timothy are not just heaped
haphazardly together. There is an order in them. First, there comes
righteousness, dikaiosune¯. This is defined as ‘giving both to other people and
to God their due’. It is the most comprehensive of the virtues; the righteous
are those who do their duty to God and to their neighbours.
Second, there comes a group of three virtues which look towards God. Godliness,
eusebeia, is the reverence of the person who never ceases to be aware that all
life is lived in the presence of God. Faith, pistis, here means fidelity, and is
the virtue of the person who, through all the chances [opportunities] and
the changes of life, down even to the gates of death, is loyal to God. Love,
agape, is the virtue possessed by those who, even if they tried, could not
forget what God has done for them nor the love of God to all people.
Third, there comes the virtue which looks to the conduct of life. It is hupomone¯.
The Authorized Version translates this as patience; but hupomone¯ never means
the spirit which sits quietly and simply puts up with things, letting the
experiences of life flow like a tide over it. It is victorious endurance. ‘It is
unswerving constancy to faith and piety in spite of adversity and suffering.’ It
is the virtue which does not so much accept the experiences of life as conquer
them.
Fourth, there comes the virtue which considers others. The Greek word is
paupatheia. It is translated as gentleness, but is really untranslatable. It
describes the spirit which never blazes into anger for its own wrongs but can be
devastatingly angry about wrongs done to other people. It describes the spirit
which knows how to forgive and yet knows how to wage the battle of
righteousness. It describes the spirit which walks in humility and yet also in
pride of its high calling from God. It describes the virtue which enables people
to keep a true balance between concern and respect for others and self-esteem.
MEMORIES WHICH INSPIRE
As Timothy is challenged to the task of the future, he is inspired with the
memories of the past.
(1) He is to remember his baptism and the vows he took there. In the
circumstances of the early Church, baptism was inevitably adult baptism, for men
and women were coming straight from the old religions to Christ. It was
confession of faith and witness to all that the baptized person had taken Jesus
Christ as Saviour, Master and Lord. The earliest of all Christian confessions
was the simple creed: ‘Jesus Christ is Lord’ (Romans 10:9; Philippians 2:11).
But it has been suggested that behind these words to Timothy lies a confession
of faith which said: ‘I believe in God the Almighty, Creator of heaven and
earth, and in Christ Jesus who suffered under Pontius Pilate and will return to
judge; I believe in the resurrection from the dead and in the [eternal life].’
It may well have been a creed like that to which Timothy gave his allegiance.
So, first of all, he is reminded that he is a man who has given his promise.
Christians are first and foremost men and women who have pledged themselves to
Jesus Christ.
(2) He is to remember that he has made the same confession of his faith as Jesus
did. When Jesus stood before Pilate, Pilate said: ‘Are you the king of the
Jews?’ and Jesus answered: ‘You say so’ (Luke 23:3). Jesus had witnessed that he
was a king, and Timothy had always witnessed to the lordship of Christ. When
Christians confess their faith, they do what their Master has already done; when
they suffer for their faith, they undergo what their Master has already
undergone. When we are engaged on some great enterprise, we can say: ‘We are
treading where the saints have trod’, but when we confess our faith before
others, we are able to say even more; we can say: ‘I stand with Christ’; and
surely this must lift up our hearts and inspire our lives.
(3) He is to remember that Christ comes again. He is to remember that his life
and work must be made fit for him to see. Christians are not working to satisfy
other people; they are working to satisfy Christ. The question a Christian must
always ask is not: ‘Is this good enough to pass the judgment of others?’ but:
‘Is it good enough to win the approval of Christ?’
(4) Above all, he is to remember God. And what a memory that is! He is to
remember the one who is King of every king and Lord of every lord; the one who
possesses the gift of life eternal to give to men and women; the one whose
holiness and majesty are such that no one can ever dare to look upon them.
Christians must always remember God and say: ‘If God is for us, who is against
us?’ (Romans 8:31). ~Barclay Commentary
1 Timothy 6:12
Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also
called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.
This is clearly Paul speaking to Timothy but in reality it is God the Father
speaking to each firstfruit ever called. This verse is not only a command and
very specific admonition but one full of absolute encouragement and excitement.
This is the perfect verse for any firstfruit caught up weary in well-doing [2
Thessalonians 3:13]. This verse screams for a sermon, so expect one in the near
future. Just look at the issues here: Faith, the Kingdom of God, eternal life
and your efforts in the Salvation Process.
Let us begin with the general commentaries. We read this one last week from the
Matthew Henry Concise
It ill becomes any men, but especially men of God, to set their hearts upon the
things of this world; men of God should be taken up with the things of God.
There must be a conflict with corruption, and temptations, and the powers of
darkness. Eternal life is the crown proposed for our encouragement. We are
called to lay hold thereon. To the rich must especially be pointed out their
dangers and duties, as to the proper use of wealth. But who can give such a
charge, that is not himself above the love of things that wealth can buy? The
appearing of Christ is certain, but it is not for us to know the time. Mortal
eyes cannot bear the brightness of the Divine glory. None can approach him
except as he is made known unto sinners in and by Christ. ~Matthew Henry
Concise
Now to the larger Matthew Henry commentary, breaking into the text that there
covers verses 6-12.
Hence he takes occasion to caution Timothy, and to counsel him to keep in the
way of God and his duty, and particularly to fulfil the trust reposed in him as
a minister. He addresses himself to him as a man of God. Ministers are men of
God, and ought to conduct themselves accordingly in every thing; they are men
employed for God, devoted to his honour more immediately. The prophets under the
Old Testament were called men of God.
1. He charges Timothy to take heed of the love of money, which had been so
pernicious to many: Flee these things. It ill becomes any men, but especially
men of God, to set their hearts upon the things of this world; men of God should
be taken up with the things of God.
2. To arm him against the love of the world, he directs him to follow that which
is good. Follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness:
righteousness in his conversation towards men, godliness towards God, faith and
love as living principles, to support him and carry him on in the practice both
of righteousness and godliness. Those that follow after righteousness and
godliness, from a principle of faith and love, have need to put on patience and
meekness - patience to bear both the rebukes of Providence and the reproaches of
men, and meekness wherewith to instruct gainsayers and pass by the affronts and
injuries that are done us. Observe, It is not enough that men of God flee these
things, but they must follow after what is directly contrary thereto. Further,
What excellent persons men of God are who follow after righteousness! They are
the excellent of the earth, and, being acceptable to God, they should be
approved of men.
3. He exhorts him to do the part of a soldier: Fight the good fight of faith.
Note, Those who will get to [the Kingdom] must fight their way thither.
There must be a conflict with corruption and temptations, and the opposition of
the powers of darkness. Observe, It is a good fight, it is a good cause, and it
will have a good issue. It is the fight of faith; we do not war after the flesh,
for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, 2 Corinthians 10:3-4. He exhorts
him to lay hold on eternal life.
Quoted verse:
2 Corinthians 10:3-4
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:
4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the
pulling down of strong holds;)
Observe,
(1.) Eternal life is the crown proposed to us, for our encouragement to war, and
to fight the good fight of faith, the good warfare.
(2.) This we must lay hold on, as those that are afraid of coming short of it
and losing it. Lay hold, and take heed of losing your hold. Hold fast that which
thou hast, that no man take thy crown, Revelation 3:11.
(3.) We are called to the fight, and to lay hold on eternal life.
(4.) The profession Timothy and all faithful ministers make before many
witnesses is a good profession; for they profess and engage to fight the good
fight of faith, and to lay hold on eternal life; their calling and their own
profession oblige them to this. ~Matthew Henry
Quoted verse:
Revelation 3:11 ...the motto of the ICG
Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy
crown.
Now to the specific commentaries:
This verse is handled in four parts:
1] Fight the good fight of faith.
2] Lay hold on eternal life.
3] Whereunto thou art also called.
4] And hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.
1] Fight the good fight of faith
Fight the good fight of faith - The noble conflict in the cause of religion; see
Ephesians 6:10-17; compare 1 Corinthians 9:26-27. The allusion is to the
contests at the Grecian games.
Quoted verses:
Ephesians 6:10-17
10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the
wiles of the devil.
12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities,
against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against
spiritual wickedness in high places.
13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to
withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the
breastplate of righteousness;
15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench
all the fiery darts of the wicked.
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the
word of God:
1 Corinthians 9:26-27
26 I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth
the air:
27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any
means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.
It is very important at this point that we look at the commentary on verse 26.
Not as uncertainly - (οὐκ ἀδήλως ouk adēlōs). This word occurs
nowhere else in the New Testament. It usually means, in the Classic
writers, “obscurely.” Here it means that he did not run as not knowing
to what object he aimed. “I do not run haphazardly; I do not exert
myself for nothing; I know at what I aim, and I keep my eye fixed on the
object; I have the goal and the crown in view.” Probably also the
apostle intended to convey this idea, “I so live and act that I am
“sure” of obtaining the crown. I make it a great and grand point of my
life so to live that there may be no room for doubt or hesitancy about
this rustler. I believe it may be obtained; and that by a proper course
there may be a constant certainty of securing it; and I so live.” O how
happy and blessed would it be if all Christians thus lived! How much
doubt, and hesitancy, and despondency would it remove from many a
Christian’s mind! And yet it is morally certain that if every Christian
were to be only as anxious and careful as were the ancient Grecian
wrestlers and racers in the games, they would have the undoubted
assurance of gaining the prize. Doddridge and Macknight, however, render
this “as not out of view;” or as not distinguished; meaning that the
apostle was not “unseen,” but that he regarded himself as constantly in
the view of the judge, the Lord Jesus Christ. I prefer the other
interpretation, however, as best according with the connection and with
the proper meaning of the word. [emphasis mine] |
Note: At this point in the Bible study I played a video of a
modern-day athlete who, in 2008 was running a 600-meter race and fell down with
just one lap to go. She rises to not only continue the race but actually
win it. Heather, the runner shown in the video is the perfect metaphor to
the firstfruits race in the quest for Salvation. It also matches up with
the Grecian game athletes that Paul is using in his discussion to Timothy.
See the video here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsOBaV_93yQ
Fight the good fight of faith - “Agonize the good agony.” Thou hast a contest to
sustain in which thy honor, thy life, thy soul, are at stake. Live the Gospel,
and defend the cause of God. Unmask hypocrites, expel the profligate, purge and
build up the Church, live in the spirit of thy religion, and give thyself wholly
to this work. ~Adam Clarke [emphasis mine]
2] Lay hold on eternal life
Lay hold on eternal life - As the crown of victory that is held out to you.
Seize this as eagerly as the competitors at the Grecian games laid hold on the
prize; see 1 Corinthians 9:25. ~Barnes Notes
Quoted verse:
1 Corinthians 9:25
And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they
do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.
Lay hold on eternal life - All this is in allusion to the exercises in the
public Grecian games: Fight, conquer, and seize upon the prize; carry off the
crown of eternal life! ~Adam Clarke
Lay hold on eternal life - as Timothy for his encouragement is here bid to do.
Eternal life is the prize of the high calling of God, which is held up, and held
forth to those who are fighting the Lord's battles; and this they should look
unto as the recompense of reward; and this they may lay hold upon, even now by
faith, believing their interest in it, their right unto it, and that they shall
enjoy it; of which they may be the more assured, because of their effectual
calling: ~John Gill
3] Whereunto thou art also called
Whereunto thou art also called - That is, by the Spirit of God, and by the very
nature of your profession. God does not “call” his people that they may become
rich; he does not convert them in order that they may devote themselves to the
business of gain. They are “called” to a higher and nobler work. Yet how many
professing Christians there are who seem to live as if God had “called” them to
the special business of making money, and who devote themselves to it with a
zeal and assiduity that would do honor to such a calling, if this had been the
grand object which God had in view in converting them! ~Barnes Notes
Whereunto thou art also called - not barely by the external ministration of the
Gospel, in which sense many are called, but few chosen and saved [ultimately];
but internally, by the special grace and power of the Spirit of God; and such
who are so called, are not only called to grace, but to eternal glory; and the
God of all grace, who has called unto it, of his sovereign good will and
pleasure, is faithful, and will bestow it. The word "also" is left out in the
Alexandrian copy, and in the Vulgate Latin, and in all the Oriental versions;
but it seems to be emphatic, and is used to strengthen Timothy's faith, as to
the enjoyment of eternal life; since it was not only the reward of grace,
following upon the good fight of faith, but was that also to which he was called
by the grace of God: ~John Gill
4] And hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.
Hast professed a good profession. - When called to eternal life. "This refers
probably to his baptism, when, as we know from very early times, a public
profession of faith was made."--Speaker's Commentary. ~People's New Testament
And hast professed a good profession before many witnesses - both before the
brethren at Lystra, at his baptism and admission into the church [Body of
Christ], before whom he gave an account of his faith, and made a profession
of it; and who, upon this, and his agreeable life and conversation, gave a good
report of him to the Apostle Paul, and before the apostle, and the rest of the
elders, when they laid their hands on him, whereby an extraordinary gift was
conveyed unto him, 1 Timothy 4:14 [see
Lesson] or it may be before the men of the world, some violent
persecutors, before whom he bravely, and with great intrepidity [resolutely
fearless; dauntless], professed his faith in Christ Jesus; and which he
continued constantly to do, in every place wherever he came; and which being
done so often, and so publicly, is a reason why he should keep on till the
battle was over. ~John Gill
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