The Good Fight Of Faith
THE GOOD FIGHT OF FAITH
1 TIMOTHY 6:11-21
Paul concludes his letter with a renewed call to Timothy to engage in strenuous Christian service, and with special warnings for the rich and the knowledgeable.
It is never easy to be a Christian, and believers must always be alert to the temptation to think they will grow in spiritual maturity and judgment by simply sitting still. There are some things that can be learned only in quietness and waiting on the Lord. There is “a time to keep silence” as well as “a time to speak” (Ecclesiastes 3:7). But it is also the case that God has called his servants to work for him in a busy world, a world where evil abounds and where it is easy to find excuses for avoiding difficult courses of action. So Paul instructs Timothy, “Fight the good fight of the faith” (6:12).
The devil is often likened to an enemy, one who takes hostile action against the people of God. It is important to be clear that our battle is real and that it calls for our best endeavors in the strength of Christ. Paul appeals to Timothy’s call and to “the good confession” he made before many (6:12). Some understood this to refer to his baptism, but it seems more likely to refer to ordination. Paul reminds Timothy that his solemn confession had been made before God and Christ (who himself made “the good confession”), so it is not to be regarded lightly.
Note the marks of a “man of God” as given in 6:11-12.
The apostle has some words for the rich (6:17-19). They are tempted more than most people to rely on what is at best temporary and uncertain, and need help in getting their priorities right. They still need help, as do those who put their confidence in “what is falsely called knowledge” (6:20). Undue preoccupation with what appears to be knowledge can be damaging to faith.