The Good Fight
THE GOOD FIGHT
2 TIMOTHY 4:6-22
At the end of his life, Paul’s concern was still for the gospel.
We should not overlook the importance of the “For” which begins this section of the letter. The reason Paul has now urged Timothy to be urgent as an evangelist and to fulfill his ministry is that he, Paul, has finished his work. He describes this first in terms of sacrifice (“already I am being poured out as a drink offering”; he uses the same metaphor in Philippians 2:17). Then he speaks of departing, after which come three further ways of looking at his life, probably all taken from the Games. The word rendered “fight” is a technical term for competing in an event at the Games; “the race,” of course, means a running contest (notice that Paul does not speak of having beaten others, but only of having completed the course); “the faith” will for Paul mean the whole content of the Christian faith, but there is probably also a glance at the Games where competing athletes must promise to compete lawfully. Paul has kept the rules, so to speak, and lived out the faith for which he stood. So there awaits him “the crown of righteousness” (4:8), which reminds us of the crown awarded to the successful athlete. We could understand this to mean the crown consisting of righteousness, but this is scarcely in harmony with Paul’s thought that the believer is already justified or righteous in God’s sight. More probably it refers to the reward to be given at the last day to those whose righteousness has been revealed in their lives, a reward which does not go only to outstanding people like Paul, but also to “all who have loved his appearing” (4:8).
Notes 4:8: “that Day,” ie the Day of Judgment; “his appearing,” probably the second coming which was longed for (“loved”), not feared. 4:10: Demas had been a trusted fellow worker (Colossians 4:14; Philemon 24). 4:13: “the books” were evidently papyri, perhaps in roll form, “the parchments,” ie the “vellums,” were more costly writing material. Paul does not say what was written on either, but it seems probable that Scripture was included. Some think citizenship papers or other important personal papers may also be meant. 4:16: apparently Paul had already had a preliminary stage in his trial, but none of his friends stood by him. Despite this the Lord delivered him at that stage (4:17), which gives the apostle confidence that the Lord will continue to watch over him and bring him to “his heavenly kingdom” (4:18).
Consider “Luke alone is with me”: the earthly friend. “The Lord stood by me”: God, the constant friend.