Paul's Exhortations & Instructions to Brother Timothy 1st Letter Volume 67

Paul Encourages Timothy to Continue in the True Gospel Part 2

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. KJV

Next, Paul wants Timothy to be strong in his faith in our Lord, Master, and Savior Jesus Christ, for perhaps better than or more than any of the other early disciples, Paul knew what it was to fight against the enemy of his and our faith in Jesus Christ because even being only a believer for a short period of time this is what Paul encounterd directly from the devil (through the human instruments, i.e. two-legged devils) when he was declaring the Gospel of Christ in Damascus, "But Saul increased all the more in strength, and continued to confound {and} put to confusion the Jews who lived in Damascus by comparing {and} examining evidence {and} proving that Jesus is the Christ (the Messiah). After considerable time had elapsed, the Jews conspired to put Saul out of the way by slaying him, But [the knowledge of] their plot was made known to Saul. They were guarding the [city's] gates day and night to kill him, But his disciples took him at night and let him down through the [city's] wall, lowering him in a basket {or} hamper." (Acts 9:22-25) (Amplified Bible). Note: "I just don't understand much of this popular Christianity that is found in most of the people that have built many of the very popular Mega-Churches that are growing like wildflowers in this time and era we live in today. They are well received and accepted by the city in which they reside, their many campuses and other buildings are not being vandalized or desecrated. All in all they are living their lives with not much opposition from the world and even in many cases applauded by the world, but I just don't see and read this happening in the New Testament in the life of our Lord Jesus Christ or the Apostle Paul, but I do remember these words of warning from our Lord Jesus Christ when He said, 'Woe to (alas for) you when everyone speaks fairly {and} handsomely of you {and} praises you, for even so their forefathers did to the false prophets.' (Luke 6:26) (Amplified Bible)."

Therefore, we find Paul now encouraging Brother Timothy as it is written here by him with these words to, "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." (1 Timothy 6:12) (KJV). The first word of this verse 'fight' is translated by the Greek word agōnizomai which is perhaps where we get our English word (agonize) from and this word means as used here to struggle, figuratively (to contend with an adversary), or generally (to endeavor to accomplish something): - fight, labor fervently, strive. The English word 'good' is translated by the Greek word kalos which means as used here valuable or virtuous or worthy. The English word 'faith' is translated by the Greek word pistis which means as used here the system of (Gospel) truth itself: - assurance, belief, believe, faith, fidelity. In other words, when the Apostle Paul tells Timothy and all we true believers today and of every era and generatioin to 'fight the good fight of faith', he is essentially saying we are to struggle and strive against and contend with our adversary the devil for the spiritual benefits or more clearly the spiritual fruit of our faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, i.e. (love, joy, peace, patience, meekness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control) which the devil can rob us of when we allow him to. Here is what Dr. John Gill had to say concernig fighting the good fight of faith, "The Apostle suggests to Timothy, that he had other business to do than to mind the things of this world; his life was a state of warfare; he was a soldier, and was not to entangle himself with the things of this life; he had many enemies to engage with, as Satan, and his principalities and powers; sin, and the lusts of the flesh; the world, and the men of it, and a great fight of afflictions to endure with them; as also false teachers, with, whom particularly he was to fight the good fight of faith, that so the truth of the Gospel, which they resisted, might continue with the saints."

When Paul writes, 'lay hold on eternal life', he means that Timothy and all we true believers today and of every era and generation are to let the truth that we have all eternity to live in the presence of a loving, pure, and holy God, therefore, this should sink in deeply and affect our attitude, achievements, and aspirations right now as we sojourn in our temporary house/body on the earth. The little English phrase 'lay hold on' is translated by the Greek word epilambanomai which means as used here to seize for attainment (figuratively): - take hold of eternal life right now on the earth. Just as Paul described to the Corinthian Church making the comparison of the participants in the Grecian games striving and fighting to obtain a crown that is perishable putting forth great effort in training their bodies to be at peek performance level, so ought we true believers in Jesus Christ put forth even more spiritual effort in order to lay hold of the eternal life we already have in our Lord Jesus Christ that is inpeneratrable,  incorruptible, and imperishable. Here is what Dr. John Gill had to say concerning laying hold on eternal life, "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."

This last part of Dr. Gill's quote here is exactly what the Apostle means when he writes this next part of this verse to Timothy saying, 'whereunto thou art also called', for it is our calling in the belief of the Gospel of Christ, the Gospel of Grace that should make us lay hold of our eternal life 'in Christ' that we already have right now. When Paul writes these very last words of this verse, 'hast professed a good profession before many witnesses', he is ackowledging again Timothy's true conversion to Christ as it (his faith) has been witnessed by many other true believers and his public declaration of his faith 'in Christ' in baptism. His good profession was this or these words the Apostle Paul wrote in his letter to the Roman Church, "Because if you acknowledge {and} confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and in your heart believe (adhere to, trust in, and rely on the truth) that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart a person believes (adheres to, trusts in, and relies on Christ) and so is justified (declared righteous, acceptable to God), and with the mouth he confesses (declares openly and speaks out freely his faith) {and} confirms [his] salvation." (Romans 10:9-10) (Amplified Bible).

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...

Sincerely in Christ,

Clifford D. Tate, Sr.
Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…