In the previous blog, we saw that Paul begins his first letter to Timothy with a warning against those who deviate from sound doctrine. He then encourages Timothy to fight the good fight, with faith and a good conscience.
Emphasis
The emphasis on sound teaching and sound words runs throughout the entire letter. This topic returns in the final chapter as well. Once again, Paul warns against those who teach a different doctrine and do not conform to the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Tim. 6:3). Only then does he call upon Timothy to fight the excellent fight of faith. Just as in chapter 1, sound doctrine is central here too.
The sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ
The expression “the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ” refers here not to the words Jesus spoke to Israel during His earthly ministry, but to the teaching that the glorified Lord entrusted to Paul. This is evident from the context. After all, Paul is speaking here about the teaching he himself gives (1 Tim. 6:3). Moreover, he received this gospel directly from the risen Christ (Acts 26:16; Gal. 1:12, 15-17).
1 Timothy 6 ISA
12 Fight the excellent fight of faith…
This is the second time in this letter that the excellent fight is mentioned, although the word translated here as “fight” is different from the one used in 1 Timothy 1:18. There, it referred to serving as a soldier (strateia). Here, Paul uses the word agōn, from which our word “agony” is derived. It refers to a contest or wrestling match in which perseverance and endurance are central. Paul also employs the imagery of a soldier and an athlete in the Second Epistle to Timothy (2 Tim. 2:3–5).
the faith
The nature of this excellent fight is stated immediately afterward: it is the excellent fight of the faith. In the Epistles to Timothy, “the faith” usually does not signify personal trust or belief, but rather the content of what is believed: the gospel and sound doctrine. This is evident from the many passages where Paul speaks of falling away from the faith, straying from the faith, or deviating from the faith (1 Tim. 4:1; 6:10, 21; 2 Tim. 3:8).
The good fight of the faith is, therefore, the struggle to remain faithful to the teaching that Paul received and passed on. Naturally, this also requires personal faith. Only those who personally believe what God has spoken will hold fast to it.
struggle of the soul?
Thus, the good fight of the faith is not the struggle to come to faith, but the struggle to hold fast to what God has spoken. Much of what is termed a “struggle of the soul” is wrongly viewed as a fight of the faith. Consider such anguished questions as: Did Christ truly die for me? Is He my Lord? Or is He truly my Savior?
Christ died for the sins of the whole world (1 Tim. 2:6; 1 John 2:2) and is the Savior of the world and of all people (John 4:42; 1 Tim. 4:10). Faith says “amen” to what God has spoken. Whoever doubts this is not waging the fight of the faith, but is giving expression to unbelief.
Standing firm
A believer encounters those who contradict (Titus 1:9), deception and human tradition (Colossians 2:8), and all kinds of winds of doctrine (Ephesians 4:14). The good fight of faith lies in not letting these things divert you from what God has spoken, but rather holding fast to His word and continuing to stand firm upon it