1 Timóteo 6:12

Fight the good fight of the faith, lay hold on the life eternal, to which you were called, and did confess the good confession in the sight of many witnesses.’

The thought of fighting the good fight of faith has been a theme of the letter. In 1 Timothy 1:18 he was told to war a good warfare, and military terminology has appeared all the way through. It is a central theme of the letter. There is no need therefore to resort to he terminology of the games, although that too has been previously in mind (1 Timothy 4:8-10). Here, however, he is emphasising his opening theme. The battle has to be won, and each must play his part to the full, and life has to be wrested from the midst of death (‘lay hold on eternal life’). For soon will appear the mighty relieving forces of Heaven led by God’s Commander in Chief (1 Timothy 6:14) and the King of Kings Himself (1 Timothy 6:15; compare Revelation 19:16).

Whether it means fighting for ‘the faith’ delivered by the Apostles, or fighting ‘in faith’ in connection with the fact that he has believed in Jesus and has trusted in Him is impossible to determine. Both are in fact necessary, and involved in each other, and it is doubtful if at this stage they were separated, certainly not in Paul’s eyes. However, the fact that earlier he was commanded to ‘hold faith and a good conscience’ (1 Timothy 1:19 compare 1 Timothy 1:5) suggests that the emphasis is more on the latter. He would only fight for the faith delivered by the Apostles if he believed in it himself with all his heart.

‘Lay hold on eternal life.’ We saw in 1 Timothy 4:8 that true godliness had the promise of ‘the life that now is and that which is to come’, so the indication is that he can lay hold of eternal life now (John 5:24; 1 John 5:13) and with full confidence put every effort into ensuring it for the future (1 Timothy 4:10; compare Philippians 3:10-14; Colossians 1:29; Titus 1:2; Titus 3:7), allowing God to do the saving work within him which will guarantee his inheritance (1 Timothy 4:10; 1 Corinthians 1:8-9; Philippians 2:12-13).

‘To which you were called.’ For he had experienced the elective call of God which was the earnest of what was to come (Romans 8:30; John 6:44; Acts 2:39; Romans 1:6; Romans 8:28; Romans 9:11; 1 Corinthians 1:9; etc).

‘And did confess the good confession in the sight of many witnesses.’ This probably has in mind his testimony at his public baptism, by which he proclaimed that he was dying with Christ and rising again with Him, to walk in newness of life (Romans 6:3), thereby renouncing all rights on his own life (Galatians 2:20).