Saturday 25 September 2021
- Bible Book:
- 1 Timothy
Fight the good fight of the faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called. (v. 12)
Background
Our passage today cannot be fully understood without verses 3 to 10 which describe what the man of God (Timothy) is to avoid – pointless wrangling and the pursuit of wealth. To avoid such things is not easy; Timothy, and by implication every Christian, is called to a battle. But he has the example of Jesus before Pilate to follow. It should remind those of us who live in a more peaceable and tolerant society how difficult and dangerous it could be (and still is in parts of today’s world) to be a faithful Christian.
It is not clear what the event referred to in verse 12 was. It may have been Timothy’s baptism or his appointment as an overseer in the Church. In either case it was a public event which many witnessed. The passage ends with an acclamation of the greatness of God as ruler of all.
To Ponder:
- In what ways for you is being a faithful Christian a battle?
- How would you reply to someone who said that, in spite of verse 15, in today’s world God is evidently not in charge?