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“Fight The Good Fight – Part 2”
Fight The Good Fight – Part 2
Wade Webster
Last week, we began contrasting Timothy with the other men mentioned in the context. We saw first that Timothy was different because of what he fled from. This week, we will notice two additional contrasts.
What He Followed After
In addition to fleeing covetousness, Timothy was to follow after other things - righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, and gentleness. These traits are grouped into three pairs of like virtues: righteousness and godliness, faith and love, patience and gentleness. Righteousness and godliness refer to doing what is right in God’s sight. All of God’s commands are righteousness (Psa. 119:172). When we obey God’s commands, we are righteous. John declared, “Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous” (1 John 3:7). When we disobey God’s commands, we are unrighteous. Again, John declared, “All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death” (1 John 5:17). Godliness is also tied to God’s word. In the context, we read, “If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness” (1 Tim. 6:3). The men of gain were not consenting to these words. Timothy was to do so. Consent means to come to something or to draw near to something. The next pair of traits that Timothy was to follow after were faith and love. Earlier in the context, Paul described the brethren as faithful and beloved. We read, “And they that have believing masters, let them not despise them, because they are brethren; but rather do them service, because they are faithful and beloved, partakers of the benefit. These things teach and exhort” (1 Tim. 6:2). The faith and love mentioned in these verses is of the highest form. Both are willing to die (Rev. 2:10; John 15:12-13). Timothy was maintain his faith or love no matter the cost. The final pair of traits that Timothy was to follow were patience and gentleness. Patience has to do with bearing up under burdens (Heb. 6:12; 12:1-2; Lk. 21:19) and gentleness has to do with bringing strength under control as in the case of taming a horse (Gal. 5:23; 6:1). Timothy was to bear up under whatever burdens came his way.
What He Fought For
Finally, Timothy was different in what he was fighting for. Timothy was fighting the good fight of faith. He was trying to lay hold on eternal life. Of course, Timothy had a great model in this. Shortly, before his death, Paul declared, “For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing” (2 Tim. 4:6-8). The other men in the context were fighting over words. They were trying to lay hold on earthly gain. We read, “If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself” (1 Tim. 6:3-5).
