Quarantine Epistles 318

Pursue Righteousness.1 Timothy 6:11-12.
But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
 

Dear People Belonging to God, 

As Paul nears the conclusion of this letter, he gives a personal charge, the first half of which we examine here. In this charge, Timothy is addressed as the “man of God.” This distinguishes him from the false teachers and is a clear statement of Paul’s affirmation. 

Flee (v. 11). The love of money and the string of evils that accompany it must not be entertained. Instead, Timothy is to run away from them. But flight alone can leave one still vulnerable, so Timothy is to occupy himself with the pursuit of godly virtues. They say nature abhors a vacuum, so any emptiness is filled with whatever is available. If we only abandon evil, we are likely to be “filled” with it again, hence the need to put something in the void created by the expulsion of sinful practices. Be safe, pursue godliness. 

 Fight (v. 12). Timothy is to “fight the good fight of the faith.” Such a fight involves the preaching of the gospel, the defense of the truth against lies, and living a godly life that is an example to others. In doing so, he will “take hold of the eternal life.” This is not to suggest that Timothy does not have eternal life, since he is already “called” to it, but is a statement of what Timothy’s life should be about. He is to “take hold,” cling to, be preoccupied with, the hope of eternal life about which he made a public confession, witnessed by many. We made a commitment to Christ when we made a confession of faith, we must cling to him to the end. 

Your Loving Pastor Chris.