2 Timothy 4.7-Paul Employs an Athletic Metaphor to Assert His Faithfulness to God
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Wednesday September 30, 2015
Second Timothy: Second Timothy 4:7-Paul Employs an Athletic Metaphor to Assert His Faithfulness to God
Lesson # 95
2 Timothy 4:7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith. (NASB95)
“I have fought the good fight” is composed of the following: (1) articular accusative masculine singular form of the adjective kalos (καλός), “good” (2) accusative masculine singular form of the noun agōn (ἀγών), “fight” (3) first person singular perfect middle indicative form of the verb agōnizomai, “I have fought.”
The verb agōnizomai is used in a figurative sense and means “to compete” in the sense of engaging in an intense struggle to accomplish a victory against strong opposition.
Thus, it contains the idea of a runner competing in the sense of struggling intensely to win a race in the Graeco-Roman games in the face of stiff opposition from other runners competing against him.
The noun agōn means “contest” rather than “fight” since it is used in a figurative sense as a part of an athletic metaphor and is figurative language for the accomplishment of the Father’s will, which is to become like Jesus Christ.
The word is analogous to the square stone pillar that marked the end of the race for a runner in the Graeco-Roman games.
This is indicated by the fact that the square stone pillar in the ancient Graeco-Roman games marked the finish line in these games and accomplishing the Father’s will of growing up to become like Jesus Christ completes the plan of the Father for the believer’s life.
The adjective kalos is modifying the noun agōn, “contest” and means “noble” in the sense of possessing outstanding qualities and great importance and describes something whose importance is superior to all others.
Here it describes the spiritual race to accomplish the will of the Father that Paul was engaged in as superior to foot races in the natural realm since it possesses a superior goal, the will of the Father.
It describes the spiritual race as of the utmost importance in life possessing outstanding qualities because winning this race results in praise and rewards from a superior sovereign king, Jesus Christ and is against superior opponents, Satan and the sin nature.
The word speaks of Paul’s commission as of the utmost importance or the most important thing that he could have done in life and denotes that accomplishing the Father’s will for his life was the most important thing in his life to do.
“I have finished the course” is composed of the following: (1) articular accusative masculine singular form of the noun dromos (δρόμος), “the course” (2) first person singular perfect active indicative form of the verb teleō (τελέω), “I have finished.”
The verb teleō means “to finish” since it pertains to bringing a particular activity to a successful finish and the word’s direct object is the noun dromos which means “course” since it pertains to the course that one follows in a race.
Therefore, these two words are figurative language comparing Paul finishing the Father’s plan for his life to become like Jesus Christ with that of a runner finishing the course of a particular foot race.
“I have kept the faith” is composed of the following: (1) articular accusative feminine singular form of the noun pistis (πίστις), “the faith” (2) first person singular perfect active indicative form of the verb tēreō (τηρέω), “I have kept.”
The verb tēreō means “to conscientiously obeyed” and is used in relation to the articular form of the noun pistis, “the faith,” which is used in an objective sense for the Christian faith referring to the content of what Paul and his fellow apostles taught the churches throughout the Roman Empire.
Therefore, the verb tēreō indicates that Paul “conscientiously” obeyed the Christian faith in the sense that he was careful, thoughtful, heedful, attentive, meticulous in conforming his thoughts and actions in compliance with the Spirit inspired commands and prohibitions found in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Second Timothy 4:7 For my own benefit, I have competed in the contest which is noble. I have finished the course. I have conscientiously obeyed the Christian faith! (My translation)
The apostle Paul makes three assertions in this verse and all three contain an athletic metaphor.
They paint a picture of a runner in the Graeco-Roman games having finished competing in a foot race in accordance with the rules of the foot race.
The first assertion is that Paul for his own benefit competed in the contest which is noble.
The second assertion is figurative language for Paul finishing the Father’s plan for his life to become like Jesus Christ just as a runner finished the course of a particular foot race.
The third assertion continues the athletic metaphor expressed in the first two assertions.
In this assertion he likens himself to a runner competing in a race according to the rules of the race.
So he is comparing his executing the Father’s plan for his life in accordance with the Christian faith with that of a runner who competed in a race according to the rules of the race.
The rules of the Christian race are found in the Christian faith.
Thus, this third assertion conveys idea of Paul adhering conscientiously to the rules of the Christian way of life which are recorded in the Christian faith or that body of doctrine which contains the rules governing the Christian’s way of life on planet earth.
Paul’s echoes the language he employs in Second Timothy 4:7 with regards to himself when addressing Timothy in First Timothy 6:12 since he commands Timothy to continue making it his habit of making every effort to win the race which is noble and to do so by means of faith.
The footrace occupies the largest place in the imagery of the apostle, as it was the contest in which of all the Grecian games aroused the deepest interest and the keenest excitement.
In his addresses reported in Acts, Paul alludes to the foot-race, describing John the Baptist as “fulfilling his course,” and speaking of himself as counting not even life dear unto him that he may finish the course with joy (Acts 20:24).
In his very first epistles he asks the prayers of the Thessalonians that the word of the Lord may run (treche) and be glorified (2 Th. 3:1) and he is anxious “lest by any means he should run or had run in vain” (Ga. 2:2).
In the epistles to the Philippians and the Corinthians his employment of the imagery of the games reaches its highest point (1 Co. 9:24-27; Phlp. 3:12-14).
The Christian way of life is a spiritual marathon and thus requires endurance (Heb. 12:1).
Just as the eye of the runner in the ancient athletic running events had to fix his eye on the square pillar that he must reach so must the believer fix his eyes on Jesus Christ who pioneered the spiritual life during His First Advent.
The runner in the ancient track and field events would be disqualified if he broke the rules of training or the race itself and the same applies to the believer in the church age who does not adhere to the rules of the plan of God.
The believer is disqualified from receiving rewards for the things he has done in his physical body if he failed to produce divine good which is accomplished by consistently being filled with the Spirit and applying Word of God.
The believer must be trained by his pastor-teacher just as the runner in the ancient games was trained (gumnazo) (1 Tim. 4:7; Eph. 4:11-16).
The believer who executes the Father’s will for their life will receive an imperishable crown at the Bema Seat just as the runner in the ancient world received a perishable wreath or crown in the ancient games at the Bema Seat.
Every believer is entered into the spiritual marathon at the moment of conversion and thus has equal privilege and equal opportunity to win and receive rewards at the Bema Seat Evaluation of Christ (Ga. 3:26-28).
The starting line of the spiritual marathon is thus at the moment of conversion and the finish line is the execution of the plan of God.
The apostle Paul in Philippians 3:12-14 employs a track and field metaphor and uses the image of a runner sprinting for the finish line, fixing his eyes upon the stone pillar, which marks the end of the race.
The stone pillar is analogous to Christ, which spurs him on to greater exertion.
He relates that in the same way that the winner of the race in the ancient world received a prize so the winner believer will receive rewards for executing the plan of God.
Planet earth is the stadium where the contest takes place and the angels are those who are viewing the contest (cf. 1 Peter 1:12).
As we noted in Second Timothy 2:5, Paul employs an athletic metaphor in which he makes clear to Timothy that if he was to be rewarded at the Bema Seat by the Lord Jesus Christ, then he must remain faithful in living his life in accordance with Paul’s apostolic teaching which served as a spiritual rule book for Timothy.
Notice with all three of these assertions in Second Timothy 4:7 Paul does not say he won the race.
However, he does assert this in Second Timothy 4:8 by declaring that he will be rewarded by the Lord Jesus Christ for his faithful service at the Bema Seat.
Now, we must not take Paul’s illustration too far since unlike the athlete, the Christian is not competing against their fellow Christians.
So what Paul is saying here in Second Timothy 4:7-8 is that he has accomplished the Father’s will for his life and he will be rewarded for doing so.