I have combated the good combat, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
Paul writes these words with his own death in view, and he sums up his whole life in three short claims. Commentators ask two things about it. What was he claiming, and could anyone else say the same?
Three pictures of one life
The verse holds three images side by side, each drawn from a different arena.
Paul speaks of his past life in three ways. As a Christian soldier, he has "fought the good fight." As a runner, he has "finished his course." As a witness for God in this world, he has "kept the faith."
Not a boast about his own fighting
The wording matters. Paul does not say a good fight, as though he were rating his own performance.
As he faces death there is no hint of disappointment or regret, but fresh, living joy. He had "fought the good fight," not "a good fight." He was not drawing attention to his own fighting. He meant the fight that all Christianity fights, against evil and for the glory of God. His part in it was about to end. He had finished the course, he had kept the faith. He is not saying how well he had fought, or how well he had run, or how well he had kept the faith. God would judge those things. But there was no other good fight, no other proper course, no other true faith except Christianity. In this he had continued to the finish.
Another writer makes the same distinction from the side of the conflict itself: Paul knew the fight was a good one, and "only speaks of the character of the conflict, and not of the manner in which he had carried it on." That the words could be written at all is treated as a mercy — "precious grace of God to His devoted servant, to permit him to write such words with the unerring pen of inspiration."
A course finished, not just ended
Paul had longed for this end long before. Now the word "finished" is his to say.
No end is more triumphant than this. He had held that hope dear before, when he said, "I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus." Now he was getting that wish… so there was a charm, with the last contest over, in saying, "I have finished." He knew he had left nothing undone, or half-done, in all his wide service.
What it cost to keep the faith
Paul kept the faith by losing everything else.
The effort of the enemy is to rob us of the precious faith. Whatever we may lose in the battle is not really loss if we keep the faith. Paul lost everything in defence of the faith. He lost his property, reputation, religion, liberty and life. But he kept the faith… It is a great thing to say, when the battle is over, "I have kept the faith."
Paul had already listed many who did not keep it. That list runs through both of his letters to Timothy.
In these two letters he has spoken of people who failed over the faith. Some have "made shipwreck of their faith" (1 Timothy 1:19). Some "depart from the faith" (1 Timothy 4:1). Some have "denied the faith" (1 Timothy 5:8). Some have "wandered away from the faith" (1 Timothy 6:10). Some have "swerved from the faith" (1 Timothy 6:21). Others are "upsetting the faith of some" (2 Timothy 2:18). Others are "disqualified regarding the faith" (2 Timothy 3:8). But he had kept the truth God gave him. So he could say, "I have kept the faith." The devil wants us, dear friends, to give up what God has given us.
Why he waited until the end
Every claim here is in the past tense. Paul says it only at the end.
Paul was leaving the battlefield. He was putting off his armour. He had given a good account of himself, not in his own power, but in the power of God… He does not boast until the battle is over. The time to boast is not when the armour is being put on, but when it is being put off. Peter boasted too early, and so did all the disciples. Failure taught them how foolish that was.
Where the reader stands
Paul was speaking from the finish line. The reader is not.
The Apostle could say that he had fought a good fight, that he had finished his course and had kept the faith. He was at the finish, we are in the middle of the fight. Do we sleep on beds of ease? Are we taking our place in the fight of faith?
Another writer turns it into a question for every reader:
This should wake us up to ask if each one of us is finishing his course according to the Lord's mind.
Summary
- The fight — Paul names the fight all Christianity fights, not the quality of his own fighting. God alone judges how well he fought.
- The course — "Finished" means Paul left nothing undone or half-done. The end he had longed for was the end he got.
- The faith — He lost property, reputation, liberty and life. Nothing lost in the battle is real loss as long as you keep the faith.
- The timing — He boasts only as the armour comes off. Peter boasted too early, and failure taught him the folly of it.
- The turn — Paul stands at the finish; we stand in the middle. The question is whether we are finishing our course according to the Lord's mind.