2 Timothy 4:7Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

I leave you, having reached old age. My life has been blameless. I depart with glory, and you will be glorified by my deeds. The king shows me great favor.

It is as though he says: I have set up trophies and conquered enemies. He does not say this from vainglory, no, but to encourage his son.

By such praises he teaches him to bear everything that happens easily, to have good hope, and not to regard the coming separation as burdensome.

Separation is burdensome, truly burdensome. Listen to how he himself speaks elsewhere: "But we, brethren, having been taken away from you for a short time in face, not in heart" (1 Thess 2:17).

If he himself grieved when separated from his disciples, how much must Timothy have grieved? If Timothy wept when parting from a living teacher, as is clear from the words, "remembering your tears, that I may be filled with joy" (2 Tim 1:4), how much more at his death?

Thus Paul wrote this for Timothy's consolation. The whole Epistle is filled with consolation and is a kind of testament.

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race," so that he says, "the good fight." Take it upon yourself as well. Chains, prisons, death, is this the good fight?

Yes, he says, because it is done for Christ and brings great crowns. "The good fight": there is nothing better than this struggle. This crown has no end. It is not made of laurel leaves.

Here no man is the director of the contests, and men are not the spectators. Angels fill this spectacle.

There, in ordinary spectacles, men labor and grow weary for many days, but receive the crown in one moment, and the pleasure at once passes away. Here it is not so. They remain forever in splendor, glory, and honor.

Therefore one ought to rejoice. I go to rest. I leave the place of struggles. You have heard from me that it is better "to depart and be with Christ" (Phil 1:23).

"I have finished the race." One must both struggle and go forward. One struggles by enduring sorrows, and goes forward not simply, but toward something useful.

The truly good struggle is the one that does not merely delight the spectator, but brings benefit. The true race is not the one that aims at nothing, or merely displays strength and ambition, but the one that draws all to heaven.

Such a race is brighter than the sun. Paul completed it on earth, or by it he hastened toward heaven.

How did he finish this race? He went around the whole world, beginning from Galilee and Arabia and reaching the ends of the earth. "Thus," he says, "from Jerusalem and round about as far as Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ" (Rom 15:19).

He ran through the whole world like a bird, or rather, more strongly than a bird. A bird would simply fly through. He did not simply pass through, but had the wings of the Spirit.

He cut through thousands of obstacles, deaths, snares, and calamities. Thus he was swifter than a bird. If he had been merely a bird, he would have grown weary and been caught.

But being winged by the Spirit, he flew over all the nets as though he had wings of fire.

"I have kept the faith," he says. Many things tried to take it from him. These were not only close relations with men, but threats, mortal dangers, and many other things. Yet he stood firm against everything.

How? By being sober and watchful.

"I have fought the good fight," therefore take it upon yourself also. Then, Paul, where there are bonds and chains, is there a good fight? Yes, precisely because it is accomplished for Christ.

In ordinary spectacles men contend for many days and receive a crown for one moment. Here, however, glory remains forever for those who have struggled. Therefore the fight is good, that is, pleasing and glorious.

"I have finished the course." The Apostle completed the work of preaching the Gospel from Jerusalem and round about as far as Illyricum. Thus he passed through, overcoming countless obstacles, deaths, punishments, and calamities, as though he had wings of fire.

"I have kept the faith." Many things attempted to take faith from him: threats, mortal dangers, and the temptation of pleasures. Yet he withstood everything, being watchful and observing the thief of faith who crept near.

Now let us consider each point separately. "I," says the Apostle, "have fought the good fight." I ask: by what power did he fight? By the power he had from himself, or by the power given from above?

Surely so great a Teacher could not have been ignorant of the law of God, which says in Deuteronomy: "Let no one say in his heart, 'My power and the might of my hand have gained me this great strength.' But remember the Lord your God, for He gives you strength to gain power" (Deut 8:17-18).

What benefit is there in a good fight if victory does not follow it? And who gives victory, if not He of Whom the Apostle himself says: "Thanks be to God, Who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Cor 15:57)?

He says the same elsewhere when he recalls the testimony from the psalm: "For Your sake we are killed all the day long. We are counted as sheep for the slaughter" (Ps 43:23). He immediately continues: "Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him Who loved us" (Rom 8:36-37).

Thus it is not by our own power, but by the power of Him Who loved us.

Then the Apostle says: "I have finished the race." Yet this is said by the one who elsewhere said: "So then it depends not on him who wills, nor on him who runs, but on God Who shows mercy" (Rom 9:16).

This saying can in no way be reversed, as though one could say: "It does not depend on God Who shows mercy, but on the man who wills and runs." Whoever dares to say this plainly shows that he contradicts the Apostle.

Finally, the Apostle says: "I have kept the faith." Yet the one who says this also said elsewhere: "I obtained mercy from the Lord, that I might be faithful" (1 Cor 7:25).

He does not say, "I obtained mercy because I became faithful," but, "that I might be faithful." Thus he shows that even faith itself cannot be possessed except from God Who shows mercy, since it too is a gift of God.

He teaches this with complete clarity when he says: "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, but is the gift of God" (Eph 2:8).

They might have said, "We received grace because we believed," as though attributing faith to themselves and grace to God. Therefore, after saying, "through faith," the Apostle adds, "and this is not from yourselves, but is the gift of God."

Then, lest they say that they were counted worthy of such a gift because of their works, he immediately continues: "Not of works, lest anyone should boast" (Eph 2:9).

He says this not because he denies good works. He himself teaches that God will repay each according to his works (Rom 2:6). Rather, works flow from faith, and faith does not flow from works.

Thus we have works of righteousness from the same One from Whom we have faith itself. Of this faith it is said: "The righteous shall live by faith" (Hab 2:4; Rom 1:17; Heb 10:38).

"Now there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on that day. And not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing."

Timothy also was righteous, his disciple and follower, whom the Apostle teaches what he must do and what pattern of virtues he must hold. But do we think that both had the same righteousness, and that the one who labored more than all had no greater merits?

Do you see that he did not say, "I am resting," but, "I am being offered as a sacrifice"? By such words and deeds he shows all that until the very release from the body and death, we must offer repentance to Christ the heavenly King.

By course, also understand the ladder of all virtues, upon which he ascended, and also the circle of his temporal life.

He kept faith in Christ because, although he was persecuted and suffered calamities for it, and although he daily endured deadly afflictions for it, he did not deny it. He kept it before kings and tyrants, amid so many terrors and sufferings.

"I have finished the course." Looking upon his labors and struggles of patience, with which his whole life was filled from his calling to apostolic ministry until his final imprisonment, and foreseeing his approaching end, the Apostle says in joyful hope: I have finished the course.

It is as though he said: I labored and struggled without ceasing, always striving toward one goal, to remain faithful to my calling until the end of life, and to remain faithful in service to the Lord and Savior. Now I have attained this.

"I have kept the faith." I struggled before God and for the glory of His name. I always cared to proclaim and fulfill the will of God. I never turned aside from the path of God's commandments.

God was the beginning and end of all my desires and actions.

He left an example of how they must be overcome. Thus he wished to stir up zeal in his disciples, both to guard the teaching inviolate and to fight the good fight. Through this they too would become worthy of crowns from God" (Ambrosiaster).

Saint Chrysostom says on this passage: "Often, when I took the Apostle's Epistle in hand and considered this place, I was perplexed. Why does Paul so exalt himself: I have fought the good fight? But now, it seems, by the grace of God, I have understood it.

Why does he speak so? He wishes to console his grieving disciple and commands him to be of good courage. He is departing to the crown, as one who has accomplished all things and reached a good end. One ought to rejoice, he says, and not grieve.

Why? I have fought the good fight. He speaks like a father consoling his son, who sits beside him and laments his orphanhood. The father would say: Do not weep, my son. I have lived well. I leave you, having reached old age.

My life has been blameless. I depart with glory, and you will be glorified by my deeds. The king shows me his favor.

It is as though he says: I have set up trophies and conquered enemies. He does not say this from vainglory, no, but to encourage his son.

By such praises he teaches him to bear everything that happens easily, to have good hope, and not to regard the coming separation as burdensome.

Thus Paul wrote this for Timothy's consolation. The whole Epistle is filled with consolation and is a kind of testament."

"I have fought the good fight." "Having taken the field against the whole army of the devil, I have set up a monument of victory" (Blessed Theodoret).

This is the struggle of the apostolate. He had to undertake the labors of preaching journeys. When he stopped in a place, he had to open freedom for the word.

Once he began preaching, he had to overcome every obstacle to its success in souls. These obstacles were former beliefs and prejudices. They were also external, in the active opposition of those zealous for the old ways.

When he had gained disciples, he had to guard, teach, and establish them. When persecutions arose because of this, he had to stand firmly for God's work. He could not waver in the least or yield one iota from the truth.

All this is the apostolic struggle, and Saint Paul had not a moment free from it. There were great consolations, but they flowed from beneath the struggles.

The Apostle reminded Saint Timothy of all this, as if saying: "Take it upon yourself as well. Chains, prisons, death, is this the good fight? Yes, he says, because it is done for Christ and brings great crowns.

There is nothing better than this struggle. This crown has no end. It is not made of laurel leaves. Here no man is the director of the contests, and men are not the spectators. Angels fill this spectacle.

There, in ordinary spectacles, men labor and grow weary for many days, but receive the crown in one moment, and the pleasure at once passes away. Here it is not so. They remain forever in splendor, glory, and honor.

Therefore one ought to rejoice. I go to rest. I leave the place of struggles. You have heard from me that it is better to depart and be with Christ (Phil 1:23)" (Saint Chrysostom).

"I have finished the race," δρομον. He means: I have completed the course appointed for me in apostolic activity, and I completed it as appointed.

I did not deviate from the program drawn from above. In fulfilling it, the Spirit of God guided me, showing me where and when to go, and where not to go.

I did not disappoint the expectation of Him Who gave me both the commission and the strength to fulfill it. "Having crossed the greater part of land and sea, he enlightened those held by the darkness of ignorance" (Blessed Theodoret).

Saint Chrysostom says: "I have finished the race. One must both struggle and go forward. One struggles by enduring sorrows, and goes forward not simply, but toward something useful.

The truly good struggle is the one that does not merely delight the spectator, but brings benefit. The true race is not the one that aims at nothing, or merely displays strength and ambition, but the one that draws all to heaven.

Such a race is brighter than the sun. Such was the race that Paul completed on earth, or by which he hastened toward heaven.

How did he finish this race? He went around the whole world, beginning from Galilee and Arabia and reaching the ends of the earth. As he says: from Jerusalem and round about as far as Illyricum, to fulfill the gospel of Christ (Rom 15:19).

He ran through the whole world like a bird, or rather, more strongly than a bird. A bird would simply fly through. He did not simply pass through, but had the wings of the Spirit.

He cut through thousands of obstacles, deaths, snares, and calamities. Thus he was swifter than a bird. If he had been merely a bird, he would have grown weary and been caught.

But being winged by the Spirit, he flew over all the nets as though he had wings of fire."

"I have kept the faith." Since this is said, one might think that Saint Paul's faith was subject to doubt or danger. It is more accurate to understand it in this sense.

During his life after his conversion, the Apostle endured many inward and outward trials. By these faith could have been shaken, and by them faith is ordinarily shaken in men. Yet nothing shook it in me.

It remained unchanged the whole time, just as it began. From the manner of Saint Paul's conversion, nothing else could be expected.

What more tangible assurance of the truth of the Gospel could there be than the appearance of the Lord, His conversation with Saint Paul, and afterward His many visible appearances and helps to him?

"There were many things that tried to take this faith from him. These were not only friendly relations with men, but threats, mortal dangers, and countless other things. Yet he stood firm against everything.

How? By being soberly attentive and watchful" (Saint Chrysostom), "and by keeping watch for the thief of faith who creeps near" (Blessed Theophylact).

Therefore "no one could snatch it from me, neither people, nor governor, nor king, nor tyrant, nor the devil himself" (Blessed Theodoret).