Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, on 1Tim 6:12

“Fight the good fight of faith: lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art called, and hast confessed a good confession before many witnesses.”

“Fight the good fight--BIRKS thinks this Epistle was written from Corinth, where contests in the national games recurred at stated seasons, which will account for the allusion here as in Co1 9:24-26. Contrast "strifes of words" (Ti1 6:4). Compare Ti1 1:18; Ti2 4:7. The "good profession" is connected with the good fight (Psa 60:4). lay hold on eternal life--the crown, or garland, the prize of victory, laid hold of by the winner in the "good fight" (Ti2 4:7-8; Phi 3:12-14). "Fight (literally, 'strive') with such striving earnestness as to lay hold on the prize, eternal life." also--not in the oldest manuscripts. professed a good profession--Greek, "didst confess THE good confession," namely, the Christian confession (as the Greek word is the same in this verse as that for "confession" in Ti1 6:13, probably the profession here is the confession that Christ's kingdom is the kingdom of the truth, Joh 18:36-37), at thy being set apart to thy ministerial function (whether in general, or as overseer at Ephesus): the same occasion as is referred to in Ti1 1:18; Ti1 4:14; Ti2 1:4. before many witnesses--who would testify against thee if thou shouldest fall away [BENGEL].”

Imported from an open dataset — not yet checked against the printed edition.