I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.

“But not to dwell upon ancient examples, let us come to the most recent spiritual heroes. Let us take the noble examples furnished in our own generation. Through envy and jealousy the greatest and most righteous pillars [of the church] have been persecuted and put to death. Let us set before our eyes the illustrious apostles... Owing to envy, Paul also obtained the reward of patient endurance, after being seven times thrown into captivity, compelled to flee, and stoned. After preaching both in the east and west, he gained the illustrious reputation due to his faith, having taught righteousness to the whole world, and come to the extreme limit of the west, and suffered martyrdom under the prefects. Thus was he removed from the world, and went into the holy place, having proved himself a striking example of patience.”

“"Turn, O my soul, into your rest: for the Lord has been bountiful to you." The brave contestant applies to himself the consoling words, very much like to Paul, when he says: "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith. For the rest, there is laid up for me a crown of justice." These things the prophet also says to himself: Since you have fulfilled sufficiently the course of this life, turn then to your rest, "for the Lord has been bountiful to you." For, eternal rest lies before those who have struggled through the present life observant of the laws, a rest not given in payment for a debt owed for their works but provided as a grace of the munificent God for those who have hoped in him.”

“And let the bishop give thanks for them, saying as follows: "O Lord, save Thy people, and bless Thine inheritance," which Thou hast purchased with the precious blood of Thy Christ. Feed them under Thy right hand, and cover them under Thy wings, and grant that they may "fight the good fight, and finish their course, and keep the faith" immutably, unblameably, and unreprovably, through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy beloved Son, with whom glory, honour, and worship be to Thee and to the Holy Spirit for ever. Amen.”

“For in a contest there is much labor needed. After the contest victory falls to some, to others disgrace. Is the palm ever given or the crown granted before the course is finished? Paul writes well when he says, "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith; henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day; and not to me only, but to all who love his appearing."”

“"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith." Often, when I have taken the Apostle into my hands, and have considered this passage, I have been at a loss to understand why Paul here speaks so loftily: "I have fought the good fight." But now by the grace of God I seem to have found it out. For what purpose then does he speak thus? He is desirous to console the despondency of his disciple, and therefore bids him be of good cheer, since he was going to his crown, having finished all his work, and obtained a glorious end. Thou oughtest to rejoice, he says, not to grieve. And why? Because, "I have fought the good fight." "A good fight," he says, therefore do thou engage in it. But is that a good fight, where there are imprisonment, chains, and death? Yea, he says for it is fought in the cause of Christ, and great crowns are won in it. "The good fight"! There is no worthier than this contest. This crown is without end. This is not of olive leaves. It has not a human umpire. It has not men for spectators. The theater is crowded with Angels. There men labor many days, and suffer hardships, and for one hour they receive the crown, and immediately all the pleasure passes away. But here far otherwise, it continues for ever in brightness, glory, and honor. "I have finished the course." For it behooves us both to contend and to run; to contend, by enduring afflictions firmly, and to run, not vainly, but to some good end. It is truly a good fight, not only delighting, but benefiting the spectator: and the race does not end in nothing It is not a mere display of strength and of rivalry. It draws all up to heaven. "I have kept the faith," he says. There were many things that would have robbed him of it, not only human friendships, but menaces, and death, and countless other perils: but he stood firm against all. How? by being sober and watchful.”

“There is, of course, the passage where he speaks of immortality after good works, as if he really demands it as his due, for he says: "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall render to me at that day." Do you think, perhaps, that because he said "shall render" he meant that it was his due? But when "he ascended on high and took captivity captive," he did not render but "gave gifts to men." How could the apostle speak presumptuously as of a debt being paid back to him, unless he had first received grace which was not due to him, being justified by which, he fought the good fight?”

“Above, he warned that if he was going astray, he should press on to teach — this for the sake of his hearers and for Timothy himself; here he introduces a third necessity, namely on the part of the Apostle, namely that he was soon to be taken away from the world. And first he foretells that his death is imminent; second he commands that Timothy visit him, there *make haste*. Concerning the first he does two things: first the imminence of his death is designated; second, the security of the one dying, there *the good fight*. Concerning the first he does two things, for first he announces the sufferings he was undergoing; second he foretells the death that was awaited, there *and the time of my*. As to the first he says: *for I am already being poured out*, as if to say: presently I am being poured out. Now the suffering of the saints is called an immolation. Phil. II, 17: *but even if I am sacrificed upon the sacrifice, and I rejoice in the service of your faith*. Ps. CXV, 17: *to you I will sacrifice the victim of praise*, namely by suffering for you. In antiquity, in the sacrifices that were offered from liquids, certain foretastings were made; and these were called libations. Rom. XI, 16: *but if the firstfruit is holy, so is the lump*, etc. And therefore he calls his imminent sufferings libations. And although he had already for a long time undergone them, yet the time of his dissolution is at hand. Now there is a twofold dissolution, namely of the soul from the body. Eccle. ult.: *and let the dust return to its earth, from which it was: and let the spirit return to God who gave it*. Likewise there is the dissolution of the body into dust. Gen. III, 19: *dust you are, and unto dust you shall return*. Then when he says *good*, he shows the security of his death. But it must be known that there is a difference between the death of the just man and of the sinner, because, as is said in Prov. XI, 7, *when the wicked man has died, there will be no further hope*. For because he has hope in these transitory things, therefore he has no hope in the eternal things. But the just man has hope in the eternal things, and not in the earthly. First, therefore, he sets down the merit of his security; second, the security of the reward, there *for the rest*. The merit of this life consists in three things, namely in resisting evils, in advancing in goods, and in using well the gifts of God. The first is called a certain contest; hence here he says *I have fought the good fight*. Now a contest is called good, first, if it is for good things; for instance if it is for the faith and for justice, as was the apostles'. Jude I, 3: *concerning your common salvation I found it necessary to write to you, exhorting you to contend earnestly for the holy faith once delivered*. Ecclus. IV, 33: *strive for justice for your soul, and even unto death contend for justice*. Second, on account of the manner of the contest, namely if it is contended carefully and lawfully. Above II, v. 5: *he will not be crowned, unless he has contended lawfully*. I Cor. IX, 29: *thus I fight, not as one beating the air, but I chastise my body*, etc. Third, on account of the difficulty of the contest. Wisd. X, 12: *and she gave him a hard contest, that he might conquer*. According to what pertains to advancement in goods it is called a course; hence there follows *I have finished the course*. I Cor. IX, 24: *so run, that you may attain*. And the advancement of the saints is called a course, because they run with haste, so as, by improving, to complete it, driven on by the goads of charity. Heb. IV, 11: *let us hasten, therefore, to enter into that rest*. Ps. CXVIII, 32: *I have run the way of your commandments*. But still the contest and the course of death remained: therefore he had not finished the course, nor had he fought. It must be said that just as a man who begins well and intends to finish has the work perfectly, so too the apostle: for he had already begun, and he intended to finish. The good use of the gifts of God is twofold, namely the preserving of the faith, and therefore he says *I have kept the faith*, which he does who uses the gifts of God for the glory of God and the salvation of his neighbors. Matth. XXIV, v. 45: *who, do you think, is the faithful and prudent servant, whom his lord has set over his household?* I Tim. I, 12: *he judged me faithful, putting me into the ministry*. Or: I have kept in myself the virtue of faith. Rom. XIV, 23: *all that is not of faith is sin*. On account of which, Matth. X, 16: *be prudent as serpents*, that is, guard the faith, as the head and foundation of the virtues. Then when he says *for the rest*, the hope of the reward is set down, which first he sets down; second he shows its giver, there *which will render*; third he sets down the sharers of the reward, there *who love*. He says therefore: since I have fought and finished the course, nothing remains except that I be crowned. It is called the crown of justice, which God will render from his justice. But against this: because eternal life is given from grace. Rom. VI, 23: *the grace of God is eternal life*, and cap. VIII, 18: *the sufferings of this time are not worthy to be compared to the future glory*; therefore not from justice. I answer. It must be said that it is grace to you as regards the root of meriting; justice as regards the act, which proceeds from the will. Or: it is the crown of justice, which is given from justice, because it is given to the just according to just works. Is. III, 10: *say to the just, that he shall eat well the fruit of his devisings*, etc. This crown is twofold: one principal, one secondary. The first is the essential reward, which is nothing other than the joy in the truth. Is. XXVIII, 5: *in that day the Lord of hosts shall be a crown of glory, and a garland of exultation to the residue of his people*. God, therefore, is our crown. The second is the crown that is owed to special works, and this is the aureole, and one is owed to the martyrs. Above II, 5: *he will not be crowned, unless he has contended lawfully*. And it is to this that he refers when he says *I have fought the good fight*. Another is owed to virgins. Wisd. IV, 2: *crowned forever she triumphs, winning the reward of undefiled contests*. And it is to this that *I have finished the course* refers. Apoc. XIV, 4: *these follow the Lamb*, etc. The third is that of the doctors. Prov. IV, 9: *he will give to your head increase of graces, and a noble crown shall protect you*. And it is to this that he refers when he says *I have kept the faith*. And he says *laid up*, that is, reserved according to the eternal predestination. Above I, v. 12: *I know whom I have believed, and I am certain that he is able to keep my deposit unto that day*. The giver of this is God, therefore he says *which the Lord will render to me*, namely through his justice, *in that day*. For this is the crown of glory, and this is twofold, namely of the soul; and this is rendered to the saints *in that day*, namely in death. Hence here he says *the time of my dissolution is at hand*. II Cor. V, 1: *if our earthly house of this habitation be dissolved, we have a building from God*. The other is of the body, and this will be rendered *in that day*, namely of judgment. I Cor. XV, 43: *it is sown in dishonor*, etc. The sharers of this are all the saints, hence he says *and not only to me*, namely it is laid up. Apoc. ult., 20: *come, Lord Jesus*. Cant. V, 1: *let my beloved come into his garden, that he may eat the fruit of his apples*. Those who do not love God have nothing by which to love his coming. Amos V, 18: *woe to those who desire the day of the Lord*. Because the crown is owed to charity alone. Jn. XIV, 21: *he who loves me shall be loved by my Father, and I will love him, and I will manifest myself to him*.”

“I have fought a good fight,.... The fight of faith; the same as in Ti1 6:10; see Gill on Ti1 6:10, I have finished my course, or race; the race of life set before him, his course of years; his days were extinct, the grave was ready for him, and he for that; his last sands were dropping, and he was just going the way of all flesh; or else he means the course of his ministry, which he desired to finish with joy, and was now finishing; Act 13:25 he was now got to the end of his line, to Rome, where he was to be a martyr for Christ, Act 23:11 so that he now concluded his work was done, and his warfare accomplished: I have kept the faith; by which he means, not so much the grace of faith, that was kept by Christ, the object, author, and finisher of it, and through his effectual grace and powerful intercession; but rather the profession of faith, which he had held fast without wavering; and chiefly the doctrine of faith, which was committed to his trust, which he had kept pure and incorrupt against all opposition; unless his faithfulness and integrity in the ministerial work should be thought rather to be intended; and which sense is favoured by the Syriac and Ethiopic versions, which render it, "I have kept my faith"; or have been faithful to my trust, as a good steward of the mysteries of God; not concealing and keeping back any thing that was profitable, but declaring the whole counsel of God; and now what remained for him was the crown of righteousness; and this he says for the comfort and encouragement and imitation of Timothy and others. The phrase seems to be Jewish; it is said (y) by the Jews, that he that does not keep the feast of unleavened bread, is as he who does not , "keep the faith of the holy blessed God". (y) Zohar in Exod. fol. 51. 2.”

“I have fought a good fight - Every reader will perceive that the apostle, as was his very frequent custom, alludes to the contests at the Grecian games: Τον αγυνα τον καλον ηγωνισμαι· I have wrestled that good wrestling - I have struggled hard, and have over come, in a most honorable cause. I have finished my course - I have started for the prize, and have come up to the goal, outstripping all my competitors, and have gained this prize also. I have kept the faith - As the laws of these games must be most diligently observed and kept, (for though a man overcome, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully), so I have kept the rules of the spiritual combat and race; and thus, having contended lawfully, and conquered in each exercise, I have a right to expect the prize.”