2Tim 4:7

“"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.”

“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.”

“For I am of the opinion that no creature can be perfect according to true and consummate justice. Moreover, no one denies that one individual differs from another individual. I know that there are different measures of justice among men, that one individual is greater or lesser than another individual and that individuals who are not just in comparison with other individuals can still be called just according to their own standard and measure. The apostle Paul, the chosen vessel, who labored more abundantly than all of the apostles, was certainly just when he wrote to Timothy: "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, which the Lord, the just judge, will give to me in that day; yet not to me only, but also to those who love his coming." Timothy, who was his disciple and follower, who was guided by him in the way of life that he was to follow and the course he was to pursue in the acquisition of virtues, was also a just man. Are we to suppose for a moment that both of them possessed the one and the same measure of justice? Or that he who labored more abundantly than all of them does not have greater excellence?”

“If anyone should think it out of all reason that a godly man should suffer grievously so that someone else should be put right, let him reflect that this life is a contest and a striving ground for virtue. The victors' chaplets are splendid in exact proportion, therefore, to the pains with which they are won. That is why Paul was allowed to fall into countless afflictions. The purpose was that the crown of victory which he should bear off might be the greater.”

“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?”

“As someone has said, you will scarcely ever find that when a person prays, some empty and external reflection does not impede him, causing the attention which the mind directs on God to be sidetracked and interrupted. So it is a great and most wholesome struggle to concentrate on prayer once begun, and with God's help to show lively resistance to the temptations of the enemy, so that our minds may with unflagging attention strain to be ever fastened on God. Then we can deservedly recite Paul's words: I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.”

“Why does Paul now exalt himself for this? He does not exalt himself, but consoles his disciple, so that he would not grieve for him, because Paul, having attained a good end, departs to receive his crown. Just as a father before death, consoling his son sitting before him and weeping, says to him: do not weep, child, we have lived well, we have raised trophies, the king shows us his favor, and you will be glorified by my deeds. Obviously, the father says this in order that by his praises he might make his son bear more easily the separation from him. So too Paul consoles Timothy here, leaving his epistle as a testament. "I have fought the good fight," therefore you too take it upon yourself. So then, Paul, where there are bonds and chains, there is also a good fight? Yes, for the very reason that it is accomplished for Christ. In ordinary spectacles people compete for many days, and for one moment receive a crown; but here glory belongs to those who have fought forever. Therefore the fight is good, that is, pleasant and glorious. The Apostle accomplished the work of preaching the Gospel from Jerusalem and the surrounding region to Illyricum, traversing this distance while overcoming countless obstacles of death, punishments, and calamities, as if having fiery wings. Much assailed his faith: threats, mortal dangers, the temptation of pleasures; but he withstood everything, being vigilant and watching for the creeping thief of faith.”

“Then when he says, "I have fought a good fight," he shows why he feels secure in the face of death. But it should be noted that the death of a just man is different from that of the sinner, because, as it is said: "when the wicked man is dead, there shall be no hope any more" (Prov 11:7). For since he put his hope in transitory things, he has no confidence in eternal things. But a just man puts his hope in eternal things and not in temporal things. First, therefore, he describes how he merited this security; second, his security concerning the reward: "as to the rest." Merit is obtained in this life by doing three things: first, by resisting evil; second, by making progress in good; third, by using God's gifts well. The first is called a struggle; hence he says, "I have fought a good fight." But a fight is said to be good, first of all, if it is over something good; for example, if it is waged on behalf of faith and justice, as the apostle Jude says: "dearly beloved, I was under a necessity to write to you to beseech you to contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints" (Jude 1:3); "strive for justice for your soul, even unto death fight for justice" (Sir 4:33). Second, a struggle is good if it is conducted well, i.e., if one fights carefully and according to the rules: "he who strives for the mastery is not crowned, except he strive lawfully" (2 Tim 2:5); "I therefore so fight, not as one beating the air; but I chastise my body and bring it into subjection: lest perhaps when I have preached to others, I myself become a castaway" (1 Cor 9:26). Third, it is good when the struggle is difficult: "she gave him strong conflict, that he might overcome" (Wis 10:12). To the extent that there is progress in the good it is called a course; hence he continues, "I have finished my course": "so run that you may obtain" (1 Cor 9:24). And it is called a course or journey to holiness, because they run swiftly in order to end up better, being prodded by the goad of charity: "let us hasten therefore to enter into that rest" (Heb 4:11); "I have run the way of your commandments" (Ps 118:32). But the struggle and the journey towards death continued; therefore, he was not finished struggling or running. I answer that just as a man who begins well and intends to finish has the work complete, so too the Apostle: for he had begun and intended to finish. The good use of God's gifts is twofold, namely, the preservation of faith; hence he says, "I have kept the faith," which he does who uses God's gifts for the glory of God and the salvation of his neighbor: "who, think you, is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord has appointed over his family?" (Matt 24:45). "He counted me faithful, putting me in the ministry" (1 Tim 1:12). Or, "I have kept the virtue of faith in me": "all that is not of faith is sin" (Rom 14:23). Hence Matthew says: "be prudent as serpents" (Matt 10:16), i.e., guard the faith as the tower and foundation of the virtues.”

“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.”

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. fought. Paul said this, not boasting: by no means, but consoling the disciple, as if he were going to receive crowns and rewards for good works, and as if he said: You ought rather to rejoice than mourn, that I achieve such an end. I have fought the good fight. For every struggle on behalf of Christ is good, even if it involves chains, or persecutions, or deaths. If therefore it is good, then you should accept it yourself. I have finished the race. For Paul had run through the world, leading all to the knowledge of God, so that the Gospel had been fulfilled from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum. I have kept the faith. For many wished to seize it from him, false friends, enemies, Greeks, Jews,”