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Verse Takeaways
1
An Athlete's Final Report
Commentators overwhelmingly agree that Paul uses metaphors from Greek athletic games. He pictures his Christian life as an intense contest ('fought the good fight'), a long-distance race ('finished the course'), and a commitment to fair play ('kept the faith,' which some scholars interpret as 'kept the rules'). This imagery powerfully frames the Christian life as a disciplined, focused, and purposeful endeavor toward a final prize.
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Book Overview
2 Timothy
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Commentaries
8
Albert Barnes
On 2 Timothy 4:7
18th Century
Theologian
I have fought a good fight. The Christian life is often represented as a conflict, or warfare. (See the commentary on [Reference 1 Timothy…
AT Robertson
On 2 Timothy 4:7
I have fought the good fight (τον καλον αγωνα ηγωνισμα). Perfect middle indicative of αγωνιζομα, a favourite figure with Paul ([Re…
Charles Ellicott
On 2 Timothy 4:7
19th Century
Bishop
I have fought a good fight.—More accurately, more forcibly rendered, the good fight. St. Paul changes the metaph…
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Charles Spurgeon
On 2 Timothy 4:7–8
19th Century
Preacher
This seems, then, to be a distinguishing mark of a true child of God: he loves the appearing of Christ. Now there are some professors who never thi…
Expositor's Bible Commentary
On 2 Timothy 4:7
There are two ways of interpreting this verse. One is to assume that we have here three figures of speech: the first military, the second athletic,…
John Calvin
On 2 Timothy 4:7
16th Century
Theologian
I have fought the good fight. Because it is customary to form a judgment from the event, Paul’s fight might have been condemned on the gro…
John Gill
On 2 Timothy 4:7
17th Century
Pastor
I have fought a good fight
The fight of faith; the same as in (1 Timothy 6:10) (See Gill on [Referen…
Matthew Henry
On 2 Timothy 4:6–8
17th Century
Minister
The blood of the martyrs, though not a sacrifice of atonement, was still a sacrifice of acknowledgment of the grace of God and his truth.
To…