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“I have fought the good fight” — 2 Tim. 4:7a:
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A proper Christian life involves fighting the good fight against Satan and his kingdom of darkness and for the interests of God’s kingdom — Eph. 6:10-19.
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Paul considered the ministry a warfare for Christ, just as the priestly service was considered a military service, a warfare — 2 Tim. 2:3; Num. 4:23, 30, 35.
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“No one serving as a soldier entangles himself with the affairs of this life”; this means that to fight the good fight for God’s interests on earth, we need to clear away all earthly entanglements — 2 Tim. 2:4.
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Paul charged Timothy, his faithful co-worker, to fight against the differing teachings and to fight for God’s economy — 1 Tim. 6:12; 2 Tim. 2:3-4.
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To war the good warfare is to war against the differing teachings and to carry out God’s economy according to the apostle’s ministry concerning the gospel of grace and eternal life for the glory of the blessed God — 1 Tim. 1:18; 6:12.
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Whenever we minister Christ to others, we find ourselves in a battle; hence, we should be soldiers fighting for God’s interests — 2 Tim. 2:3-4.
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To teach and preach God’s New Testament economy concerning Christ and the church is to war the good warfare — 1 Tim. 1:4; Eph. 5:32.
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To fight the good fight of the faith means to fight for God’s New Testament economy; in particular, it is to fight for Christ as the embodiment of God and for the church as the Body of Christ — 1 Tim. 6:12; 1:4; Col. 2:9, 19.
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We fight the good fight of the faith not only objectively but also subjectively by laying hold on the eternal life — 1 Tim. 6:12.
Morning Nourishment
1 Tim. 1:3-4 ...I exhorted you...that you might charge certain ones not to teach different things...rather than God’s economy, which is in faith.18 This charge I commit to you...according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you might war the good warfare.
Eph. 5:32 This mystery is great, but I speak with regard to Christ and the church.
To war the good warfare is to war against the differing teachings of the dissenters and to carry out God’s economy (1 Tim. 1:4) according to the apostle’s ministry concerning the gospel of grace and eternal life for the glory of the blessed God (vv. 11-16).
During Paul’s first imprisonment, the churches were tested. This test showed that decline and degradation had set in. This decline was altogether due to differing teachings, teachings that were different from the ministry. This was the reason Paul charged Timothy to “war the good warfare” [v. 18]. (Life-study of 1 Timothy, pp. 18-19)
Today’s Reading
Throughout the centuries, the degradation and decline of the church has had one source: teachings which differ from the ministry of the apostles. In Acts 2:42 we see that at the beginning of the church life, the believers continued in the teachings of the apostles. These teachings were the ministry. What the apostles taught and preached was nothing other than Christ and the church. They preached a Christ who had been incarnated, crucified, resurrected, and ascended in order that, as resurrection life, He might be imparted into His believers to produce the church. This is the focal point of the teaching of the apostles, and it is crucial for us to see it. No doubt, in the Bible there are teachings concerning many things. However, the focus of the ministry of the apostles was the incarnated, crucified, resurrected, ascended, and glorified Christ to be our Savior, our life, and everything to us so that we may become His Body, the church. This is the vital focus of the New Testament revelation, and this is God’s economy.We need to contact the word and receive God by the Spirit through the word. Then we shall have faith. By coming to the word, we are infused with God, and spontaneously faith operates within us to bring us into an organic union with God. The more we enjoy God’s infusion, the more we become one with Him. However, this vital matter has been lost for centuries. Knowing the importance of this, Paul charged Timothy to fight a good fight, to war a good warfare.
On the one hand, Timothy was to war against the differing teachings of the dissenters. On the other hand, he was to carry out God’s economy according to the apostle’s ministry.
Today we also must be on the alert for differing teachings. Throughout the centuries, the church has been poisoned and corrupted by such teachings. If we are not on guard, differing teachings may also cause damage to the Lord’s recovery. In the past we have seen the damage caused by differing teachings propagated in a subtle, hidden way. This has helped the leading ones in many churches to learn the important lesson of being watchful for differing teachings. We must not allow any differing teachings to come into the Lord’s recovery. The recovery is strictly for the carrying on of the ministry. By this I do not mean my ministry, but the ministry of the apostles, which began with Peter and is still being carried on today. All true apostles teach and preach the same thing, even the one thing—God’s New Testament economy. The focus of our preaching and teaching is Christ and the church. To teach and preach God’s economy concerning Christ and the church is to war a good warfare. (Life-study of 1 Timothy, pp. 19-21)
Further Reading: CWWL, 1963, vol. 3, “A Brief Definition of the Kingdom of the Heavens,” ch. 5; Life-study of Matthew, msg. 24; CWWL, 1972, vol. 2, “The Kingdom,” ch. 49