But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. (12) Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. (13) I urge you in the sight of God who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus who witnessed the good confession before Pontius Pilate, (14) that you keep this commandment without spot, blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ’s appearing (15) which He will manifest in His own time. He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of Kings and Lord of lords, (16) who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen.

1 Timothy was written by the apostle Paul as a pastoral letter. Paul was Timothy’s primary mentor and probably the one who led him to personal faith in Christ. Timothy travelled extensively with Paul and at times served as his representive to the Christian churches Paul founded. . This letter was sent to him at Ephesus where he brought doctrinal and organizational stability and proceeded in the loving firm direction Paul would have given. It was intended to be read aloud to the Ephesians so it would serve as Paul’s written authorization for Timothy.

Paul writes of worldly corruption of riches and love of pleasure which would bring no true contentment. Paul emphasizes the excellence of godly contentment which is profitable to all things. Paul sought to arm Timothy against love of this world; it is not enough to flee love of this world, Christians must do what is contrary – to fight the good fight of faith – let no one take your crown from you. We enter this world with nothing and leave with nothing. Those who fall into the temptations of the world are in danger of destruction and perdition. The first of today’s verses advise men of God to flee these traps and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience and meekness. The point here is not just to warn of the danger and eternal consequences of failure but to urge Timothy and Christians to rise above struggles for things perishable and useless but – reverting again to the metaphor of the Olympic Games – to lay hold of the REAL prize of eternal life. Paul writes further that Jesus Christ had already borne witness to the fact that He was Messiah. His was the model and bold confession (witness) of truth with a sentence of death before His eyes. Timothy was commanded to follow Christ without flaw; blameless, unrebukable. Timothy should live the life he preached.

The New Testament – and the Old – presents men and women of God with such reverence we forget they were but men exposed to temptation like us. We lose somewhat the reality of the apostolic story when in the saint we forget the man/woman. We are the audience of 1 Timothy. The more things change the more they stay the same.