The Journal of Biblical Accuracy

Download for free the PDF version of the study, optimized for your e-book reader / table / desktop / smartphone PDF version

The race of faith: the example of Paul

That faith is rather a race to be run and a fight to be fought, is obvious from what Paul said and instructed. As he said to Timothy:

1 Timothy 6:11-12
"But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses."

From this instruction, two things become apparent:

1. Faith IS indeed a fight. "Fight the good fight of the faith" says Paul.

2. We were called unto eternal life, but we also have to take hold of it. The Greek word translated as "take hold" here is the word "epilavou" and means "catch, lay hold on, take" (Strong’s dictionary). We have been called to eternal life but this does not mean that we have "caught" it yet. We are running towards it.

But Paul did not only give instructions. First of all he applied these to himself. As he says:

Philippians 3:8-15
"Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith — that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you."

And again in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27
"Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified."

As Paul said concerning himself: "Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. … I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus". And again: "Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own." The picture we get from Paul is not the picture of a Christian who has achieved his aim and is now sitting back. In contrast, the picture we get is that of an athlete running towards his goal, "that by any means possible" he may attain it. It is the picture of a good fighter who does not box as one beating the air, but fights having his eyes on victory, on the prize waiting for him.

Only at the end of his life Paul said the following:

2 Timothy 4:6-8
"For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved His appearing."

Faith is for Paul something that needs keeping. "I have kept the faith" he said. Obviously then faith is not something static, something which once you are in, it is a done deal: you can sit back and reach the end automatically. In contrast faith is for Paul a good fight to be fought and a race to be run. The eternal life is not something we have already caught. It is something we have been called to and we are running to take hold of it, to set our hands on it.

May all of us be able at the end of our life to say what Paul said: "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith". May none of us consider that he received the prize when Paul himself would not think this for himself but only at the end. Let us all run the race of faith as he did and let us imitate him, as he also tells us to do (1 Corinthians 11:1).

Next section: Hebrews 12:22-25: "we shall not escape if we turn away from Him"

 

Author: Anastasios Kioulachoglou