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1Ti_6:12. Ἀγωνίζου τὸν καλὸν ἀγῶνα τῆς πίστεως ] Here, as in 1Ti_1:18 ( τὴν καλὴν στρατείαν ), we must not overlook the definite article. The struggle to which Timothy is summoned is the struggle (comp. 1Co_9:25) of the faith appointed to Christians; on this comp. 2Ti_4:7
ἐπιλαβοῦ τῆς αἰωνίου ζωῆς ] ἐπιλαμβάνειν (comp. 1Co_9:24 and Php_3:12, where the apostle uses the expressions λαμβάνειν and καταλαμβάνειν ) denotes the actual grasping, αἰώνιος ζωή being regarded as the βραβεῖον ; not, however, according to Winer’s remark (p. 293 [E. T. p. 392]), “as result of the struggle, but as object of the striving.” It is not improbable that Paul is here speaking figuratively. It is different, however, with the next words: εἰς ἣν ἐκλήθης , by which eternal life is pointed out as the goal of Timothy’s vocation; comp. 1Pe_5:10.
καὶ ὡμολόγησας τὴν καλὴν ὁμολογίαν ] Heinrichs incorrectly takes καί for καὶ γάρ : “for thou hast also.” Commonly this clause is made to depend still on εἰς ἥν (Leo: εἰς ἥν pertinet non solum ad ἐκλήθης , sed etiam ad ὡμολόγησας ). De Wette, on the contrary (Wiesinger and van Oosterzee agree with him), rightly regards it as simply co-ordinate with εἰς ἣν ἐκλήθης . So, too, Hofmann: “the relative clause, as is not seldom the case in Greek, passes into a clause independent of the relative.” Still the two clauses must be taken as standing in close connection; Timothy’s καλὴ ὁμολογία is the answer which he gave to the κλῆσις proclaimed to him (so, too, Hofmann).
τὴν καλὴν ὁμολογίαν ] In this phrase, too, expositors have not observed the definite article. Paul does not say that Timothy confessed a confession good “in its contents and in the enthusiasm of its utterance,” de Wette; but that he confessed the good confession, i.e. the definite confession of Christ to which the disciples of the Lord are appointed. Hence it is quite wrong to think of ὁμολογία as a vow or the like; that contradicts the constant usage of the N. T.; comp. 2Co_9:13; Heb_3:1; Heb_3:4; Heb_3:14; Heb_10:23.
Paul is clearly referring here to a definite fact in Timothy’s life, but what it was he does not say. Chrysostom says: ἀναμιμνήσκει τῆς κατηχήσεως αὐτόν , and thinks therefore of the confession of Timothy at his baptism. Others, on account of 1Ti_6:13, understand it of a confession which Timothy had confessed during a persecution. According to most, Paul is here thinking of the same act as that to which 1Ti_4:14 refers. Since in this whole section, 1Ti_6:11-16, there is nothing to direct the attention to Timothy’s official position, and since the ὁμολογία is closely joined with the ἐκλήθης , the view first given is to be considered the right one (Hofmann).