1 Timothy 1:19

1:19 To do this ¹  you must hold firmly to faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and so have suffered shipwreck in regard to the faith.

1 Timothy 6:12

6:12 Compete well ²  for the faith and lay hold of that eternal life you were called for and made your good confession ³  for ⁴  in the presence of many witnesses.

1 Timothy 6:19

6:19 In this way they will save up ⁵  a treasure for themselves as a firm foundation ⁶  for the future and so lay hold of ⁷  what is truly life.

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¹ tn In Greek this continues the same sentence from v. 18, a participle showing the means by which Timothy will accomplish his task: Grk “fight the good fight, holding firmly…”

² tn This phrase literally means “compete in the good competition of the faith,” using words that may refer to a race or to a boxing or wrestling match: “run the good race” or “fight the good fight.” The similar phrase in 1 Tim 1:18 uses a military picture and is more literally “war the good warfare.”

³ sn At some point in Timothy’s life, he publicly acknowledged Jesus as the resurrected Lord, perhaps either at his baptism or his ordination as a minister of the gospel. With this reminder of the historical moment of his good confession, Timothy is encouraged to remain steadfast in his faith and to finish his life as a minister in the same way it began (see G. W. Knight, Pastoral Epistles [NIGTC], 264-65).

⁴ tn Grk “confessed the good confession.”

⁵ tn Grk “saving up” (the continuation of 6:18). Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started at the beginning of v. 19.

⁶ tn Grk “treasuring up a good foundation.”

⁷ tn Grk “that they may lay hold of.”