Fight the good fight of faith. Lay hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you confessed the good confession in the sight of many witnesses.
"In chaps. 1 and 4 Paul establishes the pattern of criticizing his opponents (1 Timothy 1:3-7; 1 Timothy 4:1-5) and then following with words of encouragement to Timothy (1 Timothy 1:18-20; 1 Timothy 4:6-16), which include reference to Timothy’s spiritual beginnings (1 Timothy 1:18; 1 Timothy 4:14). He repeats this same pattern here." [Note: Mounce, p. 351.] 