where in the bible does paul say i have finished the course

What does I have finished my course mean in the Bible?

His claim to the crown (2Timothy 4:8) was established. I have finished my course. —Or “race,” for here the image of the stadium, the Olympic race-course, was occupying the Apostle’s thoughts. Again the perfect is used: “I havefinished my course.”

Why did Paul finish so well in the Bible?

A. Reproduction: Paul could finish well because he had reproduced himself in others. In the Greek text, verse 6 begins with the emphatic pronoun “I,” which contrasts with the “you” of verse 5, along with the connective “for.” The flow of thought is this: “Timothy, you preach the Word even in the face of opposition, because I am about to die.

Why did Paul say “I have finished the race”?

So, by declaring “I have finished the race,” Paul is telling Timothy that he had put every effort into the work of proclaiming to all the gospel of salvation. He had completed the course set before him; he had left nothing undone. He was ready to cross the finish line into heaven. In a race, only one runner wins.

What was Paul’s course in Acts 20?

The question is better answered in St. Paul’s own words (Acts 20:24), where he explains “his course,” which he would finish with joy, as the ministry which he had received of the Lord Jesus. I have kept the faith.

Where in the Bible does it say I have finished my course?

2 TIMOTHY 4:7 KJV "I have fought a good fight, I have finished [my] course, I have kept the faith:"

When you stay on course you will end up blessed?

Let's continue to build on the foundation from Psalm 119: When you stay on course you will end up blessed. Walking steadily by faith not by sight you will end up blessed. When you follow God's direction you end up blessed.

What does 2timothy 4 7 mean?

Explanation and Commentary of 2 Timothy 4:7 It is a good endeavor at every stage of life to look back on the previous stage, and prayerfully ask if one has been fighting the good fight and running a good race. Of the things God has called you to, have you kept faithful? Consider all the roles God has assigned you.

What did Paul mean when he said he had fought the good fight?

Paul references the good fight again in 2 Timothy 4:7 where he says, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” Fighting the good fight of the faith is also about perseverance and continuing, even when the road is hard.

How do I stay the course?

Follow these next 6 tips to help you stay the course and achieve your goals.Goal Specificity. ... Make it a Priority. ... Perspective + Purpose. ... Track your Progress. ... Find inspiration, every day. ... Expectation Management.

What is Psalms 119 talking about?

The Psalm contains several dozen prayers and several themes run through it. God's goodness in the midst of affliction and delight in God's law. God is seen sovereignly "inclining ones heart" and the Psalmist "inclines his heart" to the statutes.

Who said I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith?

Bear testimony of the importance of doing the right things every day and staying on course so we can say with Paul, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7).

Have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith?

2 Timothy 4:7 - I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith - Scripture Verse Frame Sign Plaque Faithful.

Why does God fight for us?

God is fighting for us. He did not set us upon this world and leave us here. He wishes for us to come to Him with humble hearts and ask for His help. By doing this we are expressing our faith and our trust.

What does 1timothy 6 12 mean?

Fighting the good fight of faith entails "making a good confession in front of many witnesses" (1 Timothy 6:12). The "many witnesses" include both fellow believers and nonbelievers. Paul reminds Timothy of his divine call and consecration to ministry(1 Timothy 6:13).

Who kept the faith and fought the fight?

Who kept the faith and fought the fight; The glory theirs, the duty ours; They earned the crown, the hero's right, The victor's wreath — a crown of flowers.

What does it mean to keep fighting the good fight?

Definition of fight the good fight : to try very hard to do what is right He has always fought the good fight against oppression.

What does Paul say to finish the course?

To finish the course, you must keep the finish line in view: faithfulness to the gospel of God’s grace. To finish the course, Paul said that he needed “to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God” (20:24). Not everyone is called to be a preacher or missionary, as Paul was.

What does it mean to finish the course of the Bible?

To finish the course, you must sign over your life to Jesus Christ, expecting hardship as you follow Him. Paul did not consider his own life of any account as dear to himself. If following Christ meant hardship, slander, imprisonment, or death, he had settled the issue long ago.

What does it mean to see yourself in ministry?

Seeing yourself in the ministry means that you are available to God 24-7, to use you to help others draw near to God. It may mean serving someone in a practical way by meeting a need.

What does Paul say about being bound in spirit?

Paul tells them that he is “bound in spirit,” on his way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to him there, except that the Holy Spirit solemnly testified to him in every city that bonds and afflictions awaited him (20:22-23).

What does Paul say about the kingdom?

Paul uses the phrase “preaching the kingdom” (20:25) as parallel with “the gospel of the grace of God” (20:24). The kingdom is the realm where Jesus is Lord and King. Our lives and words must bear witness to the lordship of Jesus if we want to hear “well done” when we cross the finish line.

What does the Bible say about the whole purpose of God?

5. To finish the course , you must feed on and proclaim the whole purpose of God. Paul told these men, “For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God” (20:27). That phrase implies that Paul was balanced in teaching the full breadth of God’s Word. Heresy is often truth out of balance.

Did Paul want that to happen to us?

None of us want that to happen to us. Paul did not want that to happen to the elders in Ephesus. He wanted them, just as we want for ourselves, to sprint across the finish line, not to drop out of the race. He is sharing from his own life the secrets of a ministry that runs strong until the end of life.

What does Paul say in Acts?

In the book of Acts, Paul says these powerful words: “I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task ...

What is Paul's exhortation to believers?

Paul’s exhortation is that believers should be as focused and dedicated as those ancient runners in the games. Our motivation in serving Christ is much higher; we “run” not for a temporary crown, but for an eternal one.

How long did the Corinthians spend in physical training?

Competitors would spend up to ten months in arduous physical training. Because the Corinthians were very familiar with these events, Paul used the games as an analogy for a believer’s life of faithfulness.

Who said "I have finished the race"?

“I have finished the race” is the second clause of three within a passage written by the apostle Paul to Timothy: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” ( 2 Timothy 4:7 ). The apostle wrote these words near the end of his life. These three statements reflect Paul’s struggles in preaching the gospel of Christ and his victory over those struggles.

Who said "let us run with endurance the race that is set before us"?

The writer of Hebrews echoes the words of Paul: “Lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith” ( Hebrews 12:1-2 ).

What does the Bible say about finishing the race?

We’ve finished the first lap—fighting good fights—so let’s turn, now, to the second part of Paul’s declaration—“I have finished my course.” Some Bible translations render this “I have finished the race.”27

What does the Bible mean 2,000 years later?

Its meaning and application to our lives, 2,000 years later, is a remarkable manifestation of the power of the scriptures and how we can apply them in our lives. I hope, with the assistance of the Holy Spirit, to help us all understand a little bit better what Paul was trying to tell Timothy—and us.

What did Winston Churchill say in his speeches?

Winston Churchill gave three remarkable speeches to convince his country that this was a fight worth fighting for. Certain phrases from these speeches have become quite famous: “I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat. ….

Was Paul a Jew?

Though most of the Savior's apostles were simple “men of Galilee,”6 Paul was born in Tarsus, a large trading town renowned for its university. He was a Roman citizen as well as a Jew7, which gave him a higher social standing than most Hebrews.

What does "course" mean in Greek?

It has come to mean with us a quiet sequence or a succession of actions which, taken together, complete a career; but in its original force the English word ‘course,’ and still more the Greek, of which it is a translation, contain a great deal more than that.

What does Barnes say about the Bible?

Barnes' Notes on the Bible. I have fought a good fight - The Christian life is often represented as a conflict, or warfare; see the notes on 1 Timothy 6:12. That noble conflict with sin, the world, the flesh, and the devil, Paul now says he had been able to maintain.

What does Matthew Henry say about the blood of the martyrs?

4:6-8 The blood of the martyrs, though not a sacrifice of atonement, yet was a sacrifice of acknowledgment to the grace of God and his truth. Death to a good man, is his release from the imprisonment of this world, and his departure to the enjoyments of another world.

Why did Paul finish well?

B. Sacrifice: Paul could finish well because he viewed his life as an offering to God. Paul did not view his execution as a cruel tragedy or as unfair treatment in view of his many years of dedicated service. Rather, he saw it as the culminating offering of a sacrificial life.

How to finish well in the Bible?

To finish well, keep in focus Paul’s view of the present, the past, and the future. 1. To finish well, keep in focus Paul’s view of the present (4:6). Three key words here will help us finish well: reproduction, sacrifice, and departure.

What does the Bible say about the crown of righteousness?

In favor of the view that the crown of righteousness is given to all believers is that the phrase, “all who have loved His appearing,” seems to be a description of all believers. In this sense, it would be parallel to the crown of life that is given to all who love Christ ( James 1:12 ).

What does the Bible say about death?

“The time of my departure has come” (4:6). In the Bible, death is never cessation of existence, but rather, a separation of the soul from the body. It is departure. The Greek word that Paul used was a vivid one. It was used to describe the unyoking of an animal from a plow or cart. Death means the end of our labors and toils in this life. It was also used for loosening the bonds of a prisoner. Death is a release from the bonds of this corruptible body. It was also used for loosening the ropes of a soldier’s tent. This suggests that at death, the battle is over, victory is won, and we are headed home. The word was also used for loosening the mooring ropes of a ship. At death our earthly ship leaves the shores of this stormy earth and puts in at the always-calm port of heaven. (These examples are in William Barclay, The Letters to Timothy, Titus, and Philemon [Westminster Press], revised edition, p. 209.)

Why won't you be condemned on judgment day?

The reason that you will not be condemned on judgment day is not because you have earned it by being a good person. Rather, it is that by His death on the cross, Jesus Christ satisfied God’s perfect righteousness. When you trusted in Him, God imputed Christ’s righteousness to your account ( Rom. 3:21-26 ).

What does Paul mean by "that day"?

Perhaps Paul’s meaning here is simply that even though his earthly judge (the evil Nero) had wrongly condemned him, he knew that the righteous Judge would vindicate him when he stood before Him. This is the third time that Paul has used “that day” in this letter (1:12, 18).

How did Paul view his death?

That was how Paul viewed his own death. His whole life had been a living sacrifice presented unto God. Now, his death would be the drink offering poured on top of that ( Phil. 2:17 ). This means that to finish well, you need to view all of your life as an act of sacrificial worship to God.

When you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites?

“And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.

What does the Bible say about standing firm in one spirit?

Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel,

What does the Bible say about the wicked?

He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; ...

Where did Moses go in the Bible?

Then Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which is opposite Jericho. And the Lord showed him all the land, Gilead as far as Dan, all Naphtali, the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the western sea, the Negeb, and the Plain, that is, the Valley of Jericho the city of palm trees, as far as Zoar. And the Lord said to him, “This is the land of which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, ‘I will give it to your offspring.’ I have let you see it with your eyes, but you shall not go over there.” So Moses the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the Lord, ...

Where did the Lord show Gilead?

And the Lord showed him all the land, Gilead as far as Dan, all Naphtali, the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the western sea, the Negeb, and the Plain, that is, the Valley of Jericho the city of palm trees, as far as Zoar.

Who are blessed in the Bible?

Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord! Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart, who also do no wrong, but walk in his ways! You have commanded your precepts to be kept diligently. Oh that my ways may be steadfast in keeping your statutes! ...

Who is seated at the right hand of the throne of God?

Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.