有人去世時，我們通常都會為他說一些好話。有時，我們還真得絞盡腦汁，才能想得出對方的優點，不過既然是頌詞，就不得不以美言收尾。但如果從死者的觀點來看這些頌詞，他們或許都會因這些讚美感到不安。事實上，很多快要死的人都會說，如果有機會從頭做起，他們將會做出很多與從前有別的事來。

        看到一位年老的使徒回顧過去，並且說：「我成功完成使命，我很高興我的作為，我滿意我的生活。」是件令人愉快的事。那也正是保羅在主要經節中所說的話。

        他使用一個運動的比喻。就像一位拳擊手，他打了「一場美好的仗」，也像一位田徑選手，他已「跑盡了當跑的路」──也許是馬拉松長跑與越野賽跑的綜合！就運動比賽而言，他已「守住他所信的道」，就是「守住要守規則的誓言」。他不但順服這道，還大力傳揚，可見他對信守的道非常執著。在保羅來說，客觀事實的「信仰」要比他自己主觀可見的信仰經驗更為重要。他的心情和環境可能會時有浮沈，但是他的「信心」是決不會動搖的。保羅忠於他的信仰，因為這個信仰也忠於他。誠然，耶穌，這位公義的審判官，已經證明了祂的確就是上帝兒子，萬有之主的身份。

        「仗打過了」就是指受熬煉，包括所有的創傷。「路跑盡了」則意謂奉獻──達到終點，不論得時與不得時。「守住」表示信實，不計任何代價。無可辯駁的，保羅是一個「成熟的」基督徒。他有一個盼望，而且他堅持他的目標。現在，他要將這根「接力賽的棒子」傳遞給年輕的跑將。

        父啊，當我們讀到保羅所說「一場美好的仗」，我們的心裡就燃燒起來，想參加「賽跑」，也想打那「美好的仗」。您的話語使我們甦醒，它再一次呼召我們，要努力我們前面的。奉主耶穌基督聖名，阿們！

English

        When someone dies, we usually manage to say something good about him. Sometimes we really have to stretch to find something positive, but it's a rare eulogy indeed that doesn't end on an upbeat. And, if we were to look at these eulogies from the point of view of the departed, we might see them totally embarrassed by all the plaudits. In fact, many people about to die will say that if they had it to do all over again, they'd do a lot of things differently.

        How refreshing, then, to see an old apostle look back and say, "I did a good job. I'm pleased with my performance. I'm happy with my life." That's essentially what Paul says in the key verse.

        He uses athletic imagery. Like a boxer, he's fought "a good fight". Like a runner, he's "finished the race" — probably a marathon and steeplechase combined! In the context of athletic games, he has "kept the faith" or "kept [his] pledge to keep the rules". He was true to the faith in terms of both obeying it and communicating it. And you can be sure "the faith", as an objective reality, took precedence over his personal experience of faith as a subjective reality. He had his ups and downs, but "the faith" never wavered. Paul was true to the faith, because the faith was true to him. Indeed, Jesus, "the righteous judge", had proven to be all He said He would be.

        "Fighting" meant involvement, with all its cuts and bruises. "Finishing" meant commitment — follow-through, with all its good and bad times. "Keeping" meant faithfulness, with all its cost. In every sense of the word, Paul was a "mature" Christian. He had a hope, and he stuck to his goal. Now he is about to pass the relay baton on to younger men.

        Father, as we read of Paul's "good fight", the desire to "run the race" and "fight the good fight" burns afresh in our own hearts. Your Word has renewed us, and it calls us once again to press on to what lies ahead.