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There is a final aspect of doctrine or "the truth" that bears discussing before moving on to other topics in 1Timothy. It is the need to "fight" for the faith when it is threatened. Twice in his first letter to Timothy Paul urges his young assistant to "fight the good fight [of the faith]" (1 Timothy 1:18; 6:12).
The idea of entering into dispute over particular truths or doctrines has fallen out of favour in our day. It might be questioned whether it has ever really been in "favour" in the history of the church, but it can be said that there have been times when it has been more readily and earnestly engaged in than it is today. Contending about doctrine is inconsistent with the mindset of our postmodern and politically correct world. Its call is for tolerance, acceptance and appreciation, not for militant defence of definite truth.
The apostle Paul, however, had a very different view of things. He believed that the apostolic faith was something definite that could be defined and stated clearly. What is more, he considered it a holy trust to be guarded at all costs (2 Timothy 1:14). Consequently, he tells Timothy to "fight" for it - to engage in a battle to preserve the gospel against error.
John Stott has some interesting comments to make on this demand. First, he highlights how fitting it is to speak of this task as a fight. "Certainly," he says, "to defend the revealed truth of God against those who deny or distort it, and to 'demolish strongholds' of error, is to engage in a dangerous and difficult fight, which demands spiritual weapons, especially 'the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God'" (p. 57). His point is well made. The task is not a casual one that may be engaged in at leisure and with minimal cost. It is desperate, difficult, and potentially bloody.
Following on from that, he notes that most people naturally shrink from involvement in this conflict. "Nobody enjoys a fight," he says, "unless of course the person concerned is pugnacious by temperament. Fighting is an unpleasant business - undignified, bloody, painful and dangerous. So is controversy, that is, fighting for truth and goodness. It should be distasteful for all sensitive spirits. There is something sick about those who relish it" (p. 156).
Again, this is eminently true. The Christian spirit is not pugnacious but gentle, compassionate, kind and loving (Galatians 5:22-23; Colossians 3:12-13). Yet these qualities are not at all inconsistent with red-hot zeal for truth and for the glory of God. Whenever the honour of God is threatened a Christian should be quick to take their stand and fulfil their duty. To retreat from the battlefield and make issues of faith a matter of private conviction is out of step with what Paul commands Timothy to do here.
That leads to the third of Stott's statements. As unpleasant as the idea of warfare might be, there is a "good fight" that Christians must enlist in. This is specifically the fight to defend the apostolic faith. For, Stott says, "truth is precious, even sacred. Being truth from God, we cannot neglect it without affronting him. It is also essential for the health and growth of the church. So whenever truth is imperilled by false teachers, to defend it is a painful necessity" (p. 156).
This is a word in season for Christian leaders today. Attacks on the faith, though subtly different in each generation, are nevertheless always happening. They are happening in our own day - often not so much in the form of open denial, as in well-meaning distortion or imbalance. We cannot defect from the battlefield, but must take our place in fighting for the faith.