“Paul’s First Letter to Timothy — Laying Hold On Eternal Life"

Twice in the final chapter of this letter, in both verses 12 & 19, the apostle in this culminating exhortation to his son in the faith, uses a word that needs some explanation.  That word is here translated “lay hold on”.  It is a good translation.  In our English Bibles that term is found predominantly in John’s gospel and his first letter where it is found 34 times.  But Paul also uses it 14 times while the other authors of scripture rarely use it.  In the gospels it is found only in the rich young ruler teaching.  Here though Paul exhorts Timothy and also all believers to “lay hold on” eternal life by living an uncompromised life consistent with the grace of God as he valiantly had proclaimed it.  Timothy needed to do the same and to ensure that some in the assemblies would take seriously their eternal and heavenly calling.  Here, again, he singles out the rich in this world whose riches could never compare with the glorious blessing of grace available now and forever.  Laying hold on eternal life here and now is his subject.  For the riches of this world are blessings indeed, but only for a season.