CONFESSION OF FAITH

Paul commended Timothy for making "the good confession" before many witnesses (1 Tim. 6:12). 

The word "confession" comes from the Greek homologia, which means "to say the same thing." It implies agreeing with and openly affirming what Jesus said about himself—that he is the Christ, the promised Messiah foretold in the Old Testament, and the Son of God, meaning he shares the very nature of God (cf. Mt. 16:16).

This commitment to historical reality is required for salvation (Mt. 10:32; Rom. 10:9-10), and those who refuse to acknowledge the truth regarding the Savior stand against him (Mt. 12:30; Jn. 12:42-43; 2 Jn. 7). 

Religious modernists who profess an association with Christianity, yet who deny the fundamental truths regarding his identity, are some of the greatest enemies of the Son of God (cf. Phil. 3:18-19).