hold forth the word of life: Believers must keep trusting in the good news about Jesus, which gives life. God is faithful, but believers must also remain faithful (1:6; 2:12–13).
that I did not run or labor in vain: Paul often compares the Christian life to running a race or training for a competition (see 3:12–14; 1 Corinthians 9:24, 26; Galatians 2:2; 5:7; 2 Timothy 4:7).