Baptist Foundations - Focused on Winning
1 Corinthians 9:24-27
Focused on Winning
Do you not know that in a race all the runners compete, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.[1]
Vince Lombardi, head coach of the National Football League Green Bay Packers during the years that the team was a perennial powerhouse, sometimes motivated his teams by saying, “Winning isn’t everything; it is the only thing.” Though Lombardi was speaking of football, those words are assuredly applicable to the Christian life. The Christian life is frequently compared to an athletic contest in Paul’s letters. He was obviously familiar with the various contests, and certainly aware of the Isthmian Games held near Corinth. In our text for the message this morning, the Apostle uses these games to encourage the saints in Corinth to strive for excellence in the Faith.
The Christian life is not a life of ease and luxury—not if it is real. The Corinthians, like many contemporary Christians, were so focused on freedom and privilege and they forgot that rewards will only be handed out at the conclusion of the race. They were sacrificing the permanent on the altar of the temporary. Though we are saved, we are nevertheless required to live a life of discipline, exerting ourselves to excel.
Our goal must be to please Christ. We must all appear before His Judgement Seat, where we will give an account of our life and service. We labour, knowing that He shall soon appear; and knowing that many of the professed saints of the Lord Jesus will undoubtedly be ashamed at His appearing. We will never be ashamed before the Master if we make every effort to build one another up in the Faith. However, we may well be censured because we have injured one another and sought to advance our own interest at the interest of fellow believers who are children of the Lord, just as we are.
The Apostle was compelled to defend himself before the Corinthian believers. The church had tolerated puffed up, wannabe apostles who were speaking ill of Paul. The leadership had not defended him when he was slandered, and eventually, some of the mud that these self-important leaders had slung stuck—at least in the estimate of the congregation. Paul defends his right to receive support from those benefiting from his service, though he hastens to remind them that he voluntarily surrendered that right. He also defends his approach to service by reminding the Corinthians that he had treated everyone with respect in order to lead as many as possible to life in Christ the Lord.
With these reminders established before the congregation, the Apostle writes in a hortatory manner, encouraging the Corinthian saints through pointing to his own life. Though contemporary accounts describe the Apostle as an apparently small man who was weak and with poor eyesight, he obviously enjoyed sporting events. He made repeated references to sporting contests in his letters, and he now encourages the Corinthians through comparing his service before the Lord—and theirs—as an athletic contest.
The Christian Life is a Race Requiring Diligence of those Who Run. Do you not know that in a race all the runners compete, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. The Isthmian Games, hosted by the city of Corinth and held nearby, were one of the four great pan-Hellenic festivals, ranking second only to the Olympic Games and above those of Delphi and Nemea. The prestige of the Games was enhanced by a tradition that went back to the sixth century bc, and they were held every two years.
Every competitor in these games was obliged to undergo a severe and protracted training lasting ten months. During this time, the athlete was required to carefully avoid excesses of every kind. A passage from Epictetus, the Greek Stoic Philosopher, illustrates this text so well that it is cited to this day by many commentators:
Would you be a victor in the Olympic games? So in good truth would I, for it is a glorious thing; but pray consider what must go before, and what may follow, and so proceed to the attempt. You must then live by rule, eat what will be disagreeable, refrain from delicacies; you must oblige yourself to constant exercises at the appointed hour, in heat and cold; you must abstain from wine and cold liquors; in a word, you must be as submissive to all direction of your master as to those of a physician.[2]
Paul clearly has the “games” in mind, for he speaks of running in a stadium. Although en stadío may be translated either in a race or in a stadium (more regularly), it alludes to the stadium in which the Pan-Hellenic Isthmian games were held. The stadium would include not only foot races, but also athletic contests of other kinds (e.g., boxing). Victors in the competitions were awarded a crown (stéphanos)—a wreath that was crafted from wild olive leaves for the Olympian games, and made of pine leaves for victors at the Isthmian games. The crown awarded the victor in these ancient games doubtless furnished the metaphor that is used frequently throughout the New Testament (2 Timothy 2:5; 4:8; James 1:12; 1 Peter 5:4; Revelation 2:10 and 3:11).
Paul reminds readers that we are in a race, and that in a race all the runners compete. When he writes, so run that you may obtain [the prize], he moves the analogy out of the realm of the theoretical and into the realm of daily life for Christians. Christians are in a contest, whether they wish to be competitors or not. However, the contest in which we are engaged is not a competition with one another; it is rather a competition with our own fallen nature. We know too well the drag of sin that keeps us from honouring Christ in this challenge of being godly and of bringing the lost to faith.
Paul never allows his converts to dream of the indefectibility of grace, and so to slide into antinomian security. He often reminds those who would follow Christ of the extreme severity and continuousness of the contest in which we compete. He writes in Ephesians 6:12 that we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. In 1 Timothy 6:12, he urges Timothy, and us, to fight the good fight of the faith. He continues by urging Timothy to take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
To be Victorious in the Race Requires Discipline. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. Winners receive rewards. Those who win athletic contests receive rewards that serve as acknowledgement of excellence and recognition of the self-discipline and the perseverance of those who succeed.
The rewards that are in view in this particular passage are not necessarily tangible rewards that we may anticipate at Christ’s return; but rather the Apostle appears to have in mind the need to serve God with diligence, thus sharing in the glory that is His through bringing others into the light of life. Those who serve will share in Christ’s glory.
Paul is addressing stronger Christians at this point. He has appealed to them to show consideration for weaker Christians, but now he is cautioning them against thinking of themselves as so strong that they have no danger of falling. In fact, he will strongly stress that point in 1 Corinthians 10:12, where he warns, let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. Many “strong” saints have fallen hard. The Apostle Peter says that the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour [1 Peter 5:8]. Incautious Christians obtain a new name—victim! To avoid becoming a victim requires discipline.
Throughout this passage, Paul speaks of the self-discipline required for athletes to participate in the games. We know this to be true when we think of Olympians that compete in either the Summer Games or in the Winter Games. They train for four years for a contest that may last mere seconds. The various sprints are won or lost in seconds. Some of the skating events are over almost before they begin. We admire the Olympians precisely because we recognise the self-discipline they have exercised for a long time in order to compete in the games.
Paul’s point is that if those participating in the Games were so dedicated as to submit to deprivation in order to have a chance to be honoured by receiving a wreath that would shortly become brittle and turn to dust, then, we should practise an even more rigorous discipline since we will each receive a crown that is imperishable.
I want to return to the point I raised at the beginning of the message, that a favourite metaphor in the New Testament is the victor’s crown—the wreath awarded those who won at the various Greek games. In the New Testament, we read of several “crowns”—the crown of righteousness [2 Timothy 4:8], the crown of life [James 1:12], the amaranthine crown of glory [I Peter 5:4], and the crown of boasting [1 Thessalonians 2:9]. Though we cannot speak with certainty what these crowns are, we nevertheless know that they are rewards promised to the people of God for faithful service before the Lord.
For instance, the crown of boasting mentioned in 1 Thessalonians 2:9 appears to be associated with the people who have come to faith through our work and through our witness. When you prayed, asking God to speak to the heart of another, and when you told another of the salvation that you have found in Christ, some heard and believed. Those redeemed souls become for you an eternal blessing as you share in the glory that belongs to Christ the Lord. Each becomes for you the crown of boasting.
Pastors who laboured faithfully at the task assigned of feeding the flock are promised the crown of glory [1 Peter 5:1-4]. Those who served in order to obtain recognition from man, or to receive monetary compensation, have their reward now. However, those who laboured among the people of God, faithfully proclaiming the Word of God, will share in the glory of saints built up and kept to the coming of Christ Jesus.
The Apostle’s goal in labouring with the Corinthians was to present the church as a pure virgin to Christ at His return [2 Corinthians 11:2]. Likewise, writing the Colossian Christians, Paul spoke of his work among the churches, proclaiming Christ, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ [Colossians 1:28]. He continued by speaking his work as toil requiring him to struggle with all his energy that he powerfully works within me [Colossians 1:29]. In a similar fashion, pastors who are appointed by God to the task He has assigned labour among the saints, yearn over the flock to be pure before God and toil to ensure that those who attend the preaching and teaching week-by-week will become mature in Christ.
God takes note of the Christian that withstands the pressure of life, promising that one the crown of life [James 1:12]. When you pass through trials, you may feel weak and you may think that you are a failure; but when you persevere, drawing strength from the Master instead of relying on your own strength, God takes note and He has promised to reward you before saints and angels.
Oh, that we could each learn the great message Paul brought to us when we wrote of his own weakness! As he pleaded with the Master to take away the thorn in his flesh, Jesus answered, saying, My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. As result of learning to depend on Christ for strength in the disappointments of life, the Apostle came to the conclusion, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. Paul then summarises what he learned with these words, when I am weak, then I am strong [2 Corinthians 12:9, 10]. God notes our dependence on His strength as we pass through the trials of life, and He is pledged upon His holy honour to remember us as by calling us to share in His glory.
The Apostle has also spoken of the crown of righteousness [2 Timothy 4:8], the award that is promised for all that have faithfully look forward to the coming of the Master. It is perhaps worth our while to recall Paul’s words written as he neared the conclusion of life. I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. Paul realistically appraises what is about to happen. His course is almost run and now he faces the extinguishment of earthly life as though he were a libation poured out on an altar.
Then, the Apostle reviews his life, applying the Games motif once again to his own life. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. There is power in those words. He did not succumb to the siren call to compromise with his flesh or to negotiate for a halt to the contest; he was disciplined in the race. Though he was conscious of his humanity, he had learned to rest in Christ and now he could anticipate the commendation of the Master, Well done, good and faithful servant [Matthew 25:21, 23].
Reading that final verse, I cannot help but be moved. Paul makes a dynamic statement that is not easily captured in our English tongue. We read, Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing [2 Timothy 4:6-8]. The phrase, henceforth there is, translates one word—loipòn. This energetic word serves to strip away the curtain separating time from eternity. Now laid up the crown! In the Apostle’s words, I see exultation in what God has promised. Paul was faithful, and God will be faithful. What was true for the Apostle is true for every child of God that lives a godly and holy life in anticipation of the return of Christ the Lord.
Returning to the theme of the race for a godly life, Paul’s mind works fast. In effect, he urges the Corinthians to imitate him [see 1 Corinthians 11:1]. So, the Apostle reminds them that he is running a race. He is not competing against them, but he is competing against the drag of his own desires. He is focused on the goal of winning this race, and he wants the Corinthians to be likewise focused on winning.
Refocus your attention on the text, where we see the Apostle turn from the race we are running to consider another contest taking place in the stadium—a boxing match. Contestants were also compelled to box, their fists wrapped with leather thongs. A blow from a competitor’s fist wrapped with these thongs was certainly telling. Of course, a wild swing never hurt anyone. Beating the air is a boxing metaphor. The statement has no reference to shadowboxing, a necessary and legitimate boxer’s exercise; it has to do with wild misses during the actual contest. Paul’s blows were accurate—always on the mark.
Every move made in the course of his race was calculated to further his pursuit of the prize [cf. Philippians 3:13, 14]. Every blow struck was meant to land squarely on his opponent and send him reeling from the contest [cf. Ephesians 6:12; James 4:7]. To achieve this, Paul would not let his body master him [cf. 1 Corinthians 6:12]; sometimes he denied even its demand for rightful privileges and pleasures [1 Corinthians 8:9] as he focused on a greater good [1 Corinthians 10:33].
Paul seeks to expose “the strong” at Corinth who paraded knowledge (gnôsis) rather than love (agápe), who were all too ready “to go through the motions” of religious profession and routine without real engagement with the daily life-or-death issues arising from love for others and the need to discipline and to constrain their own indulgences and freedoms. The Apostle does not, like the Gnostics, consider his sarx—his flesh, or his soma—his body, to be sinful and evil. Rather, his body “is like the horses in a chariot race, which must be kept well in hand by whip and rein if the prize is to be secured.”
We Must Know and Abide by the Rules. I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified. When he speaks of disciplining his body, Paul employs the metaphor of the victor leading the vanquished as captive and slave. Paul treated his day-to-day life as though he would make his body his slave. He determined that his body would serve his purposes; he would bring it under strict control [New Jerusalem Bible], or enslave it [New Revised Standard Version]. The whole of his life is at issue—not only his desire to eat meat or to enjoy feasts, but wholesale attitudes toward others that require him to exercise self-control for their sake. The whole of everyday life must be held captive to the purposes of the Gospel!
When Paul speaks of what could happen after preaching to others, he is making a reference to the custom of having the competitors summoned to the race by a herald. Herald (translated from kêrux) is derived from the same root as the word translated preaching. A kêrux announced the rules of the game, named the contestants, and called out names and cities of the winners. He also announced the names of any contestants who were disqualified. Transgression of one of the rules of the contest, or violation of the oath the competitors had taken when each contestant entered into training, would disqualify a contender. Paul summoned many to the race of the Christian life through the Gospel. He did not want to be disqualified after that. The word has no reference to loss of salvation. Clearly, the apostle was concerned lest he be rejected by the umpire for the prize. He had no fear of the herald’s barring him from participation in the race.
It is a humbling thought to see wholesome fear instead of smug complacency in this greatest of all heralds of Christ. It is humbling in great measure because we have become complacent about standing before the Master. We no longer tremble at the thought that we must give an account of our life and service. When he speaks of being disqualified, Paul means rejected for the prize, not for the entrance to the race. Paul’s fear of being disqualified had nothing to do with his salvation. He is not talking about salvation but Christian service. We are not saved by running the race and winning; we run the race because we are saved [Philippians 3:12–16; Hebrews 12:1–3].
Paul’s use of the prize indicates that he had in mind service and rewards, not salvation and life [cf. verse 17, reward; Philippians 3:11-14]. The thought, of course, is that of personal discipline. Walking with God demands personal sacrifice, sacrifice of things not necessarily evil, but things that prevent the full devotion of the soul to God—such as pleasures and worldly pursuits.
Paul saw himself as both a “herald” and a “runner.” He was concerned lest he get so busy trying to help others in the race that he ignore himself and find himself disqualified. Again, I stress that this was not a fear of losing personal salvation. The disqualified Greek athlete did not lose his citizenship, only his opportunity to win a prize. Paul’s emphasis is on rewards; he did not want to lose his reward.
Paul was concerned with continuance in the race. Like the brother who had indulged in immorality [1 Corinthians 5:1-5], his life could be cut short by the disciplinary disapproval of God. He had reminded the Corinthians that God had disciplined in the past [1 Corinthians 10:6-10], that He was presently disciplining [1 Corinthians 11:30-32], and that He would discipline in the immediate future [1 Corinthians 5:5]. You must be impressed that the Apostle was concerned that some might not be able to say with him one day I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race [2 Timothy. 4:7], but rather that they would be cut off in the midst of the contest of life by God’s disciplinary action.
Therefore, the Apostle opines what an irony it would be if, after preaching to others, it should turn out to be the case that when all secrets are disclosed at the Day of Judgement [1 Corinthians 4:4, 5], he himself should be disqualified. I stress that the meaning of the word disqualified implies that his life would fail to stand the test in the sense that it was not what it should be. Paul is not saying that he will be rejected at the Judgement Seat of Christ, nor is he implying the loss of salvation. He is saying that he would not be eligible for the prize of the high calling in Christ.
Paul was running a race that would permit him to share the glory of the Master. This is a race in which each Christian is entered. By bringing many souls to faith in the Living Son of God, Paul was succeeding in the race. He was also inviting other believers to join him in this race, and those who accepted his heraldic call were also entered into the race to gain the approval of the Master.
Let me review what has been said. An athlete must be disciplined if he is to win the prize. Discipline requires the one in training to give up the good and the better for the best. In training, the dictum “Good is enemy of the best,” is abundantly demonstrated. The athlete must watch his diet as well as his hours. The runner and the boxer must graciously decline when people offer him fattening desserts or invite him to late-night parties. There is nothing wrong with food or fun, but if they interfere with your highest goals, then they are hindrances and not helps.
In an age of luxury, such as the present time, these words have real significance for the serious-minded servant of Christ. When it requires nearly one hundred professed believers to bring one sinner to faith, it tells us that few are running effectively. When the giving among “committed” evangelical believers amounts to three percent of their earnings, it is evident that few are contending effectively. When attendance at the meetings of the church, and especially at the prayer services of the church, is at best sporadic and casual, it is evident that few are exercising discipline in the race.
Far too many of us are more concerned with our own pleasure than we are with serving Christ. Christ is a diversion and not the reason for our life. Consequently, many modern Christians are not even running—they have dropped out of the race. They are not even taking a wild swing at the enemy; they are no longer wrestling against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens [Ephesians 6:12]. Their own desires have gained the mastery.
That this is so is evident in the fact that prevailing prayer is at best a distant memory for too many the saints of the Most High God. The evidence that this is the tragic condition marking most of modern Christianity is seen in the dearth of souls. There has not been a major harvest of souls for decades among the churches of our land. We make every effort to “make it easy” to join the church, but we are reluctant to hold one another accountable when we have joined. We jealously guard our time for personal recreation, but we are indifferent about bringing others to hear the preaching of the Word.
Saints, we are in a race! It is a race to secure glory for the Master. The Christian does not run the race in order to get to heaven; he is in the race because he has been saved through faith in Jesus Christ. Only Greek citizens were allowed to participate in the games, and they had to obey the rules both in their training and in their performing. Any contestant found breaking the training rules was automatically disqualified. In order to give up his rights and have the joy of winning lost souls, Paul had to discipline himself. That is the emphasis of this entire chapter: rights must be balanced by self-discipline. If we will serve the Lord effectively, winning His approval, we must surrender our rights and privileges—our own self-interests—to the glory of the Master.
In the Isthmian Games, only one runner could win the pine leaf wreath, but every believer can win an imperishable crown when he stands before the Judgment Seat of Christ. This crown is given to those who discipline themselves for the sake of serving Christ and winning lost souls. They keep their bodies under control and keep their eyes on the goal. They know that the lost are under condemnation, and they know that they will be separated from the mercy and glory of God forever. Therefore, they persuade those outside the Faith, both because they seek glory for Christ the Saviour and because they are compassionate toward the lost.
I appreciate insight provided in the Bible Exposition Commentary.
In recent years, evangelical Christians have rediscovered the importance of personal discipline and the relationship between a disciplined body and a Spirit-filled life. Of course, we must avoid extremes. On the one hand, religious asceticism is unhealthy and of no value spiritually [Colossians 2:18–23]. But on the other hand, there is something to be said for disciplined eating, exercising, and resting, and a Spirit-directed balanced life. We smugly congratulate ourselves that we do not smoke or use alcohol, but what about our overeating and being overweight? And many Christians cannot discipline their time so as to have a consistent devotional life or Bible-study program.
Paul had one great goal in life: to glorify the Lord by winning the lost and building up the saints. To reach this goal, he was willing to pay any price. He was willing even to give up his personal rights! He sacrificed immediate gains for eternal rewards, immediate pleasures for eternal joys.[3]
I want to be pointed and personal as I conclude the message today. What sacrifice have you made in order to serve the Master? What weighs you down and hinders the race for glory? Hear the admonition of the author of the Hebrews Letter. Let us … lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the Founder and Perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God [Hebrews 12:1, 2].
Is your prayer life disciplined? Are you running effectively? In reading the Word and spending time alone with God, are you contending effectively? When you review your attendance at the services of the church, does the evidence demonstrate your desire to win the race? As you think of your giving to the cause of Christ—both giving of your personal wealth and giving your time—is Christ central, or has He become incidental? About you are many lost people—good friends, neighbours and family members. Have they received a witness from you as you compassionately and gently told them of your concern for them and of the life that is found in Christ the Lord? Are you running well?
Let me be very clear that coming to an old-fashioned altar will not alter your life. However, kneeling before the Risen Son of God is an excellent starting place for all who wish to lay aside the weights that hold us back and again run the race that is set before us. Some among us need to surrender our own pleasure so that we can serve. Do it now. Some of us need to entrust our children to the care of the Master so that we can again compete in this glorious race. Do it now. Your children are safer in God’s care than they ever were when you dote on them. Some of us may find ourselves challenge by the Spirit to think sacrificially. Do it now and do it to the glory of Christ the Lord.
To those that are yet outside the Faith, any call to sacrifice must appear foolish. This foolish message has no appeal because you do not know the Living Son of God. Your first need is to receive the life that He alone can give, entering into the joy of knowing Him and being prepared to run the race for the glory. This is how you enter the race. This is how you may be born again—saved and set free from sin.
If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, believing in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you shall be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. That passage concludes with the promise that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved [Romans 10:9, 10, 13 author’s translation].
To all who are outside the Faith, our call to you is to receive the life that is offered in Christ Jesus as Lord. Come today. Come, believing that He died because of you. Come, accepting His reign over your life. Come, knowing that He will receive all who come to Him in faith. Come now. Come, and may His angels attend you in the way. Amen.
----
[1] Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers, 2001. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
[2] James M. Freeman and Harold J. Chadwick, Manners & Customs of the Bible (Rev. ed.), (Bridge-Logos Publishers, North Brunswick, NJ 1998) 539
[3] Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary (Victor Books, Wheaton, IL 1989)