1 Corinthians 9
24 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.
25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.
26 I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:
27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.
Paul was in the city of Corinth in A.D. 57 when a regional Olympic event was held. Paul uses this backdrop as the feature in this passage.
But his effort is always controlled by one thing. If he’s going to win the prize, the stephanos, the runner’s crown, it’s the word for the runner’s crown, not diadema which is the king’s crown, if he’s going to win the prize he has to keep the rules.
In the Greek games, Olympian games, there were three prerequisites that every athlete had to fulfil.
1. He had to be a born Greek. You have to be born again, a member of God’s family, country, His Kingdom.
2. He had to prepare for ten months and stand before a statue of Zeus and swear that he had prepared for ten months. And if he had not, then he gave Zeus the liberty to take his life.
The strong believer must have trained in the matters of self-denial, given over himself full time to spiritual training. He must be eager to compete. He must be compelled to win. He must be motivated by reward. And when those things are in place, he’s going to be a disciplined competitor. The victory belongs to the disciplined. It’s not for the lazy. The disciplined person has control of his affections, he has control of his emotions, he has control of his moods, he has control of his priorities.
Self-discipline says no to things that harm his competitive edge. He says no to things that take away his strength. And so this calls for self-restraint. This calls for self-denial and self-sacrifice and those kinds of things that belong in the athletic metaphor.
Paul said to Timothy that God has given us the Spirit of love, power and self discipline (“sound-mind”, notice the connection between the two) (2 Timothy 1:7).
Eg: Karoly Tackacs: Hungarian pistol champion. Lost hand in grenade accident. Learned to shoot left handed. Won gold in 1948 and 1952.
Part of discipline for an athlete is a special diet. Paul says we are to be “nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine” (1 Timothy 4:6). A proper balanced diet is critical to the marathon runner. The same is true for the Christian. The fatigue factor will set in if a person doesn’t consume a high-energy diet. Just as carbohydrates provide fuel for the body, so God’s Word provides high-energy spiritual food for the soul.
Paul speaks of himself in vs 27. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified. “discipline” – The verb “hupopiazo literally means “to strike under the eye” and gives the connotation of giving someone a “black eye.” We need to literally have the Self-Control that makes us black and blue on our bodies.
(Some dangers of discipline:
a) Self-discipline by itself doesn’t make us right with God. First, get right with Him.
b) Pride. Such a disciplined person gives himself the glory rather than God. Like the Pharisee who prayed, “Father, I thank thee that I am not as other men are…” (Luke 18:11-12).
c) The danger of imposing too harsh a discipline on oneself (asceticism). They didn’t marry, didn’t eat much and some of them even wore rough hairy shirts and put stones in their shoes. What is the difference between asceticism and healthy self-discipline? Asceticism focuses on prohibitions and rules concerning things that are petty. Discipline deals with things that will help us to be better people and better Christians. For instance, wearing a pebble in my shoe is asceticism. Setting aside time to study my Bible is discipline.)
3. He had to keep the rules. If it was found that he had in any way violated the rules of his event, he was disgraced and instantly disqualified.
Examples of disqualification. – Yesterday, (at an interschool event where DSS participated, 14 Aug 2004) there was a very impressive high-jumper at an interschool competition. He won the event (by somersaulting over the pole) and was disqualified for launching from both feet. – Ben Johnson: At the Seoul Olympics in 1988, Ben Johnson ran the 100 metres in 9.79 seconds making him the fastest human ever. It was a proud moment in Canadian athletic history that quickly turned into a nightmare. Only 62 hours later Olympic officials entered Johnson’s room and walked out with his gold medal. Ben Johnson had tested positive for steroid use. The Canadian sports establishment was scandalized. Johnson lost millions in endorsements and sponsorship fees and he was suspended from competition for two years. – Athens 2004: Two top Greek athletes disqualified for not turning up for compulsory testing. Excuse (bike accident) was not good enough.
You miss the prize by disqualification.
But, you can be restored. Even if the Olympic committee doesn’t forgive, our God does, if you confess and forsake your sin. You can still win the prize, the crown.
James 1
12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.
1 Peter 5
4 And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.
So, keep your eyes on the target.
There’s a true story of a man who approached a labourer who was laying bricks and asked him, “What are you doing?” The labourer said, “Can’t you see I’m laying bricks?” The man then walked over to another bricklayer and asked, “What are you doing?” And the workman answered with pride, “I’m building a cathedral.” Do not run aimlessly or as one “beating the air”.