by Perry Hall<\/p>\n
“Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.\u00a0 Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified<\/em>” (I Corinthians 9:24-27).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
If you don’t believe in “Once Saved, Always Saved,” then you have probably used this text to teach that Paul believed he could become disqualified from salvation. While that is a valid application of the text, it is not the primary point.<\/p>\n
What has always bothered me about that application is, “but only one receives the prize<\/em>” (I Corinthians 9:24). Is Paul saying, “try to be a better Christian than others as if you have to beat them to make it to heaven!”? If not, then what is the interpretation?<\/p>\n
This winning the prize immediately follows Paul’s admonition to become all things to all men. Notice this repeating word:<\/p>\n
\n
- “win <\/b>more people<\/em>” (I Corinthians 9:19)<\/li>\n
- “win <\/b>Jews<\/em>” (I Corinthians 9:20)<\/li>\n
- “win <\/b>those under the law<\/em>” (I Corinthians 9:20)<\/li>\n
- “win <\/b>those without the law<\/em>” (I Corinthians 9:21)<\/li>\n
- “win <\/b>the weak<\/em>” (I Corinthians 9:22)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
The “prize<\/em>” (I Corinthians 9:24) that he is trying to win is not his own salvation but the salvation of others.\u00a0The “prize<\/em>” is the salvation of a person, the salvation of a Jew, the salvation of one under the law, the salvation of one without the law, and the salvation of the weak.<\/p>\n
The “imperishable crown<\/em>” is not his own salvation; it is the salvation of others. This is reminiscent of Paul’s language describing the Thessalonians – “For who is our hope or joy or crown <\/b>of boasting<\/em>” (I Thessalonians 2:19).<\/p>\n
Paul exercises self-control in everything (I Corinthians 9:25). This includes his body (I Corinthians 9:27). This “body<\/em>” is still within the analogy of an athlete. Contextually, his body includes his actions which involves training his conscience to become all things to all men.<\/p>\n
Why is this training to love others (i.e., the law of Christ – I Corinthians 9:21) to become what they need to hear us preach the gospel important? Could not loving, not saving souls, not putting others’ needs before our wants, not training our conscience, not being able to forego freedoms, not knowing the difference between the law of God and our conscience, all disqualify us?<\/p>\n
Train yourself to win souls by training your conscience, being willing to put their salvation above your reputation, and becoming all things to all people so that they become your prize.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
by Perry Hall “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.\u00a0…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[27],"tags":[728,536,451],"class_list":["post-86991","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-article","tag-i-corinthians","tag-preaching","tag-teaching"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":21972,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/was-paul-concerned-about-losing-his-salvation-or-being-rejected-by-men\/","url_meta":{"origin":86991,"position":0},"title":"Was Paul concerned about losing his salvation or being rejected by men?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"April 29, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: In the verse where Paul says he could be disqualified, is he referring to being disqualified from having a home in Heaven, or from ministry? Some writers and commentaries think when he refers to being disqualified, that he\u2019s concerned about being disqualified from doing ministry work, instead of being\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":522,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/can-i-lose-my-way-to-heaven\/","url_meta":{"origin":86991,"position":1},"title":"Can I lose my way to heaven?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"June 14, 2003","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Can I lose my way to heaven? Answer: Obviously, Paul thought that it was possible. \u201cNot that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":39454,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/what-is-the-difference-between-seeking-and-striving-to-enter-the-narrow-gate\/","url_meta":{"origin":86991,"position":2},"title":"What is the difference between seeking and striving to enter the narrow gate?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"June 25, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I know in the Bible if say many shall seek but only a few shall find then it says to strive. So what's the difference between seeking and striving? What's the definition Bible-wise. Can give me an example? And the example can be about anything between a seeking person\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":20547,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/ive-committed-to-god-to-stop-lusting-but-im-tempted-daily\/","url_meta":{"origin":86991,"position":3},"title":"I’ve committed to God to stop lusting, but I’m tempted daily","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"October 19, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Please pray for me. I am 43 years old and still struggling with lust. I am born again and washed in the blood. I have made a commitment to God to stop lusting, but I am tempted daily. Please pray for me. Answer: Just because you have resolved to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":39447,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/is-competitiveness-wrong\/","url_meta":{"origin":86991,"position":4},"title":"Is competitiveness wrong?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"June 25, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Dear sir, I found\u00a0your article on videos, TV, etc. a most interesting, excellent work. I am troubled by my own shortcomings in all these areas. My questions are: Do most video games and movies not draw on the same need of excitement or exhilaration that people get from sports,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":46445,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/run-with-endurance\/","url_meta":{"origin":86991,"position":5},"title":"Run with Endurance","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"November 8, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"by Dennis Stackhouse We have a wonderfully challenging statement given to us in Hebrews 12:1:\u00a0\"Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/Runner-180x300.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/86991","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=86991"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/86991\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=86991"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=86991"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=86991"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}