Reaction, Mindset, Goal, and Accountability
Running the Race to Win and Fighting the Fight for the Knockout Blow
Paul wrote these letters to the Corinthians while he was in Ephesus, which is in present-day Turkey, and the recipients were in Corinth, which is in present-day Greece. Around AD 53-55, he encouraged the Corinthians to live disciplined and purposeful lives, much like athletes who train rigorously to win a prize.
So how does this relate to us today? Let’s dive into the verses as they were written, and then explore their equivalence in today’s modern vernacular.
“But everyone striving controls himself in all things. Then those truly that they may receive a corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible. So I run accordingly, as not uncertainly; so I fight, as not beating air; but I buffet my body and lead it captive, lest proclaiming to others I myself might be disapproved.” 1…
