race for the crown
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The Race for the Crown
I Corinthians 9:24-27
What does it take to be a champion in a given sport? It is necessary to have a dedication to succeed no matter what the cost. A passion for the game is certainly essential and also a focused determination to accomplish the task at hand. A willingness to train is also required and a burning desire for the trophy or prize awarded to the one who wins is an absolute must.
In Paul's letter to the Corinthians, he drew a comparison between the Christian life and an athletic competition. The comparison would have had an obvious connection with Paul's Corinthian readers. Corinth was the site of the Isthmian games, a great athletic festival which was very similar to the Olympian games. The contestants of this festival had to endure ten months of mandatory training and, if training was not completed, they were disqualified from competing in the games. The highlight of the Isthmian games was the endurance run. Paul used this endurance run as an illustration to represent the faithful Christian life...