What kinds of analogies did Paul use in his writings?
Paul drew analogies from common, ordinary things his readers understood. He compared believers to a Roman soldier in Ephesians 6, and he used pictures of a farmer or a businessman. In 1 Corinthians 9, he used the Olympics and a foot race to illustrate running for the prize.
Les explains that Paul often likes to make analogies with common ordinary things that everybody understood. Sometimes Paul makes an analogy of a Roman soldier in Ephesians 6; other times he can make an analogy to a farmer or a businessman. Here in 1 Corinthians 9:24, Paul uses the analogy of the Olympics, talking about people running in a race. He says they who run in a race run all, but one receives the prize. Paul applies this to believers working in the building process: run that you may obtain—not salvation, which they already attained by faith, but reward.