What kind of crown are believers running for?
Paul writes that believers run for an incorruptible crown, a reward that will never end, in contrast to the corruptible crown Olympic athletes sought—a wreath of leaves that dried up and became good for nothing. The race is for reward, not salvation.
Les explains that in I Corinthians 9:24-25 Paul is alluding to the Olympic athletes, who trained with temperateness and common sense—not destroying their bodies through overtraining, nor coming flabby and unprepared. They competed to obtain a corruptible crown, just a wreath of leaves that dried up and became good for nothing. But Paul tells believers, who are running a race for reward, to look for an incorruptible crown that will never end. The prize is not salvation but reward.
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.
More Questions
What crown are Christians running to obtain?
Unlike the runners' corruptible wreath, Christians are working or running to obtain an incorruptible crown.