What does Paul say about everyone who strives for the mastery in 1 Corinthians 9:25?
Paul writes that every man who strives for the mastery is temperate in all things. He alludes to Olympic athletes who trained with temperateness, not overtraining or becoming flabby, preparing for the race. They did it for a corruptible crown, but believers run for an incorruptible crown.
Les explains that in 1 Corinthians 9:24-25 Paul writes again to Gentile believers using the race analogy: all who run in a race run, but only one receives the prize, so run to obtain the prize—not salvation. Then verse 25 says every man who strives for the mastery is temperate in all things. Les teaches that Paul is alluding to Olympic athletes, who trained and trained, yet did so with temperateness, not destroying their bodies with overtraining nor coming flabby and unable to run. With common sense and being temperate in all things, they prepared for the Olympic races. Paul tells us the same thing. They did it to obtain a corruptible crown, a wreath of leaves that dried up and was good for nothing; but we who are running a race for reward look for an incorruptible crown that will never end.
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.