A 'castaway' is not a believer who loses salvation, but a believer who loses the reward and the prize of the Christian race.
Paul's warning in 1 Corinthians 9:27 follows his athletic illustration of running for an incorruptible crown. Les Feldick consistently teaches that when a believer's works are burned at the Judgment Seat of Christ, he suffers loss of reward, yet he himself is still saved. Thus, becoming a castaway means being set aside from the reward, not from eternal life.
1 Corinthians 9:27 — This is the verse where Paul uses the word 'castaway' after describing the Christian race and the crown that awaits faithful runners.
The Bible uses the word 'castaway' in 1 Corinthians 9:27, where Paul writes: "But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway." In the preceding verses, Paul compares the Christian life to a race: runners train and practice self-control to receive a perishable crown, while believers run for an imperishable crown (1 Corinthians 9:24-25). He then says he does not run uncertainly or shadow-box; he disciplines his body so that he will not be disqualified from the prize. Scripture also shows what happens to a believer whose work does not endure. In 1 Corinthians 3:13-15, Paul says that every man's work will be tried by fire. If the work is gold, silver, or precious stones, the believer receives a reward. If it is wood, hay, or stubble, the work is burned and the believer suffers loss — "but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire."
Les Feldick does not define 'castaway' as a loss of salvation. In the surrounding context of 1 Corinthians 9, he teaches that the Christian race is run for an incorruptible crown, not the perishable crowns of earthly athletes (Clip 0). Paul's discipline — keeping his body under subjection — was aimed at obtaining the prize, and the warning about being a castaway belongs to that reward structure. At the Judgment Seat of Christ, Les says, works are tested by fire. Wood, hay, and stubble are burned, and the believer suffers loss of reward, but not of salvation (Clips 1, 3, 7). He is emphatic that even a careless believer will be saved — as he puts it, saved "by the skin of his teeth." Les also stresses eternal security, explaining that no one, not even the believer himself, can cast himself out of the body of Christ, because believers are totally under the sovereign power of God (Clip 4).
The word appears in 1 Corinthians 9:27, immediately after Paul's illustration of the Christian race. He speaks of running the race, beating the air, and keeping his body under subjection. The context is the prize and the crown, not eternal life.
No. Les Feldick points to 1 Corinthians 3:15, which says that a believer whose work is burned "shall suffer loss" but "he himself shall be saved." In Clip 3, Les says plainly: "He shall suffer loss, not of salvation, but of reward." In Clip 4, he teaches that God will never cast a believer out and that the believer cannot cast himself out because of God's sovereign power. The castaway warning is about losing reward, not about losing eternal life.
Les Feldick explains that Paul was not running uncertainly or shadow boxing. He was running for an incorruptible crown, one that lasts for all eternity. Paul's discipline — keeping his body under subjection — was how he made sure he would not become a castaway in that race.
Les teaches that every believer's work will be tested by fire. Gold, silver, and precious stones survive; wood, hay, and stubble are burned. Even if that believer is a "misfit" in God's overall program, he will still be saved — as Les says, "by the skin of his teeth."
The Race and the Crown
Les explains that Paul ran the spiritual race for an incorruptible crown and trained with purpose — the immediate context in which Paul says he did not want to become a castaway.
Works Tested by Fire
Les teaches that when a believer's work is burned, he suffers the loss of reward, not the loss of salvation.
Christ in You — What Galatians 5 and Romans 8:10 Really Mean
And Paul makes several warnings that have scared me over the years, not for myself, but for the sake of people who are living an illusion. In fact the verse just comes to mind. I didn't intend to use this. Honey, turn over to Galatians. Galatians chapter 5. Now we've dealt with this before I think on the program. I know I have over and over in my classes here in Oklahoma.
Suffering Loss, Not Salvation
Les is emphatic that wood, hay, and stubble produce no reward, but the believer who built with those materials is still saved.
Eternal Security
Les teaches that no one — not even the believer himself — can cast himself out of the body of Christ, because God's sovereign power holds every believer secure.
Faith and Testimony
Les connects saving faith with an active testimony and concern for the lost, which is the kind of service that produces enduring works in the Christian race.
What Is Propitiation? Romans 3:25-31 Finally Explained
I always call it sweeping it under the rug. But once the true atonement had been accomplished, now there was no reason to send people down into paradise. Paradise was taken directly to heaven. All right, now that's exactly what Paul is reminding us, that he's not only talking about the New Testament believer, he's also bringing in the Old Testament saint.
Saved by the Skin of His Teeth
Les assures that even a careless believer will still be saved, confirming that being a castaway cannot mean the loss of salvation.
1 Corinthians 9:24: Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.
Paul introduces the race metaphor that frames his warning about becoming a castaway.
1 Corinthians 9:25: 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.
Paul contrasts the perishable crown of athletes with the imperishable crown believers seek.
1 Corinthians 9:26: I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:
Paul says he knows what he is running for, so his discipline was purposeful.
1 Corinthians 9:27: But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.
This is the exact verse where Paul uses the word 'castaway' in connection with losing the prize.
1 Corinthians 3:13: Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.
At the Judgment Seat of Christ, the quality of each believer's works will be tested by fire.
1 Corinthians 3:14: If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
Works that survive the fire earn a reward for the believer.
1 Corinthians 3:15: If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
This verse shows that loss of reward is not loss of salvation.
Romans 8:38-39: For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Les cites this passage to show that no one can separate a believer from God's love and power.
No. Les Feldick teaches that the loss Paul feared was the loss of reward, not the loss of salvation. He points to 1 Corinthians 3:15, where the believer's work can be burned but he himself is still saved.
In 1 Corinthians 9:27, it refers to being set aside from the prize or crown of the Christian race. Paul disciplined his body so that after preaching to others he would not be set aside from the reward.
Yes. 1 Corinthians 3:15 says that if a believer's work is burned, he suffers loss but he himself shall be saved. Les Feldick describes this as being saved 'by the skin of his teeth.'
Watch the Teaching: What Does It Mean to Be "All Things to All Men"? — 1 Corinthians 9