Dave Dishman

The apostle Paul knew a great deal about athletes. It seems he was a sports fan, and likely attended the Olympic-style games held regularly in the region of Corinth. Look how he encouraged the members of the Corinthian church to excel in their faith:

Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. So they do it to obtain a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. Therefore I run in such a way as not to run aimlessly; I box in such a way, as to avoid hitting air; but I strictly discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.

Back in the day athletic competitions in Greece drew large crowds. People understood the discipline necessary for athletes to compete successfully. Paul wrote to fellow enthusiasts who understood his metaphors. Box with purpose, discipline the body, run to win. Paul preached an intensity more in line with an elite athlete than a weekend warrior.

Which makes me ponder the vigor with which I follow Jesus. Am I a spare timer who lounges on the couch all week and only gets in the game on Sunday? Do I occasionally workout, yet continue to fill my belly with mental junk food? Paul encouraged a serious approach. Making my body my slave pushes me into a different lifestyle than merely jogging to maintain weight.

Over the years I’ve seen multiple disqualifications among ministers and co-workers. The value of discipline, self-control, and a rigorous approach to living as a follower of Jesus cannot be overstated. Time in the Scriptures, prayer, attending a good church and the power of the Holy Spirit all lead toward an enduring prize. Keep training, and the imperishable wreath will be yours.

1 Corinthians 9:24-27

Photo by Olena Karlyk

The city of Corinth sat on a strategic location, a narrow strip of land joining the mainland to southern Greece. Goods flowed north and south, east and west. Owners would often drag their ships across the isthmus, or have their cargo transported to another ship, thus shortening the route between Italy and Asia. As a result of commerce the city prospered and attracted people from from all over the Mediterranean world.

Paul started a church in Corinth. Alongside his friends Priscilla and Aquila, Paul worked at tentmaking and spreading the good news of Jesus. The church took root and grew, finding converts among the many different people groups in this cosmopolitan city.

But in an area packed with idols, temples to various gods and all manner of religious practices, those who joined carried spiritual baggage. Paul spent a great deal of time instructing on how to get along with friends, employers, customers, venders, and family members who failed to understand leaving a perfectly good religion to follow Jesus.

Paul taught a specific strategy: Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God, just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved. Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.

Paul made himself unoffensive so that the message of grace through Jesus Christ might be the only thing his audience wrestled with. He worked hard, dealt honestly with his customers, built quality tents, engaged amicably with all who passed by—and preached the gospel without compromise. Plenty of people took issue with his message (he literally lost his head over it) but Paul took pains to ensure no one took issue with him.

No offense at the grocery store. No offense at the DMV. No offense with neighbors. No offense on social media or with a work colleague. No offense creates a solid platform to talk about Jesus. People may blame you for the message, but they’re really wrestling with Jesus. Like Paul, give no offense, let them struggle, and many will find their way to Jesus.

1 Corinthians 10:32 – 11:1

Photo by Belinda Fewings

We live in the most individualist society in human history. Catering to self surrounds us. More people live alone than ever before, and grocery stores sell half-loaves of bread for those of us who cannot get through a full loaf before it goes stale. A lot of good comes from developing our potential and encouraging others to do the same. But the needs of those around us fade in significance.

Paul wrote about a unique concern to the church at Corinth. Vendors sold meat from animals originally slaughtered as a sacrifice to an idol. Paul’s view was that an idol has no real existence, and that there is no God but one. He had no trouble eating that meat. But others in the congregation struggled. Many new followers of Jesus converted out of a powerful culture of idolatry. They loathed their former religious practices. That meat sitting in the butcher’s stall represented enslavement, and at the same time served as a subtle enticement to return. It was better to avoid the whole mess.

Paul strongly encouraged those in the congregation to pay attention to this issue and care for those who struggled. He wrote: Thus, sinning against your brothers and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.

Paul chose to go meatless in order to nurture the faith of those new to Christ. For us that might mean evaluating how much we spend when we’re out to dinner, or watching certain movies, or taking our friend who struggles with drinking to a party where we know alcohol will be served. Better to miss the party than ruin the faith of a friend.

Cain famously retorted Am I my brother’s keeper? when the Lord asked him about Abel. The answer is yes. The emerging faith of new believers is delicate. Those of us with more experience and knowledge are to guide and encourage rather than skip off on our own. Seedlings of faith are precious in the eyes of the Lord. Many times swearing off a brief pleasure builds the kingdom of God, and no party matches the joy of bringing others along in their faith.

1 Corinthians 8

Photo by Kylo

During an intense scene from the legal drama A Few Good Men, an attorney hammers at a witness who happens to be a hardened Marine colonel. The attorney pushes and prods and delivers the line, I want the truth! The colonel thunders back, You can’t handle the truth!

I act the same way with God. I’m afraid to share what’s really driving my thoughts, my frustrations, my fears and my desires. I’m not the attorney asking for truth, I’m that bottled-up colonel refusing to answer. I’m afraid God cannot handle the truth.

How ludicrous, yet how human. Adam and Eve hid from God after eating forbidden fruit. They feared God couldn’t handle the truth. In the same spirit I cover up my wrong-doings and failings from the Lord.

King David wrote: For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him...Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us.

David hid again and again, yet returned again and again. David poured out his heart, at one time lying in his face for days praying for his infant son with Bathsheba to live. Despite the boy’s death, David still made God his refuge. Surrounded by people always jockeying for position, his heart awakened to the steadiness of the Lord. David learned that he could tell God anything, and so he did.

You and I can tell God anything as well. Share your frustrations, angers, fears, mistakes and embarrassments. Seek forgiveness, even for those things you feel are unforgivable. Lay out your case. God can handle the truth.

Psalm 62:5-8

Photo by Rémy Penet