Paul & Ancient Sports: Part 3 (5/21/09)

We have come to the conclusion of our 3-part series that focused largely on Paul’s sports imagery in 1 Corinthians 9.  There are indeed more athletic references in Paul’s other letters, but this passage includes the most extensive and specific language.

I struggled in deciding what to talk about (and what to cut out). I wrote a 50 page Masters thesis on this passage, so I had a lot of material to choose from. But as always, staying within my 6-minute time limit is challenging.  Anyway, I hope you found some insights or information of value.

In the video, I made reference to 1 Cor 9:27 and said the verse raises a host of potential theological issues. It seems pretty clear Paul is saying a Christian can be disqualified from receiving the prize. The key question is, however, what prize? Eternal life and heaven? Maybe, maybe not. Or does Paul believe heaven will never be taken away but there are different rewards in heaven? Maybe, maybe not. Or is Paul not talking about the afterlife at all, but rather referring to the prize, joy and satisfaction that comes from serving Christ on earth? Maybe, maybe not. Or perhaps Paul is referring to something else entirely?

Well, this is a simple summary of a complex issue. In any instance of interpreting the Bible, it’s important to understand the context, other passages on the topic, the original language (in this case, Greek), and more.  I don’t mean to raise the issue and leave you hanging, but I just wanted to provide a little more information on what I was referring to in the video. Maybe some day we’ll tackle just verse 27!

Paul & Ancient Sports: Part 2 (5/11/09)

I wish there was more time to talk about ancient training programs. The topic is quite interesting.  For example, there was a popular but controversy program called the 4-Part Cycle. Basically, the athlete did different tasks for 4 days on a reoccuring basis. It was controversial because on day 2, he basically killed himself through exhaustive training. Also interesting back then were the approaches to dieting. Fad diets were just as popular in ancient times. LOL

Anyway, I want to stress one particular point. I don’t believe Paul is condemning all athletes for their hard work. But it’s really matter of why they are doing it. In other words, if the purpose is to glorify God, success in such worldly pursuits can be a desirable thing. Remember when he said, “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (Colossians 3:17). So whether it’s athletics, business, academics, hobbies or anything else, the key is to find a way for your activity to glorify God and advance His kingdom. I’m a big believer that we need committed Christians in the highest levels of sports, business and everywhere else in the secular world. How else can we influence and change a culture with messed up priorities?

Paul & Ancient Sports: Part 1 (5/1/09)

This is our first in a series on ancient sports.  And to start things off on the right foot, I made three mistakes on this video! First, the verses we will focus on are 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 (I said 24-26 on the video). You would think I would get the verses right since I wrote my Masters thesis on this passage!

Next, a comment I made didn’t come out quite right…and then it was too late to fix. Well, I tried to fix it with a little message on the bottom, and I’ll certainly stress in the next videos. But Paul’s reference to “winning and losing” does indeed apply to both our lives on earth and the afterlife. I was trying to stress the former (which is often neglected in this passage), but in doing so, I suggested that eternal benefits don’t happen. Anyway, I hope I didn’t mislead or confuse anyone.

Finally, my last mistake was technical. I was having audio problems and ended up recording in only one channel, i.e., you’ll only hear my voice in one speaker. I think this happened because I was trying to fix another problem where I was getting a ton of humming noise. Anyway, hopefully I’ll have it corrected for the next video.

I hope you come back for the remaining videos in the series. I had a blast learning about ancient sports for my thesis, and I think sporting fans in particular will find these messages to be interesting.