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Ancient Greek race at the
Panathenaic Games , illustrated on a Greek vase. Like the
Isthmian Games of
Corinth , the Panathenaic Games continued into early Christian times.
[1]
The
New Testament uses a number of athletic
metaphors in discussing Christianity, especially in the
Pauline epistles and the
Epistle to the Hebrews . Such metaphors also appear in the writings of contemporary philosophers, such as
Epictetus and
Philo ,
[2] drawing on the tradition of the
Olympic Games ,
[3] and this may have influenced New Testament use of the imagery.
[4]
The metaphor of running a race "with perseverance" appears in
Hebrews 12:1,
[5] and related metaphors appear in
Philippians 2:16,
[6]
Galatians 2:2,
[7] and Galatians 5:7.
[8] In
2 Timothy 4:7, Paul writes "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."
[9]
In
1 Corinthians 9:24–26,
[10] written to the city that hosted the
Isthmian Games ,
[11] the metaphor is extended from running to other games, such as
boxing ,
[12] to make the point that winning a prize requires discipline, self-control, and coordinated activity.
[13] In
2 Timothy 2:5
[14] the same point is made.
[15] These athletic metaphors are also echoed in later Christian writing.
[16]
As with
New Testament military metaphors , these metaphors appear in many hymns, such as
Fight the Good Fight with All Thy Might ,
[17] which was sung in the film
Chariots of Fire ; and "
Angel Band ",
[18] which was sung in the film
O Brother, Where Art Thou? .
New Testament athletic metaphors were embraced by advocates of
muscular Christianity , both in the
Victorian era and in later times.
[19]
[20]
See also
References
^ Susan Heuck Allen,
Finding the walls of Troy: Frank Calvert and Heinrich Schliemann at Hisarlík , University of California Press, 1999,
ISBN
0-520-20868-4 , p. 39.
^ Anthony C. Thiselton,
The First Epistle to the Corinthians: A commentary on the Greek text , Eerdmans, 2000,
ISBN
0-8028-2449-8 , p. 713.
^ David Arthur DeSilva,
Perseverance in Gratitude: A socio-rhetorical commentary on the Epistle "to the Hebrews" , Eerdmans, 2000,
ISBN
0-8028-4188-0 , p. 362.
^ Roman Garrison,
The Graeco-Roman Context of Early Christian Literature , Continuum International Publishing Group, 1997,
ISBN
1-85075-646-5 , p. 104.
^
Hebrews 12:1, NIV (BibleGateway) : "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us."
^
Philippians 2:16, NIV (BibleGateway).
^
Galatians 2:2, NIV (BibleGateway).
^
Galatians 5:7, NIV (BibleGateway).
^
2 Timothy 4:7, NIV (BibleGateway).
^
1 Corinthians 9:24–26, NIV (BibleGateway).
^
Leland Ryken , Jim Wilhoit,
Tremper Longman , Colin Duriez, Douglas Penney, and Daniel G. Reid,
Dictionary of Biblical Imagery , InterVarsity Press, 1998,
ISBN
0-8308-1451-5 , p. 693 (RACE).
^ John Phillips,
Exploring 1 Corinthians: An expository commentary , Kregel Publications, 2002,
ISBN
0-8254-3495-5 , p. 200.
^ Jerome H. Neyrey and Bruce J. Malina,
Paul, in Other Words: A Culture Reading of His Letters , Westminster John Knox Press, 1990,
ISBN
0-664-22159-9 , p. 144.
^
2 Timothy 2:5, NIV (BibleGateway).
^ John Norman Davidson Kelly,
A Commentary on the Pastoral Epistles: I Timothy, II Timothy, Titus , Part 1, Continuum International Publishing Group, 1963,
ISBN
0-7136-1366-1 , p. 176.
^ Jason König,
Athletics and Literature in the Roman Empire , Cambridge University Press, 2005,
ISBN
0-521-83845-2 , p. 133.
^
The Cyber Hymnal: Fight the Good Fight with All Thy Might : "Run the straight race through God's good grace."
^
The Cyber Hymnal: My Latest Sun Is Sinking Fast : "My race is nearly run; / My strongest trials now are past, / My triumph is begun."
^ Richard G. Kyle,
Evangelicalism: An Americanized Christianity , Transaction Publishers, 2006,
ISBN
0-7658-0324-0 , p. 203.
^ Dane S. Claussen (ed),
The Promise Keepers: Essays on masculinity and Christianity , McFarland, 2000,
ISBN
0-7864-0700-X , p. 194.