SEV Biblia, Chapter 9:25
Y todo aquel que lucha, en todo demuestra templanza; y ellos, a la verdad, para recibir una corona corruptible; mas nosotros, una incorruptible.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - 1 Corinthians 9:25
Verse 25. Is temperate in all things] All those who contended in these exercises went through a long state and series of painful preparations. To this exact discipline Epictetus refers, cap. x25: qeleiv olumpia nikhsai; dei s eutaktein, anagkotrofein, apecesqai, pemmatwn, gumnazesqai prov anagkhn en wra tetagmenh, en kaumati, en yucei, mh yucron pinein, mh oinon wv etucen? aplwv,wv iatrw, paradedwkenai seauton tw epistath? eita eiv ton agwna parercesqai? k. t. l. "Do you wish to gain the prize at the Olympic games?-Consider the requisite preparations and the consequences: you must observe a strict regimen; must live on food which you dislike; you must abstain from all delicacies; must exercise yourself at the necessary and prescribed times both in heat and in cold; you must drink nothing cooling; take no wine as formerly; in a word, you must put yourself under the directions of a pugilist, as you would under those of a physician, and afterwards enter the lists. Here you may get your arm broken, your foot put out of joint, be obliged to swallow mouthfuls of dust, to receive many stripes, and after all be conquered." Thus we find that these suffered much hardships in order to conquer, and yet were uncertain of the victory. Horace speaks of it in nearly the same way:- Qui studet optatam cursu contingere metam, Multa tulit fecitque puer: sudavit et alsit: Abstinuit Venere et Baccho.
Deuteronomy Arte Poet., ver. 412.
A youth who hopes the Olympic prize to gain, All arts must try, and every toil sustain; Th' extremes of heat and cold must often prove; And shun the weakening joys of wine and love. Francis.
These quotations show the propriety of the apostle's words: Every man that striveth for the mastery, pavta egkrateuetai, is temperate, or continent, in all things.
They do it to obtain a corruptible crown] The crown won by the victor in the Olympian games was made of the wild olive; in the Pythian games of laurel; in the Nemean games of parsley; and in the Isthmian games of the pine. These were all corruptible, for they began to wither as soon as they were separated from the trees, or plucked out of the earth. In opposition to these, the apostle says, he contended for an incorruptible crown, the heavenly inheritance. He sought not worldly honour; but that honour which comes from God.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 25. And every man that striveth for the mastery , etc.] Either in running a race, or in wrestling; for the word here used agrees with both, and both are in the context referred to, nor has the apostle as yet done with his allusion to running in a race; is temperate in all things ; contains himself from venery, abstains from certain sorts of food, which tend to hinder the agility, or weaken the strength of the body; and indulges not himself in sloth and idleness, but exercises himself in various manners, that he may be prepared for running or wrestling: the apostles view in this, seems to be to strengthen some exhortations he had already given, to abstain from fornication, and the immoderate use of venery; to forbear eating things offered to idols, and not give themselves up to luxury and intemperance; for should they be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness, and the cares of this life, they would be very unfit for their Christian race, or for wrestling with principalities and powers, and the discharging of the business of a Christian profession: now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown ; they confine themselves to a certain diet and course of living, and abstain from things otherwise desirable to nature; and this they do for the sake of a fading crown, a crown of leaves, made of the boughs and leaves of olives, laurels, pine, etc. or of parsley, green or dried, as before observed f162 : but we an incorruptible ; even eternal life; compared to a crown, for the riches, glory, and lustre of it; and as suitable to the character and dignity of saints, who are kings as well as priests unto God: it is called incorruptible, because it is so in its own nature; nor can it be corrupted by other things, as crowns even of gold may; nor shall any corrupt person wear it; the corruption of nature must be removed from the saints, yea, that frailty and mortality of human nature, which sometimes goes by the name of corruption, must be taken away, ere they can inherit this crown and kingdom; nor will it ever fade away, as the corruptible crowns of the conquerors in these games did, and that in a very short time; but this will last for ever, and always continue in the same glory and lustre.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 24-27 - The apostle compares himself to the racers and combatants in the Isthmian games, well known by the Corinthians. But in the Christia race all may run so as to obtain. There is the greatest encouragement therefore, to persevere with all our strength, in this course. Thos who ran in these games were kept to a spare diet. They used themselve to hardships. They practised the exercises. And those who pursue the interests of their souls, must combat hard with fleshly lusts. The bod must not be suffered to rule. The apostle presses this advice on the Corinthians. He sets before himself and them the danger of yielding to fleshly desires, pampering the body, and its lusts and appetites. Holy fear of himself was needed to keep an apostle faithful: how much mor is it needful for our preservation! Let us learn from hence humilit and caution, and to watch against dangers which surround us while in the body __________________________________________________________________
Greek Textus Receptus
πας 3956 A-NSM δε 1161 CONJ ο 3588 T-NSM αγωνιζομενος 75 5740 V-PNP-NSM παντα 3956 A-APN εγκρατευεται 1467 5736 V-PNI-3S εκεινοι 1565 D-NPM μεν 3303 PRT ουν 3767 CONJ ινα 2443 CONJ φθαρτον 5349 A-ASM στεφανον 4735 N-ASM λαβωσιν 2983 5632 V-2AAS-3P ημεις 2249 P-1NP δε 1161 CONJ αφθαρτον 862 A-ASM
Vincent's NT Word Studies
25. Striveth for the mastery (agwnizomenov). Better, Rev., striveth in the games, thus preserving the metaphor. The word was the regular term for contending in the arena or on the stage.Is temperate (egkrateuetai). Only here and ch. vii. 9. The candidate for the races was required to be ten months in training, and to practice in the gymnasium immediately before the games, under the direction of judges who had themselves been instructed for ten months in the details of the games. The training was largely dietary. Epictetus says: "Thou must be orderly, living on spare food; abstain from confections; make a point of exercising at the appointed time, in heat and in cold; nor drink cold water nor wine at hazard." Horace says: "The youth who would win in the race hath borne and done much; he hath sweat and been cold; he hath abstained from love and wine" ("Ars Poetica," 412). Tertullian, commending the example of the athletes to persecuted Christians, says: "Coguntur, cruciantur, fatigantur." "They are constrained, harassed, wearied" ("Ad Martyres," 3). Compare 2 Tim. ii. 5.
Crown (stefanon). Chaplet of pine-leaves. See on Apoc. iv. 4.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
9:25 {That striveth in the games} (ho agwnizomenos). Common verb for contest in the athletic games (agwn), sometimes with the cognate accusative, agwna agwnizomai as in #1Ti 6:12; 2Ti 4:7. Probably Paul often saw these athletic games. {Is temperate in all things} (panta egkrateuetai). Rare verb, once in Aristotle and in a late Christian inscription, and #1Co 7:9 and here, from egkrates, common adjective for one who controls himself. The athlete qen and now has to control himself (direct middle) in all things (accusative of general reference). this is stated by Paul as an athletic axiom. Training for ten months was required under the direction of trained judges. Abstinence from wine was required and a rigid diet and regimen of habits.
{A corruptible crown} (fqarton stefanon). stefanos (crown) is from stefw, to put around the head, like the Latin _corona_, wreath or garland, badge of victory in the games. In the Isthmian games it was of pine leaves, earlier of parsley, in the Olympian games of the wild olive. "Yet these were the most coveted honors in the whole Greek world" (Findlay). For the crown of thorns on Christ's head see #Mt 27:29; Mr 15:17; Joh 19:2,5. diadema (diadem) was for kings (#Re 12:3). Favorite metaphor in N.T., the crown of righteousness (#2Ti 4:8), the crown of life (#Jas 1:12), the crown of glory (#1Pe 5:4), the crown of rejoicing (#1Th 2:9), description of the Philippians (#Php 4:1). Note contrast between fqarton (verbal adjective from fqeirw, to corrupt) like the garland of pine leaves, wild olive, or laurel, and afqarton (same form with a privative) like the crown of victory offered the Christian, the amaranthine (unfading rose) crown of glory (#1Pe 5:4).
