Disqualified

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"Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it.  Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air.  But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified."  --1 Corinthians 9:24-27

Over the past few months I have wrestled with this passage of Scripture.  Specifically, one little word has become a bit of a stumbling block for me:

DISQUALIFIED

Just what did the Apostle Paul have in mind as he penned these words under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit?  Did he mean to imply that one could lose your eternal salvation if you were not "good" enough or "disciplined" enough?  Why would the greatest missionary for the gospel of Jesus Christ feel as though he could possibly be "disqualified," or as the King James Version puts it, "castaway" by God?

Well, these questions led me to more questions, which have recently led me to some answers that have encouraged me, and might serve as an encouragement to you, too, dear friend! You see, after diving into this passage a bit further, I believe that Paul is not talking about matters of salvation, but service.

Let me explain.

First of all, to best understand Paul's warning, we need to examine the culture in Corinth, Greece, at the time Paul penned these words.  In Greece, there were two sets of athletic games, the Olympics and the Isthmian games.  These Isthmian games were actually held in the city of Corinth every three years, so the people Paul was writing to were very familiar with the athletic analogy he uses in his letter.  Athletes in these games had to take an oath that they had trained for 10 months and given up certain foods in their diet, etc.  In fact, their last month of training was spent at Corinth with daily supervised workouts.  In essence, these athletes' lives were an embodiment of self-denial, intense training, and grueling preparation.

So now that we understand the culture of the games, let's look at the Greek word translated as "disqualified" in verse 27--it is adokimos and means "unapproved, rejected, worthless."  Some scholars maintain that this word has the connotation of "reprobate" which means excluded from salvation and lost in sin.  However, knowing what we know about the athletic metaphor Paul is using in this passage, let us think a bit about the connotation of disqualified as it pertains to the Olympic games. If an athlete were to go to compete in the games and become disqualified, that individual would not be striped of their athletic status, would they?  Rather, they would simply be pulled out of a particular event and would not be allowed to compete.  They would lose out in being rewarded with the laurel-wreath prize atop their heads and would not share in the glory of victory.  But they would still be an athlete!

I feel certain that what Paul is discussing in this passage is not a believer's vulnerability of losing his or her eternal salvation.  Instead, I think he is issuing a solemn warning that a believer could be in a position of no longer being used by God to further the kingdom of Christ.  If a believer lives an undisciplined, lazy, self-indulgent, and careless life, there ARE consequences!  This person can be shelved by the Lord and disqualified to serve God for the Kingdom, losing out on ministry and opportunities to serve the Lord.

In addition, this interpretation of 1 Corinthians 9:27 dovetails beautifully into the very next chapter (and verse) of 1 Corinthians chapter 10.  As you probably know, chapter and verse delineations were not in the original Scriptures--they were a later add-on to help scholars study and refer to particular passages of Scripture.  So, when we look at 1 Corinthians 9:27, we must naturally read right on into chapter 10 to continue Paul's thought on the matter.  In this chapter, Paul goes on to talk about the Israelites who were all saved by Moses out of the slavery in Egypt and covered by the cloud of God's presence.  But out of all those people who were saved by the Lord, only TWO had the faith and perseverance to go on to be used by God to enter into and conquer the Promise Land:  Joshua and Caleb.  Again we see the same theme and the same warning here--all of those who were "saved" and "covered" are not necessarily used by God in His service.  That privilege is reserved for those believers who remain spiritually disciplined, approved, and qualified.

But do not misunderstand!  While we as believers ought to be disciplined, we can never do that apart from total dependence upon God!  (One of my favorite authors on that topic is Jerry Bridges--I'd highly recommend this resource if you'd like to learn more about the interplay of personal discipline and God's grace in the process of sanctification.)

And so, dear friend, Paul's warning about not becoming disqualified agrees with the general body of teaching in the New Testament to the effect that, no, a true believer in Christ cannot lose their salvation, as no true sheep of Christ will ever perish.  (I'd love to dive into that more, too, but that will have to wait for another blog post.)  And so, dear one, let us train ourselves in the spiritual disciplines and dig in hard for the fight, so that we can go on to be used in mighty ways for His kingdom!