1.08 Paraphrases

1) The way a winner runs (v24)
“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”
• Zeal o Romans 12:11, “Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.” o Titus 2:14, “Who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.”
• Commitment o Romans 6:13, “Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness.”
• Focus o Phil 3:12-14, “Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my

- Another way to say this is with efficiency o Races are not always won by the person running the hardest
 Phrase: work smart not hard
• Running requires strategy o It requires that you don’t waste energy o It requires that all your energy is directed towards the correct goal o I have not watch too much rugby, but in the rugby I have watched I have never seen a player running with the ball then stopping to have a chat with one of the cheerleaders
 An athlete cannot divide their attention and expect to win
• Pauls’ two examples of this are o A runner: must run in the correct direction with the goal of following the course to get to the finish line o A Boxer: Wants his punches to make contact with his opponent, not just swishing through the air
 (Clubber Lang)
• The idea is clear for both, the effort used must be effective for getting to the goal

4) With Discipline (v27)
“But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.”
- The idea of disqualification we look at last week
- Disqualification is what is at stake o This principle follows over into the next chapter of Corinthians as well
 Christians, it possible that we could
• Do all the training