Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.
What does 1 Corinthians 9:24 mean?
The apostle compares himself to the racers and combatants in the Isthmian games, well known by the Corinthians. But in the Christian race all may run so as to obtain.
Key themes
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Keep this verse inside 1 Corinthians 9:24-25 and alongside a few nearby related passages.
Commentary on 1 Corinthians 9:24
Know ye not ... - In the remainder of this chapter, Paul illustrates the general sentiment on which he had been dwelling - the duty of practicing self-denial for the salvation of others - by a reference to the well known games which were celebrated near Corinth.
Key words
- receiveth
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But one receiveth the prize - The victor, and he alone.
Context in 1 Corinthians 9
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1 Corinthians 9 belongs to the middle movement of the book, especially the section often described as worship, gifts, and the body. First Corinthians is a pastoral and doctrinal letter correcting divisions while teaching about holiness, worship, gifts, and resurrection. Read this chapter with the wider themes of the cross, church order, and holiness in view so the individual verses keep their proper weight.
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