‘Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? What about being disqualified?
Let's see this message through the lens of grace.
The entire context is about sharing the gospel with law loving Jews, and Pauls willingness to not be a ‘grace in your face’
Verse 1 Corinthians 9:24 reads ‘Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize?
Verse 27 ‘I [l]discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.’
The context is this.
Paul just got through saying he is totally free in Christ. But, his heart is the share the gospel and bring people to Christ. He’s even willing to make concessions from his freedom to get the message out there.
Some Jews are all about the law. So, for their sake only, Paul would meet them in the middle (so to speak) and not push his freedom in their face. Examples might be, If someone was all about not eating meat sacrificed to animals, then while with them Paul would not eat meat - even though he was free to do so. If someone was all about the Sabbath, then Paul would not work while with them either. He’d deprive himself of his freedom if that meant sharing the gospel of Christ.
15 But I have used none of these things. And I am not writing these things so that it will be done so in my case; for it would be better for me to die than have any man make my boast an empty one. 16 For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for I am under compulsion; for woe is me if I do not preach the gospel. 17 For if I do this voluntarily, I have a reward; but if against my will, I have a stewardship entrusted to me. 18 What then is my reward? That, when I preach the gospel, I may offer the gospel without charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel.
19 For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more. 20 To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might win Jews; to those who are under [h]the Law, as under [i]the Law though not being myself under [j]the Law, so that I might win those who are under [k]the Law; 21 to those who are without law, as without law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ so that I might win those who are without law. 22 To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some. 23 I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it.
So - this ‘race to run’ is sharing the gospel, and the ‘prize’ is salvation to those that hear with faith.
Flesh Runners (works) do it for an award that is perishable, but Pauls race offers a better award! Eternal Salvation.
Vs 25 They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.
The training and discipline (vs 27) Paul is doing is just what I described above. He’s using self control to save the lost.
So, this running Paul is doing is not a bunch of fleshy church works. It’s a willingness to do what he needs to do to bring people to Jesus. To the weak, Paul would be weak. To a law loving Jew, Paul would act like a Jew under the law (even though he was NOT under law). Note - that simply means that Paul did not jam his grace in their face. He was respectful.
Now, as for this word at the end ‘disqualified’. Let's read it.
Verse 27 ‘I [l]discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.’
The context is NOT being disqualified by God. It’s not about letting God down.
The context is Paul is preaching the gospel. He has disciplined himself not to be a jerk to the Jews. If Paul was not willing to be respectful about his new found freedom, the JEWS WOULD NOT LISTEN. To them, he’d be disqualified. No one would get saved.
jesuswithoutreligion.com/