They are destined to run! There are many athletes with super human strength, endurance and running abilities recorded in the Bible. Paul and his friends are simply amazing as we read some of their record.
The Apostle Paul and his friends: a marathon of faith for a crown of victory
Anyone interested in sports would have noticed that Paul describes Christian life as a life-long race and a boxing that requires preparation in the form of regimented boot camp training, keeping and staying fit. He describes himself as an example. He runs and finishes his race course and urges his disciples and friends to do the same. Read his travel journey : mostly done by foot, scheduled by tight deadlines, over cross country terrains, frequently on the run from city to city, fleeing from and outrunning enemies right behind (on their heels). The New Testament delineates at least fifty cities visited during his (at least) five major travels or missionary journeys. Paul’s timeline from his encountering the resurrected Jesus to his martyrdom spanned over a mere thirty years. His three missionary and related follow up travels took twenty years. We could not find another equivalent traveler with that kind of mileage recorded in such details.
Often he did not travel/run alone. He was accompanied with his Christian friends and co-workers. How did he run so well and so consistently? In his letters to Timothy specifically, and to a number of Christians in various churches, The Corinthians, Philippians, Thessalonians, and in the Book of Hebrews, he gave them the key to his resilience, consistency, endurance, and the secret to finishing well.
Careful readers of Paul’s letters cannot help but marvel at his passionate running the race, as a true athlete does.
Read the following Bible verses to find his motivation and goal. Let us all be encouraged to run our own Christian race and finish the course well!
2025-09-07 (first draft)
Bible verses: Acts 14:19-21, Hebrews 12:1-3, 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, Philippians 2:15-17, Philippians 3:12-14, 2 Thessalonians 3:1-3, 2 Corinthians 11:22-28 (hardships and perils)
1 Corinthians 9:24-27
Striving for a Crown
24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may [a]obtain it. 25 And everyone who competes for the prize [b]is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. 26 Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. 27 But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.
Footnotes
1 Corinthians 9:24 win
1 Corinthians 9:25 exercises self-control
Philippians 2:13 New King James Version
13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.
Note: I posted this same article in WordPress blog: https://wp.me/pzRwB-9OA
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