Destined to run! the apostle Paul and his friends: a marathon of faith

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

5 am lesson: How to carry out your divine appointment?

Every follower of Jesus has been given a divine appointment. Jesus demonstrated how this can be carried out when He was walking on earth. Just as He had promised, His yoke is easy and His burden is light. It is an easy job as far as Jesus is concerned. The disciples too carried out the same just as Jesus had commanded.

The appointment: And Jesus came to them saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the edge.” (Matt.28:18-20)

Mark 16:15-18 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick and they will recover.” 20 “And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen.”

How were the ordinary disciples sent out? Jesus showed how this was done.

Luke 10:1 “After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go.”

2 Then He said to them, “...pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”

3 “Go your way; behold, I send you out...”

4 “”Carry neither money bag...and greet no one along the road.”

5 “But whatever house you enter...”

6 “And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on it...”

7 “And remain in the same house eating and drinking such things as they give...”

8 “Whatever city you enter and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you.”

9 “And heal the sick there and say to them, 'the kingdom of God has come near to you.'”

It is clear that the only mission Jesus gave the disciples was in verse 9: heal the sick and preach the kingdom of God Good News in the city that received them who went in Jesus' name.

What was the purpose of Jesus asking the disciples to do these two things?

Jesus gave the answer: Luke 10:17-20, 22

17 The disciples returned and reported that demons were subject to them in Jesus' name.

18 Satan's authority and power had been superseded when the disciples took up the authority of Jesus and moved in the power of the Holy Spirit.

19 It proved that the authority Jesus gave to the disciples was indeed superior: they can trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt them.

20 But the more significant issue is: the disciples have proved their worth by demonstrating their citizenship in the Kingdom of God, their sons of God status, both in authority and power over Satan's subjects.

22 The display of the superior authority and power of Jesus confirmed to the disciples that Jesus is the Son of God as He had claimed to be. His supremacy in the spiritual realm is evident to those whom He chose to reveal Himself.

And this is the message of the gospel: the Kingdom of God is what Jesus has brought to the world. All who believe Him and follow Him as the disciples did could enter through His gate. He is the Gate. Citizenship in the Kingdom of God is far more superior than that of all the other kingdoms on earth.

The disciples tasted this Kingdom and continued even after Jesus ascended to heaven. They moved in the supreme authority and power of Jesus, the Son of God. They lived out their divine appointment.

The Kingdom of God has continued to advance since then. Are you part of this Kingdom? Have you received your divine appointment?