A Race and a Fight 1 Corinthians 9:25 And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Now Paul changes the figure from running to wrestling. He reminds his readers that everyone who competes in the games, that is, wrestles, exercises self-control in all things. A wrestler once asked his coach, “Can’t I smoke and drink and have a good time and still wrestle?” The coach replied, “Yes, you can, but you can’t win!” As Paul thinks of the contestants at the games, he sees the winner stepping up to receive his prize. What is it? It is a perishable crown, a garland of flowers or a wreath of leaves that will soon wither away. But in comparison he mentions an imperishable crown which will be awarded to all those who have been faithful in their service to Christ. 1 Corinthians 9:26 Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. In view of this imperishable crown, Paul states that he therefore runs not with uncertainty, and fights not as one who beats the air. His service was neither purposeless nor ineffectual. He had a definite aim before his eyes, and his intention was that his every action should count. There must be no wasted time or energy. The apostle was not interested in wild misses. 1 Corinthians 9:27 But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified. Instead, he disciplined his body, and brought it into subjection, lest when he had preached to others, he himself might be rejected or disqualified. In the Christian life, there is a necessity for self-control, for temperance, for discipline. We must practice self-mastery. The Apostle Paul realized the dread possibility that after he had preached to others, he himself might be disqualified. He is not suggesting that he might ever be lost, but that he might not stand the test as far as his service was concerned and might be rejected for the prize. Paul recognizes the awful possibility that, having preached to others, he himself might be put on the shelf by the Lord as no longer usable by Him. The passage is an extremely serious one and should cause deep heart-searching on the part of **1 Corinthians 9:27 But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified. **everyone who seeks to serve the Lord Christ. As Paul has been thinking of the necessity for self-control, the example of the Israelites comes before his mind. In chapter 10, he remembers how they became self-indulgent and careless in the discipline of their bodies, and thus became disqualified and disapproved. First of all, he speaks of the privileges of Israel (vv. 1–4); then the punishment of Israel (v. 5); and finally the causes of Israel’s downfall (vv. 6–10). Then he explains how these things apply to us (vv. 11–13). Old Testament Examples 1 Corinthians 10:1 Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, The apostle reminds the Corinthians that all the Jewish fathers were under the cloud and all passed through the sea. The emphasis is on the word all. He is thinking back to the time of their deliverance from Egypt and how they were miraculously guided by a pillar of cloud by day and pillar of fire by night. He is thinking back to the time when they passed through the Red Sea and escaped into the wilderness. As far as privilege was concerned, they all enjoyed divine guidance and divine deliverance. 1 Corinthians 10:2 all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, Not only that, but all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. To be baptized into Moses means to be identified with him and to acknowledge his leadership. As Moses led the children of Israel out of Egypt toward the Promised Land, all the nation of Israel pledged allegiance to Moses at first and recognized him as the divinely appointed savior. It has been suggested that the expression “under the cloud” refers to that which identified them with God, and the expression “through the sea” describes that which separated them from Egypt. 1 Corinthians 10:3 all ate the same spiritual food, They all ate the same spiritual food. This refers to the manna which was miraculously provided for the people of Israel as they journeyed through the wilderness. The expression spiritual food does not mean that it was non-material. It does not mean that it was invisible or unreal. Rather, spiritual simply means that the material food was a type or picture of spiritual nourishment, and that the spiritual reality is what the writer had primarily in mind. It may also include the idea that the food was supernaturally given. 1 Corinthians 10:4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. All through their journeyings, God wonderfully provided water for them to drink. It was real water, but again it is called spiritual drink in the sense that it was typical of spiritual refreshment, and miraculously provided. They would have died from thirst many times had not the Lord given them this water in a miraculous way. The Rock signifies the river that flowed from it and followed the Israelites. That Rock was Christ in the sense that He was the One who provided it and the One it represents, providing living water to His people. 1 Corinthians 10:5 But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. After enumerating all these marvelous privileges that were theirs, the apostle must now remind the Corinthians that with most of the Israelites God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. Although all Israel left Egypt and all professed to be one in heart and soul with their leader, Moses, yet the sad truth is that although their bodies were in the wilderness, yet their hearts were still back in Egypt. They enjoyed a physical deliverance from the bondage of Pharaoh, but they still lusted after the sinful pleasures of that country. Of all the warriors over twenty years of age who left Egypt, only two, Caleb and Joshua, ever won the prize—they reached the Promised Land. The carcasses of the rest of them fell in the wilderness as an evidence of God’s displeasure. 1 Corinthians 10:6 Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. In the events that happened in the time of the Exodus, we see teaching that applies to us. The children of Israel were actually examples for us, showing us what will happen to us if we also lust after evil things as they did. Macdonald, W. (1995). Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments. (A. Farstad, Ed.). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.