Question: Hi, I’m not sure if you’ve already done a post on this passage but I was wondering if I could get your opinion on whether or not you reckon 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 , Paul is speaking about the possibility that he could forfeit his salvation but not exercising self control but rather giving into the lusts of his flesh?
I’m interested to hear your thoughts because I’ve always been interested in that passage when I read it and I always hear people shrug it off as Paul is speaking about being unapproved in his ministry or potentially losing some heavenly rewards which would be the imperishable crown.
Answer: I think it is hard to deny that Paul has salvation in mind in that passage. In verse 22 he states that his purpose in being all things to all people for the sake of the Gospel is that he might “save” some. So the aim of the Gospel is the salvation of those who receive it. That is why Paul is preaching the Gospel, to see people saved by receiving it. He then transitions to being a partaker of that same Gospel, which would at least include the idea of being saved as a result of the Gospel. This leads to him talking about the discipline of the Gospel that is compared to running for the prize. Notice, Paul doesn’t say “a” prize. He says “the” prize. So this is not about different awards that various Christians might obtain based on ministry or service because it is the same prize for all of us. He then makes the contrast between the crown (which is the temporal prize for winning an earthly race) and the crown that believers win through the discipline of the Gospel (that is, the discipline of following the Gospel). This crown is imperishable. This is just a comparison. I don’t think Paul means that we will get a literal crown that will last forever. Rather, the crown represents eternal life, being finally saved, which is the aim of the Gospel (cf. vs. 22).
After Paul concludes that he exercises self-control for the sake of not being himself disqualified from the aim of the Gospel message he is preaching (which, again, in context, is salvation, not rewards), he transitions to the warnings of chapter 10 which is about the Israelites falling under severe judgment in the wilderness because they did not exercise such self-control. The prize for them would have been making it to the promised land, not gaining some sort of crown or reward. And of course the promised land for believers is heaven, not Canaan (see Hebrews). Paul says to be careful lest we fall. The point is that they were destroyed before they could make it to the promised land. Paul says all of this is given as examples to us who are at the end of the age. Why? Because we are also on a journey to the promised land, but ours is the eschatological promised land for those who, likewise, do not fall. This is strengthened even further by Paul as he then discusses the dangers of idolatry and not doing anything to offend those with a weaker conscience. Why? Because the aim, again, is for them to be “saved” (10:33)
So there is nothing in the context to support the idea that Paul is just talking abut being disqualified from some sort of heavenly reward or his status as a preacher of the Gospel. But there are a lot of strong contextual pointers to the idea that Paul has salvation in mind when he expresses his concerns about himself being disqualified. Really, contextually, it is the only reasonable option.
Hope that helps.
