During his years in Corinth...
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During his years in Corinth, Paul must have been an interested spectator at many athletic events. Corinth was near the site of the famed Olympic games, which were held every four years and which attracted runners and other athletes from all Europe. One stipulation of the old games was that contestants must train faithfully for at least ten months before the events. The Corinthians must therefore have been treated to a steady diet of match races and test races as the competitors practiced. Athletes in training also followed rigid diets and a strict personal regime of daily exercise, rest, and competition. Paul would also have noticed that when the' athletes performed, they stripped down to a loin cloth or to complete nakedness so nothing could impede them. Perhaps it should be added the competitors and spectators were all men, for the women had their separate events. Paul was deeply impressed by the dedication these athletes showed to their sport and the serious way in which they trained. He learned many lessons from them which he applied to the Christian life, comparing it to a race or a fight. Christians need to strip down, just like the athletes, by laying aside the impediments of sin and selfishness, he wrote. They also need to keep their eyes on the target or the finish line and to run their race with patience and persistence.
