Bible Strands
1 Corinthians 9:25
Everyone who competes in the games trains with strict discipline. They do it for a crown that is perishable, but we do it for a crown that is imperishable.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Paul, writing to the Corinthian church, mid-argument (9:24–27) urging them to treat their Christian life as a disciplined contest rather than a casual pursuit.
The words — ἐγκρατεὺεται (egkrateuetai, G1467) is the verse's hinge: "controls himself," a term from Stoic ethics for deliberate self-mastery, which Paul redirects toward a spiritual end.
The thread — 2 Timothy 2:5 ties the crown to competing "according to the rules"; 1 Timothy 6:12 pairs the fight with "eternal life"; Revelation 2:10 promises a "crown of life" to those who remain faithful under persecution.
Why it lands — The verse is a cost-benefit argument: the world's reward rots, yours does not, so the discipline required now is cheaper than the alternative.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.
Cross-references
- 2 Timothy 2:5 Likewise, a competitor does not receive the crown unless he competes according to the rules.
- Revelation 2:10 Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison to test you, and you will suffer tribulation for ten days. Be faithful even unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.
- 1 Timothy 6:12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made the good confession before many witnesses.
- 2 Timothy 4:7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
- James 1:12 Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him.
- Revelation 3:11 I am coming soon. Hold fast to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.
- 2 Peter 1:6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness;
- 1 Peter 1:4 and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, reserved in heaven for you,
- 1 Peter 5:4 And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.
- Ephesians 6:12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this world’s darkness, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.