"Lord, I don't ask that I should win, but please, please don't let me finish behind Akabusi."
Athletes of the Bible
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Conference paper, Angela Lumpkin 1979
The paper concludes that the origin of the concept of Muscular Christianity (the view that moral virtues are developed in conjunction with physical abilities) can be traced back not just to England in the 19th century but to the Old Testament.
The paper refers to David as a man of courage physical prowess as well as obedience to God. She refers to references in the Psalms to his skill in archery, with a spear and in running. Elijah outran Ahab’s chariot over a distance of 16 miles. Samson was a strong man. They served as examples for others possessing the drive and desire to develop their whole selves in God’s service.
In the New Testament Paul associated the life of the Christian with that of a soldier and athlete , writing about armour. a crown, running, fighting the good fight, finishing the course etc
In its early days the YMCA encouraged their members to adopt the goals of sportsmanship, fair play, teamwork and courage. More recently, coaches like John Wooden drew heavily on the Bible and similarly coach Patsy Neil illustrated the life of an athlete through Bible passages. Thus, she suggests the foundations of Muscular Christianity have been drawn more from biblical teaching than from youthful sports.