"It matters a great deal who is going to win, but not at all who won"
St Paul's application of athletic metaphors to the Christian life
Return to the book list for titles beginning with 'S'.
St Paul's application of athletic metaphors to the Christian life: an exegetical study of 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, Galatians 2:2, Phillippians 2:14-16, Philippians 3:13-14, and 2 Timothy 4:6-8, Dean A Vieselmeyer, MDiv, Concordia Theological Seminary
The thesis is 82 pages including 10 pages bibliography. It is in 6 chapters Introduction, Spiritual athletics in 1 Corinthians/ Galatians/Philippians.2 Timothy and Conclusion
The thesis is an exegetical study of 6 athletic references in the NT. The purpose is stated in the abstract:
"This study seeks to establish the full meaning of the Pauline directives of this athletic imagery, stressing the importance of sanctification in the Christian life. The Christian athlete is not to be a spectator in the stadium but a competitor in the contest...although these metaphors are taken from the athletic contests of the apostle's times, the instruction for the Christian athlete is the will of God as found in the Scriptures".
The conclusion is no more than a summary of the evidence gathered the four main chapters. No overall conclusion is drawn. I found this rather disappointing.