A GOOD ATHLETE
H. Edwin Young
II Timothy 2:5
Paul did not use the language of the cloister. This
grizzly apostle did not talk in high and philosophical
terms where people could not understand him. Paul
used words from athletic contests. He used words from
the barracks. Paul thought that he was engaged in the
greatest game, the greatest enterprise, the greatest
adventure on the face of this earth. He was excited
about it, he was thrilled about it because the apostle
felt that he was a part of the body of Christ and
serving in the army and on the team of the Lord Jesus
Christ,Himself. Therefore, his words are graphic. In
one place he pictures himself as a track star and he
is getting ready to toe the mark and get set. He
pictures all of his muscles extended, ready to run the
race that was set before him. Another place Paul sees
himself as a boxer. He's not shadow boxing, he said,
"I'm not a boxer that is beating the air," but he
says, "I am in a real contest, I'm in the ring, I'm in
the middle of a battle." And so we see the apostle
Paul setting the framework for the Christian life with
athletic terminology. He uses sports words - words
from the olympics. Words that were comon to the
vernacular of that day. And he says, "We are all in a
game." The game is called life and he says, "in this
game we are charged as members of God's family to
simply begin by .... in the first place.... playing
the game."
I live second door from a guy by the name of Bobby
Froman. Bobby had more money than the rest of us and
he always had the best athletic equipment, but he was
sort of a cantankerous kind of guy. He couldn't play
the games very well, he was dumpy and slow and you
know, he wasn't a real athlete but we would always go
and get Bobby and invite him to play because he always
had the best equipment. But if we didn't play
according to the way he wanted to, he would take his
ball and bat ...
H. Edwin Young
II Timothy 2:5
Paul did not use the language of the cloister. This
grizzly apostle did not talk in high and philosophical
terms where people could not understand him. Paul
used words from athletic contests. He used words from
the barracks. Paul thought that he was engaged in the
greatest game, the greatest enterprise, the greatest
adventure on the face of this earth. He was excited
about it, he was thrilled about it because the apostle
felt that he was a part of the body of Christ and
serving in the army and on the team of the Lord Jesus
Christ,Himself. Therefore, his words are graphic. In
one place he pictures himself as a track star and he
is getting ready to toe the mark and get set. He
pictures all of his muscles extended, ready to run the
race that was set before him. Another place Paul sees
himself as a boxer. He's not shadow boxing, he said,
"I'm not a boxer that is beating the air," but he
says, "I am in a real contest, I'm in the ring, I'm in
the middle of a battle." And so we see the apostle
Paul setting the framework for the Christian life with
athletic terminology. He uses sports words - words
from the olympics. Words that were comon to the
vernacular of that day. And he says, "We are all in a
game." The game is called life and he says, "in this
game we are charged as members of God's family to
simply begin by .... in the first place.... playing
the game."
I live second door from a guy by the name of Bobby
Froman. Bobby had more money than the rest of us and
he always had the best athletic equipment, but he was
sort of a cantankerous kind of guy. He couldn't play
the games very well, he was dumpy and slow and you
know, he wasn't a real athlete but we would always go
and get Bobby and invite him to play because he always
had the best equipment. But if we didn't play
according to the way he wanted to, he would take his
ball and bat ...
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