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St. Paul often compared the Christian life to the training and competition of athletic competitors. This is very clear in his First Letter to the Corinthians.
What is St. Paul talking about?
St. Paul is writing to the Christians in the city of Corinth. In between the Olympic Games, which were held at Olympia (hence the name), there were other games that were held during "off" years, such as the games located at the Isthmus of Corinth.
These were called the "Isthmian Games," and St. Paul may have witnessed these games in his lifetime.
In the 19th-century book The Life and Epistles of St. Paul, the author explains the probability that St. Paul attended such games.
Furthermore, St. Paul is clearly referencing the ultimate prize given to the winner of these races: a laurel wreath crown.
He may have watched the various competitions, such as chariot races, the javelin, the long jump, footraces, wrestling and boxing.
St. Paul refers in his letter to the Corinthians to the footraces, which are similar to the races that are still held at the Olympics today.
When we watch the Olympics in our own time, we can watch as St. Paul did and be inspired to be a saint, attaining to perfection in the spiritual life to "win" an everlasting crown in Heaven.
