How many believers have lived under the dreadful fear of being cast away from
salvation and grace, by reason of some lapse, frailty or sin? This
misinterpretation of 1 Corinthians 9:27 is comparable to the harm done to tender
consciences, that has been wrought by misunderstanding ‘the sin unto death’ of 1
John 5 and ‘the impossibility of renewing unto repentance’ of Hebrews 6.
A fuller examination of the Greek word translated ‘castaway’ will be found
under the heading
RIGHT DIVISION
(2 Tim. 2:15) where
dokimon is translated ‘approved’. Here in 1 Corinthians
9:27 the Greek word is adokimos. ‘disapproved’.
The subject under discussion is that of winning a prize or crown, and the idea
implied in the word translated ‘castaway’ is that of being ‘disqualified’ as a
contestant in a race. For no man is crowned ‘except he strive lawfully’ (2 Tim.
2:5). This matter will be found more fully handled under the headings
HOPE and
PRIZE, to which the reader’s
attention is directed.
