Commentary on the Epistles to the Corinthians John Calvin (continued)
Commentary on the Corinthians the arena, but he alone is crowned who has first reached the goal, so there is no reason why any one should feel satisfied with himself on the ground of his having once entered upon the race prescribed in the gospel, unless he persevere in it until death. There is, however, this difference between our contest and theirs, that among them only one is victorious, and obtains the palm — the man who has got before all the others; 509 but our condition is superior in this respect, that there may be many at the same time. 510
For God requires from us nothing more than that we press on vigorously until we reach the goal. 511 Thus one does not hinder another: nay more, those who run in the Christian race are mutually helpful to each other. He expresses the same sentiment in another form in 2 Timothy 2:5,
If any one striveth, he is not crowned, unless he strives lawfully. So run. Here we have the application of the similitude — that it is not enough to have set out, if we do not continue to run during our whole life. For our life is like a race-course. We must not therefore become wearied after a short time, like one that stops short in the middle of the race-course, but instead of this, death alone must put a period to our running. The particle {ὅυτω}, (so,) may be taken in two ways. Chrysostom connects it with what goes before, in this manner: as those who run do not stop running until they have reached the goal, so do ye also persevere, and do not stop running so long as you live. It will, however, correspond not inaptly with what follows. "You must not run so as to stop short in the middle of the race-course, but so as to obtain the prize." As to the term stadium, (race-course,) and the different kinds of races, 512 I say nothing, as these things may be obtained from grammarians, and it is generally known that there were some races on horseback, and others on foot. Nor are these things particularly needed for understanding Paul's meaning.
25. Now every one that striveth. As he had exhorted to perseverance, it remained to state in what way they must persevere. This second thing he now sets before them by a comparison taken from pugilists; not indeed in every particular, 513 but in so far as was required by the subject in hand, within which he confines himself — how far they ought to yield to the weakness of the brethren. Now he argues from the less to the greater, that it is an unseemly thing if we grudge to give up our right, inasmuch as the pugilists eating their coliphium, 514 and that sparingly and not to the full, voluntarily race-course for some prize."
509"Qui a mieux couru que los antres, et est le premier venu au but;" — "Who has run better than the others, and has come first to the goal."
510"I1 yen pent auoir plusieurs de nons qui soyent couronnez;" — "There may be many of us that are crowned."
511"Que nons ne perdions point courage, mais que perscuerions constamment jusques a la fin;" — "That we do not lose heart, but persevere steadfastly unto the end."
512"Qui estoyent anciennement en vsage;" — "Which were anciently in use." 513"Non pas qu'il vucille appliquer la similitude en tout et par tout;" — "Not that he meant to apply the similitude out and out."
514"C'estoit vnc sorte de pain propre pour entretenir et augmenter la force, duquel vsoyent ordinairement les lutteurs et telles gens. Les Grecs le nonmoyent coliphium;" — "This was