1 Corinthians 9:24–10:13

Striving for a Crown

²⁴Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? ^lRun in such a way that you may ⁹obtain it. ²⁵And everyone who competes for the prize ¹is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for ^man imperishable crown. ²⁶Therefore I run thus: ⁿnot with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. ^27oBut I discipline my body and ^pbring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become ^qdisqualified.

Old Testament Examples

10Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under ^athe cloud, all passed through ^bthe sea, ²all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, ³all ate the same ^cspiritual food, ⁴and all drank the same ^dspiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. ⁵But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies ^ewere scattered in the wilderness.

⁶Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as ^fthey also lusted. ^7gAnd do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, ^h“The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.” ⁸ⁱNor let us commit sexual immorality, as ^jsome of them did, and ^kin one day twenty-three thousand fell; ⁹nor let us ¹tempt Christ, as ^lsome of them also tempted, and ^mwere destroyed by serpents; ¹⁰nor complain, as ⁿsome of them also complained, and ^owere destroyed by ^pthe destroyer. ¹¹Now ²all these things happened to them as examples, and ^qthey were written for our ³admonition, ^rupon whom the ends of the ages have come.

¹²Therefore ^slet him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. ¹³No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but ^tGod is faithful, ^uwho will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to ⁴bear it.