1Cor 9:27 | Burkitt | STEP | The original word may be fitly rendered, I give myself blue eyes; alluding to the olympic game of cuffing, in which the combatants were wont with their blows to beat one another, till they made each other livid, their eyes black and blue. The sense is, that by mortification he used great severity upon himself, contending against and combating with that body of sin and death which did obstruct and hinder him in running the Christian race which was set before him. The word it in the Greek is an allusion to the other exercise of wrestling, wherein the antagonists or contenders do strive to cast each other to the ground, and to keep them under. So he, the better to subdue his body of sin, was careful to keep down the body of flesh, which if pampered is apt to rebel. He concludes all with a reason why he exercised all this care and caution; namely, That is, lest when he had acquainted them with the laws and rules of Christianity, and proposed to them the way of striving and getting the crown, he himself should at last prove a cast-away, or one unworthy to be approved or rewarded by God. From whence observe, 1. That it is possible for him who has been all his life preaching to others, and furthering them in their way to heaven, to be thrown himself into hell at last. Many that have prophecied in Christ's name shall yet perish in his wrath; and such as have cast devils out of others, shall yet be cast to the devil themselves. Observe, 2. That such ministers as indulge their unruly appetites, giving the flesh whatever it craves, and can deny it nothing it desires, pampering the body to the prejudice of the soul, go not in St. Paul's road to heaven, but the contrary: they gratify what he mortified, they indulge what he subdued; he administered to the wants, they to the wantonness, of the flesh: he knew that Hagar would quickly perk up, and domineer over Sarah; that the body would quickly expect and command more attendance than the soul, except it were kept under: and for this reason, says our apostle here, I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection; lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a cast-away.

‏ 1 Corinthians 9:27

The original word may be fitly rendered, I give myself blue eyes; alluding to the olympic game of cuffing, in which the combatants were wont with their blows to beat one another, till they made each other livid, their eyes black and blue. The sense is, that by mortification he used great severity upon himself, contending against and combating with that body of sin and death which did obstruct and hinder him in running the Christian race which was set before him.

The word it in the Greek is an allusion to the other exercise of wrestling, wherein the antagonists or contenders do strive to cast each other to the ground, and to keep them under. So he, the better to subdue his body of sin, was careful to keep down the body of flesh, which if pampered is apt to rebel.

He concludes all with a reason why he exercised all this care and caution; namely, That is, lest when he had acquainted them with the laws and rules of Christianity, and proposed to them the way of striving and getting the crown, he himself should at last prove a cast-away, or one unworthy to be approved or rewarded by God.

From whence observe, 1. That it is possible for him who has been all his life preaching to others, and furthering them in their way to heaven, to be thrown himself into hell at last. Many that have prophecied in Christ's name shall yet perish in his wrath; and such as have cast devils out of others, shall yet be cast to the devil themselves.

Observe, 2. That such ministers as indulge their unruly appetites, giving the flesh whatever it craves, and can deny it nothing it desires, pampering the body to the prejudice of the soul, go not in St. Paul's road to heaven, but the contrary: they gratify what he mortified, they indulge what he subdued; he administered to the wants, they to the wantonness, of the flesh: he knew that Hagar would quickly perk up, and domineer over Sarah; that the body would quickly expect and command more attendance than the soul, except it were kept under: and for this reason, says our apostle here, I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection; lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a cast-away.