Word Pictures in the New Testament - David Cox

Word Pictures in the NT [1 Corinthians: Chapter 9].
{A corruptible crown} (\phtharton stephanon\). \Stephanos\
(crown) is from \steph•\, to put around the head, like the Latin
_corona_, wreath or garland, badge of victory in the games. In
the Isthmian games it was of pine leaves, earlier of parsley, in
the Olympian games of the wild olive. "Yet these were the most
coveted honours in the whole Greek world" (Findlay). For the
crown of thorns on Christ's head see Mt 27:29; Mr 15:17; Joh
19:2,5. \Diad•ma\ (diadem) was for kings (Re 12:3). Favourite
metaphor in N.T., the crown of righteousness (2Ti 4:8), the
crown of life (Jas 1:12), the crown of glory (1Pe 5:4), the
crown of rejoicing (1Th 2:9), description of the Philippians
(Php 4:1). Note contrast between \phtharton\ (verbal adjective
from \phtheir•\, to corrupt) like the garland of pine leaves,
wild olive, or laurel, and \aphtharton\ (same form with \a\
privative) like the crown of victory offered the Christian, the
amaranthine (unfading rose) crown of glory (1Pe 5:4).
9:26 {So} (\hout•s\). Both with \trech•\ (run) and \pukteu•\
(fight). {As not uncertainly} (\h•s ouk ad•l•s\). Instead of
exhorting them further Paul describes his own conduct as a runner
in the race. He explains \hout•s\. \Ad•l•s\ old adverb, only here
in N.T. His objective is clear, with Christ as the goal (Php
3:14). He kept his eye on Christ as Christ watched him. {Fight}
(\pukteu•\). Paul changes the metaphor from the runner to the
boxer. Old verb (only here in N.T.) from \pukt•s\ (pugilist) and
that from \pugm•\ (fist). See on ¯Mr 7:3). {As not beating the
air} (\h•s ouk aera der•n\). A boxer did this when practising
without an adversary (cf. doing "the daily dozen") and this was
called "shadow-fighting" (\skiamachia\). He smote something more
solid than air. Probably \ou\ negatives \aera\, though it still
occurs with the participle as a strong and positive negative.
9:27 {But I buffet my body} (\alla hup•piaz• mou to s•ma\). In
Aristophanes, Aristotle, Plutarch, from \hup•pion\, and that from
\hupo\ and \ops\ (in papyri), the part of the face under the
eyes, a blow in the face, to beat black and blue. In N.T. only
here and Lu 18:5 which see. Paul does not, like the Gnostics,
consider his \sarx\ or his \s•ma\ sinful and evil. But "it is
like the horses in a chariot race, which must be kept well in
hand by whip and rein if the prize is to be secured" (Robertson
and Plummer). The boxers often used boxing gloves (\cestus\, of
ox-hide bands) which gave telling blows. Paul was not willing for
his body to be his master. He found good as the outcome of this
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