1 Corinthians 9:24-10:11

New King James Version

Striving for a Crown

²⁴ Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? ^(A)Run in such a way that you may ^[a]obtain it. ²⁵ And everyone who competes for the prize ^[b]is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for ^(B)an imperishable crown. ²⁶ Therefore I run thus: ^(C)not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. ^27 (D)But I discipline my body and ^(E)bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become ^(F)disqualified.

Old Testament Examples

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

⁶ Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as ^(L)they also lusted. ^7 (M)And do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, ^(N)“The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.” ^8 (O)Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as ^(P)some of them did, and ^(Q)in one day twenty-three thousand fell; ⁹ nor let us ^[c]tempt Christ, as ^(R)some of them also tempted, and ^(S)were destroyed by serpents; ¹⁰ nor complain, as ^(T)some of them also complained, and ^(U)were destroyed by ^(V)the destroyer. ¹¹ Now ^[d]all these things happened to them as examples, and ^(W)they were written for our ^[e]admonition, ^(X)upon whom the ends of the ages have come.