Competing in the Games

Episkopos · Nov 14, 2019

I really like reading the early church fathers. Recently I've been reading Clement...Bishop of Rome and contemporary to John the apostle. He was overseer at Rome from 88 to 99. So we have an opportunity to hear from someone who was near the action of God in the early church.

Here is a portion I thought to share today...2 Clement 7...about running the race. I like the translation below...that of Holmes.

Chap. VII--Competing in the Games

So then, my brothers and sisters, let us compete in the games, realizing that the competition is at hand.While many come to enter the earthly competitions, not all are crowned, but only those who have trained hard and competed well. 2 Let us compete, therefore, so that we all may be crowned. 3 Let us run in a straight course, the heavenly competition, and let many of us come to enter it and compete, so that we may also be crowned. And if we cannot all be crowned, let us at least come close to it. 4 We must realize that if one who competes in the earthly contest is caught cheating, he is flogged, disqualified, and thrown out of the stadium. 5 What do you think? What will be done to the one who cheats in the heavenly competition? 6 For concerning those who have not kept the seal, He says "their worm will not die and their fire is not quenched, and they will be a spectacle for all flesh."

Here is another translation...(Lightfoot)

CHAP. VII.--WE MUST STRIVE IN ORDER TO BE CROWNED.

Wherefore, then, my brethren, let us struggle with all earnestness, knowing that the contest is [in our case] close at hand, and that many undertake long voyages to strive for a corruptible reward; yet all are not crowned, but those only that have laboured hard and striven gloriously. Let us therefore so strive, that we may all be crowned. Let us run the straight course, even the race that is incorruptible; and let us in great numbers set out for it, and strive that we may be crowned. And should we not all be able to obtain the crown, let us at least come near to it. We must remember that he who strives in the corruptible contest, if he be found acting unfairly, is taken away and scourged, and cast forth from the lists. What then think ye? If one does anything unseemly in the incorruptible contest, what shall he have to bear? For of those who do not preserve the seal [unbroken], [the Scripture] saith, "Their worm shall not die, and their fire shall not be quenched, and they shall be a spectacle to all flesh."

Episkopos · Nov 14, 2019

Here is another excellent exhortation at the end of 2 Clement...(Ch. 20)

2 let us have faith, brothers and sisters! We are competing in the contest of a living God, and are being trained by the present life in order that we may be crowned in the life to come. 3 None of the righteous ever received his reward quickly, but waits for it. 4. For if God paid the wages of the righteous immediately, we would soon be engaged in business, not godliness....

very telling thoughts indeed ...How did Clement know that God's ways would be one day be exchanged for man's by turning godliness into a business ruled by Mammon?

Windmillcharge · Nov 14, 2019

Preachers don't change, any more than the people they preach to.

The games being places were people were slaughtered for entertainment were places Christians did not willingly go. Yet the spectical draws the eye and is used by the preacher.
Just as today celebraty will be used as an illistration for the gospel.

Episkopos · Nov 14, 2019

Windmillcharge said:
Preachers don't change, any more than the people they preach to.

The games being places were people were slaughtered for entertainment were places Christians did not willingly go. Yet the spectical draws the eye and is used by the preacher.
Just as today celebraty will be used as an illistration for the gospel.

I have nothing against Christian entertainment...like the Sunday morning entertainment services/shows that people attend. Just don't call it church.

Just to show I'm not against Christian entertainment...I would recommend Tim Hawkins. Here's a minister of entertainment that actually has talent!

timhawkinscomedy

Episkopos · Nov 14, 2019

Back to the race of faith.

Do you think it a coincidence that the Olympics have medals of gold, silver and bronze...but then so does the Lord?

Exodus 31:3
3 And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship,4 To devise cunning works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, (actually bronze)

We also see that we will pass through the fires of judgment to reveal what kind of race we ran. There will be rewards and losses.

1 Cor. 3:12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
13 Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.
14 If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
15 If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

The rewards in 1 Cor. 3 are gold and silver...and precious stones (not bronze).

But I think we can get the idea.

Episkopos · Nov 15, 2019

Today I was reading a letter from Ignatius....bishop at Antioch...who himself was a disciple of John the apostle.

In his exhortation to the churches he was visiting (in chains because he was being sent to Rome to die) he says that we should "arm yourselves with gentleness."

Do we see the weapons of our warfare as things like gentleness...kindness...humility...love?

So then the competition for God's kingdom involves a whole other set of qualities to the ones we have come to know with the worldly type of competitions in mind.

They are going in a whole other direction.

We are to seek to be submitted to others in the fear of the Lord....not despising authority....but respecting the authority that God has sent among us.

Just as an athlete's muscles should not become stiff....so we should remain supple so as to be entreatable, teachable.

Ignatius goes on to say that faith is the flesh of Jesus Christ and love is His blood. We are to gain our strength from these.

stunnedbygrace · Nov 17, 2019

Episkopos said:
I really like reading the early church fathers. Recently I've been reading Clement...Bishop of Rome and contemporary to John the apostle. He was overseer at Rome from 88 to 99. So we have an opportunity to hear from someone who was near the action of God in the early church.

Here is a portion I thought to share today...2 Clement 7...about running the race. I like the translation below...that of Holmes.

Chap. VII--Competing in the Games

So then, my brothers and sisters, let us compete in the games, realizing that the competition is at hand.While many come to enter the earthly competitions, not all are crowned, but only those who have trained hard and competed well. 2 Let us compete, therefore, so that we all may be crowned. 3 Let us run in a straight course, the heavenly competition, and let many of us come to enter it and compete, so that we may also be crowned. And if we cannot all be crowned, let us at least come close to it. 4 We must realize that if one who competes in the earthly contest is caught cheating, he is flogged, disqualified, and thrown out of the stadium. 5 What do you think? What will be done to the one who cheats in the heavenly competition? 6 For concerning those who have not kept the seal, He says "their worm will not die and their fire is not quenched, and they will be a spectacle for all flesh."

Here is another translation...(Lightfoot)

CHAP. VII.--WE MUST STRIVE IN ORDER TO BE CROWNED.

Wherefore, then, my brethren, let us struggle with all earnestness, knowing that the contest is [in our case] close at hand, and that many undertake long voyages to strive for a corruptible reward; yet all are not crowned, but those only that have laboured hard and striven gloriously. Let us therefore so strive, that we may all be crowned. Let us run the straight course, even the race that is incorruptible; and let us in great numbers set out for it, and strive that we may be crowned. And should we not all be able to obtain the crown, let us at least come near to it. We must remember that he who strives in the corruptible contest, if he be found acting unfairly, is taken away and scourged, and cast forth from the lists. What then think ye? If one does anything unseemly in the incorruptible contest, what shall he have to bear? For of those who do not preserve the seal [unbroken], [the Scripture] saith, "Their worm shall not die, and their fire shall not be quenched, and they shall be a spectacle to all flesh."

Epi, what do you think they meant by "kept the seal?"

Episkopos · Nov 17, 2019

stunnedbygrace said:
Epi, what do you think they meant by "kept the seal?"

Kept the seal: Departed from iniquity....the seal in 2 Tim. 2:19?

stunnedbygrace · Nov 17, 2019

Episkopos said:
Kept the seal: Departed from iniquity....the seal in 2 Tim. 2:19?

19 But God’s truth stands firm like a foundation stone with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and “All who belong to the Lord must turn away from evil.”

Ah, KJV. I've never read the verse except in NLT so I didn't know what they were referring to. I understand now, ty.

Episkopos · Nov 22, 2019

So why does God make the games so difficult? Remember that this is God that we are talking about...Someone whose ways ARE so much higher than our own. There is no limit to what God can do. And the race is one of faith. So of course there is going to be a standard that seems impossible for men to comprehend. All this should be factored into our way of thinking.

So why aren't more people running in the race?

Well it seems impossible to move beyond the standard set in Romans 6.

There is a problem...one of sin. Why didn't God deal with the power of sin in Romans 6? It would make things much better for us humans if He did so.

But God is God and men are men.

Paul came to this conclusion in Romans 7....but there are few today who are as honest as Paul. Paul was being led by the Spirit...yet still had to contend with sin from within?

But didn't Jesus say..."go the EXTRA mile"?

Who wants to run a race where an extra mile is added on the end of it? We thought the race was over.

In the special forces....I read that the last test was, after a grueling all night march with various checkpoints, the very last one...which itself hardly anyone could reach....then the instructor says....you have ONE MORE to go. And this is just to see what the trainee will do. If the person gives up...then that one is not fit for the special forces.....because they are quitters. It's all about having the right attitude. They are looking for mental toughness not just physical stamina. The force is looking for people who don't have ANY quit in them. Of course, there is no extra checkpoint in the course in reality...it's just a test.

But with God there is a great reward for that extra mile. There IS an extra mile that few if any can accept.

But that extra mile is where the promises of God are. The Bride goes that extra mile.

stunnedbygrace · Nov 22, 2019

Did God make the race of trust very difficult? Or do we make it difficult?

stunnedbygrace · Nov 22, 2019

When I look back at all my abject struggles, they all seem to have stemmed from arguing with Him rather than trusting and believing Him.

I can even remember my first argument over 14 years ago. It was over provision. I read what Jesus said about it, But I distrusted what He said. I remember saying, but...there are people starving to death in the world.

stunnedbygrace · Nov 22, 2019

It turned into a 13 year struggle, because I decided to trust Him about it no matter what but then proceeded to say one thing (I trust You that You will see to it) and do the exact opposite (constantly worry about it.)

Episkopos · Nov 22, 2019

stunnedbygrace said:
Did God make the race of trust very difficult? Or do we make it difficult?

I think we forget how much God loves faith! Faith is precious to Him. So when He tells us to do something impossible sounding...He watches to see how we will react.

Do we respond with faith...as in...no problem for you my Lord! Or do we buck and complain and only see the impossibility of it from a human perspective.

I am convinced that the mind is to be renewed to take on God's perspective on things. Our perspective is futile.

stunnedbygrace · Nov 22, 2019

You know, another struggle was all mixed up and mashed up in there too for me. I set about to try to be very good. I'm not sure how much of it was a lack of understanding that it was impossible to change or control my heart and mind and how much of it was not wanting to die and give up. I seemed to think I could be good if I just kept trying harder.

I used to get so upset. I would wake each morning and go downstairs and clean up everybody's messes. Dishes, trash, things tossed in the general vicinity of the trashcan but not actually in the trashcan. Dishes that no one bothered to take to the sink and rinse off so now dried cheese was caked on them.

So I started the morning wanting to serve the household in love, but within minutes I was instead murdering the whole household.

This went on for many years. A nauseous, never-ending circle of resolve, failure, depression, resolve, failure, depression, resolve.

Episkopos · Nov 22, 2019

stunnedbygrace said:
You know, another struggle was all mixed up and mashed up in there too for me. I set about to try to be very good. I'm not sure how much of it was a lack of understanding that it was impossible to change or control my heart and mind and how much of it was not wanting to die and give up. I seemed to think I could be good if I just kept trying harder.

I used to get so upset. I would wake each morning and go downstairs and clean up everybody's messes. Dishes, trash, things tossed in the general vicinity of the trashcan but not actually in the trashcan. Dishes that no one bothered to take to the sink and rinse off so now dried cheese was caked on them.

So I started the morning wanting to serve the household in love, but within minutes I was instead murdering the whole household.

This went on for many years. A nauseous, never-ending circle of resolve, failure, depression, resolve, failure, depression, resolve.

If life was easy...then anyone could do it!

I think when God winks at you...you wink back!

stunnedbygrace · Nov 22, 2019

I would still be in that ugly hamster wheel except one morning, amid my murdering, I thought: how dare I sit here and try to pray when I am murdering people every single morning, why should God even listen to me? And then, He just showed me mercy and in a split second I saw it. And I said: no! It is YOU who are sinning! You are trying to convince me that God won't hear me if I cry to Him but He said with every temptation, He also will give a way out, have mercy on me Lord!

And I immediately saw that temptation is not sin and it only becomes sin if I sink down into it and let it carry me away. So I didn't sit there fuming and murdering, I just...had relief from it for one morning.

stunnedbygrace · Nov 22, 2019

You know, I don't go for that thought that everything is Satan, but in that case, it most definitely was him muttering in my ear that morning. Three enemies. He is one of them. My flesh would cry out about how selfish they all were, not caring to make my life any easier by rinsing their plates off. That was definitely the enemy of my flesh. But the thought of how dare I try to pray? That was definitely him. He absolutely was trying to keep me from praying for help.

stunnedbygrace · Nov 22, 2019

So concerning the verse of with every temptation He will also give a way out, I can't explain how He does it. I just know that if I cry out, help Lord, my feet are slipping, He does something...it's like a documentary I saw of a baby elephant that a lion had. It cried out its distress and the mother came and gored the lion.

But then I also saw one where an almost full grown lion got surrounded by a pack of 20 hyenas. He would go after one and the other 19 would start nipping at him. He was starting to get tired and then his friend, another lion, came to his aid and the hyenas ran off. That one reminds me of you, epi. You always seem to me to be surrounded by a pack of hyenas.

bbyrd009 · Nov 22, 2019

Episkopos said:
Back to the race of faith.

epi do you think "competing" is the best illustration?
hmm

Competing in the Games

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