Where'd This Whole "Bringing Your Body Under Subjection" Thing Come From Anyway??....

Well it comes from the flesh/worldy life as plenty of the NT describes. Its rooted in the knowledge of good and evil and the selfish desires to gratify, rather than living according to the Spirit which is sacrificial.

It may be centered in his traditional hellenistic thinking about the perfect body. Greek Athletes were at the top of their game because of their training schedules. Since Paul was part of a Roman mindset (based on Hellenistic thought and philosophy) it stands to reason he would apply the same concept to his faith.
I think this is where hell came from too, but that's another thought for another thread.

Tim Myers said:

1 Corinthians 9:26+27 says:

"I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:
But 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 castaway." (KJV)

And the Amplified Bible version says it this way:

"Therefore I do not run uncertainly (without definite aim). I do not box like one beating the air and striking without an adversary.
But [like a boxer] I buffet my body [handle it roughly, discipline it by hardships] and subdue it, for fear that after proclaiming to others the Gospel and things pertaining to it, I myself should become unfit [not stand the test, be unapproved and rejected as a counterfeit]."

Basically, the Apostle Paul is saying that he trains his body, as one might train a horse or dog, to obey him and do as he says, rather than his body telling him what to do.....

And he states that he does it so that others will not see him as a hypocrite or a phony......

But, where did this whole idea of "keeping one's body under subjection" come from and why did Paul think he would be viewed as a phony if he did not do it??

Were people expecting Paul to be perfect?? Did Paul think that they were and purposely put himself through hardship in order to live up to their expectations?? Or was Paul simply a perfectionist and expected it of himself??

Click to expand...

You know, I really think he was. There are a lot of signs of perfectionism in his letters, a desire to be "everything to everyone" and difficulty admitting superiority in others, even when trying to downplay something as unimportant, like having visions or baptizing people personally. That said, I don't think there's necessarily anything wrong with adopting the idea of the Christian athlete. It is wise to be ready and prepared for whatever service God calls us to next, and that means taking care of yourself, too.