contend / compete

In the Second Letter to Timothy 4:7 (NABRE), Paul describes his work spreading the Gospel as an athletic contest or competition that is nearing its completion. This view of serving God may seem foreign to us at first. In a contest, there are winners and losers, a view that may be challenging to how we are comfortable looking at God.

The Greek word that Paul uses to describe his contest or struggle is ἀγωνίζομαι (agonizomai), which comes from the same Greek root as the English word agony. This type of struggle comes with training and discipline leading up to the competition and direct struggle against others.

The competition imagined here by Paul and also by Jesus isn’t against others also trying to do God’s will. We don’t lose when others serve God better than we do. We rather are struggling against the world and those who would prefer that God not be served and the Gospel not be preached.

Consider where in your life you’ve had to fight or struggle to serve God.

you also may like our study of the book of Revelation
The Revelation of Jesus Christ: The Faithful Witness, a 23-lesson Catholic Bible study with an imprimatur, examines ways in which our traditional Christian view of heaven is built on Hebrew apocalyptic visions recorded in the Old Testament. This recently revised study includes maps and additional commentary and takes a close look at the role of the prophets in present-day Christianity. Illustrations by Tami Palladino depict the often-misunderstood images in the book of Revelation. Click on the book’s cover to view a sample lesson.

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