The Possibility of Apostasy (8)

(I Corinthians 9:27)

Mike Johnson

In this series, we have been looking at passages that show the possibility of apostasy.  Many passages teach that a child of God can fall from grace.  Among them is 1 Corinthians 9:27, which says, “But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.”  Paul is saying he had to practice “self-control.” If he did not, even after he had preached to others, he would end up being “disqualified” (KJV “a castaway”).  The word in the Greek (adokimos)  translated as “disqualified” means “to not stand the test or to not be approved.” The KJV translates the word as “reprobate” in various passages, such as Romans 1:28, which says, “And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient.” Please read the context of this verse in Romans and see if you think it refers to the saved.  If Paul became a “castaway or “disqualified,” he would be lost for sure.  (See also I Tim. 3:8, Tit. 1:16, II Cor. 13:5 where the same word, adokoimos, occurs.)

Some argue that all Paul meant in I Corinthians 9:27 is that he feared he might do something which would cause his brethren to reject him and not allow him to preach to them, i.e., they would cast him aside as a preacher.  A person who would say this is not very knowledgeable about Paul.  In Galatians 1:10, he said, “For do I now persuade men, or God?  Or do I seek to please men?  For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.” Further, in this context, Paul talks about an “incorruptible crown” for which they were striving.  This prize awaited them at the end of the Christian race.

Thus, if someone does not practice self-control, even after being a faithful Christian for many years, the person will be lost.