"I love the sense of satisfaction that I get when I’ve done a swimming workout or race, and know that I gave my whole being and heart to God in every moment of the swim. It’s the best worship I can offer him."
The Bible and Sport
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The Bible and Sport: Friend or Foe, Bradley D Bailey, MDiv Thesis, Grace Theological Seminary (IN), 1985
The thesis consists of 95 pages (including 10 pages of bibliography). It has 4 chapters
Does Biblical teaching endorse sports activities?
What is the value of bodily exercise according to the Bible?
The proper perspective of he Bible
The implications of this study
The main questions addressed in the thesis are: Does the Bible endorse sport activities? What value is bodily exercise from God's point of view?
His conclusion is clear and, in my view, correct.
"The examination of 1 Corinthians 9:24-17 shows that all athletic terminology is used to illustrate spiritual truth. These athletic illustrations neither endorse or prohibit sport participation... Since athletic illustrations are only used to illustrate spiritual truth, we cannot turn to these passages to develop a theology of sport". (Abstract Page iii)
I resonated with his conclusion that the Christian's "real goal in sport should be to please God with a right attitude... This can be done in sports by living out the fruits of the Spirit. When your team is down by forty points with three minutes left and people are laughing at you, can you play just as hard then as you do when you are involved in a game of one or two points in the last few minutes?" Pages 78 and 82