I want you to know how hard I am contending for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally.
Summary: Paul’s use of the word “contend” challenges us to think hard about what he means.
Every once in a while, Paul uses a word that is so difficult to translate that nobody seems to agree on what he is saying.
In this case, the NIV translation uses the word “contending” to translate the Greek “agōn.” Other translations use words like:
• Struggle (ESV)*
• Conflict (BRG)
• Combat (Darby)
• “trying very hard” (ERV)
• “doing a difficult work” (EASY)
• Agonized (NLT)
• Strive (RSV)So what was Paul trying to say?
The word Paul uses can refer to a place of assembly, an athletic contest, or solicitude (intense care or concern for someone).** Together, all three descriptions provide a picture of what Paul is expressing.
In Greek culture, a “place of assembly” is a stadium or colosseum. The connotation is that this is where people go to watch others struggle against each other, sometimes in mortal combat.
The reference to an “athletic contest” is the same. It suggests an epic struggle that involves putting preparation and training to the test.
“Solicitude” is somewhat of a legal-sounding word that tells us Paul cares deeply about the people he mentions.
If we put all this together, the words paint a picture of a deeply caring person who is “contending” or “struggling” in a battle.
What kind of battle is Paul involved in?
Paul often refers to this battle as a “race.” In 1 Corinthians 9:24, he says:
“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.”
Writing to the Galatians, Paul says:
“You were running a good race. Who cut in on you to keep you from obeying the truth?” (Galatians 5:7)
Later, in his second letter to Timothy, Paul says:
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” (2 Timothy 4:7)
Paul’s mission is not a cakewalk. Jesus did not appear to Paul just so he would realize that the Messiah had come. When Jesus spoke with Ananias to have him contact Paul, he said:
“This man [Paul] is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.” (Acts 9:15-16)
Paul was given a mission by Jesus. He spent the rest of his life contending for that mission. When he was done, he was able to look back and see that he had left nothing on the battlefield. He had given his all.
Application: Give it all for Jesus!
Food for Thought: How do we know what our mission is?
*The Bible translations shows are representative of the first occurrence. In most cases, there are several different translations that use a given word.
**”G73 – agōn – Strong’s Greek Lexicon (niv).” Blue Letter Bible. Web. 25 Nov, 2024. https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g73/niv/mgnt/0-1/.
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