In this episode, we tackle a common listener question: what does Paul mean by ‘castaway’ in 1 Corinthians 9.27? Hear Ken and Bob clarify the difference between disqualification for rewards and the irreversible gift of eternal life. Understand why these translations matter and how a proper interpretation can alleviate unnecessary fears about salvation. Whether you’re a biblical scholar or an everyday believer, this conversation will deepen your understanding of apostolic teachings.
The following is a listener supported ministry from the Grace Evangelical Society. The word castaway might remind me of a movie with Tom Hanks and a volleyball in it. But 1 Corinthians 9.27 uses this word in some translations. And today we think about what was Paul meaning that he might become a castaway. So thank you for joining us today, friend, on Grace in Focus, the radio broadcast and podcast ministry of the Grace Evangelical Society. Learn more about us at our website, faithalone.org, and there you can get information about our upcoming national conference, May 19th through the 22nd. There you will see early bird registration through the end of this month and free registration for first-timers. It will be a great time of teaching and fun, and we hope that you will join us there. Find all about it on our website, faithalone.org. Now, with today’s question and answer discussion, here are Bob Wilkin and Ken Yates.
SPEAKER 02 :
Bob, we got a question from Joe, and he takes exception with someone. I don’t know if it’s you or me or someone else on one of our podcasts, but he has 1 Corinthians 9.27 in mind. Now, he’s using the King James Version, where in 9.27, Paul says… But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest when I preach to others, I myself should become disqualified. There’s a word disqualified now. That’s in the New King James. New King James. But in the King James Version, it says castaway.
SPEAKER 03 :
That I might be a castaway or might become a castaway. Right.
SPEAKER 02 :
And whoever he heard from GES talk about this verse said that this means qualification, means you’re disqualified, more in line with the New King James Version. But he says that that is a private interpretation. That is not what the word itself means. He says the word, the Greek word, adokimos, is to be rejected. and not accepted. He compares it to being if you’re on a ship and you’re thrown overboard. and that our view that it means disqualified is too soft. It means more than that.
SPEAKER 03 :
And basically what he means is— He says it should be what the King James has cast away.
SPEAKER 02 :
Right, which would be cast away into the lake of fire is his position. And he says that’s what the word means.
SPEAKER 03 :
Okay, now let’s stop here, Ken, for a second. Who’s speaking in 1 Corinthians 9.27?
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, this is Paul, yes. And what does he say? But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection. And by the way, in 1 Corinthians 9, Paul is talking about how he denies his rights, how he serves others.
SPEAKER 03 :
He wasn’t even taking money from the Corinthians, even though he was teaching among them and ministering among them.
SPEAKER 02 :
And it was his right to accept money from them. But he chooses not to do that. And so he denies himself. He’s serving others. And that’s the context of this verse. And so he’s not talking about, you know, I don’t smoke dope. But because most people say, well, Paul is making sure he doesn’t sin a lot. But that’s not in 1 Corinthians 9. He’s talking about things that are OK for him to do, but he’s not doing them. He’s he’s practicing self-control in serving others. And he goes, I discipline my body so that I will not be disqualified.
SPEAKER 03 :
Right. He said, after having preached to others, and I would argue it’s about what he just said in verses 24, 25, and 26, which is all who run in a race won, but only one receives the prize. Right. And he’s talking about these games outside of Corinth called the Isthmian games they had every three years, kind of like our… Olympic Games, and they would give a crown, an olive wreath to the one who won. And there were other prizes that went as well. And he said they were striving for a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. And then he says, thus I run, and thus I fight. And so he’s not talking about the free gift of eternal life. And what ultimately Joe is saying, in light of verse 27, if cast away means sent to the lake of fire, where is it Paul’s afraid that he’s going?
SPEAKER 02 :
Yeah, then he would be afraid that he’s going to go into the lake of fire.
SPEAKER 03 :
Now, this is the apostle to the Gentiles. Right. This is the one who says, I know whom I have believed, and I am persuaded that he’s able to keep that which I’ve committed unto him against that day. 2 Timothy 1.12.
SPEAKER 02 :
The one who wrote Ephesians 2.8.9.
SPEAKER 03 :
This is the one who wrote Ephesians 2.8.9. This is the one the Lord Jesus met on the road to Damascus, and he was preaching Christ boldly, first in Damascus and then in Jerusalem and then all over the world, right? Yeah. And he’s the author of at least 13 books in the New Testament, 14 if Hebrews is by him, but I don’t think so. So we’re supposed to understand that Paul was doubting his salvation, right? Yeah.
SPEAKER 02 :
Yeah, it would be interesting to know if Joe would take the view that Paul didn’t know he was saved or that Paul was worried about losing his salvation. My guess is that Joe probably thinks he could lose his salvation because based upon all that we said, but I don’t know that.
SPEAKER 03 :
The King James translation is extremely unfortunate. Joe’s right that today the word cast away means something like rejected or thrown away or cast adrift or thrown overboard, that kind of thing. It gives the impression that Paul was afraid he could lose his salvation. I don’t know what castaway meant in 1611, but today this isn’t a good translation. No translation other than the King James has this translation of adakimos. Elsewhere, the positive word, dokimos, is translated approved. Like 2 Timothy 2.15, an approved workman is not ashamed. And in 2 Corinthians 13.5-7, both dokimos and a dokimos are used. I hope you know we are approved and that you don’t think we’re disapproved. So I would say what Paul’s afraid of is that at the judgment seat of Christ, he would not hear Christ’s well-done, good and faithful servant. He would not have his approval.
SPEAKER 01 :
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SPEAKER 03 :
I remember I read a thesis when I was at Dallas Seminary by an earlier graduate who wrote on 1 Corinthians 9.27, and the guy was a five-point Calvinist. And he said, even though I know it’s hard to grasp, because Paul certainly was the great preacher of Christ and preaching the message of justification by faith alone— he concluded that Paul was doubting his salvation in 1 Corinthians 9.27. Because Paul was saying—and this fits Calvinism, right? He’s not sure he’s going to persevere. And unless he persevered to the end, he would be rejected for everlasting life.
SPEAKER 02 :
I’ve heard Calvinists say that before, and I’m just thinking— How arrogant do you have to be that you look at Paul’s life and say, you know what? Paul was worried. Paul wasn’t good enough. Paul didn’t sacrifice enough. Paul didn’t persevere enough to where he had assurance. But I feel pretty good about myself. I mean, who would say that?
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, I tell you, I once met with a Calvinist pastor. I asked him, is it true, according to Calvinism, that only those who persevere in faith and good works make it into the kingdom? He said, yes. And I said, isn’t it true that we can’t be sure whether we’re going to persevere until we die? or until we’re raptured. And he said, well, of course. And he cited 1 Corinthians 9.27. He said, if the apostle Paul, of all people, couldn’t be sure, how could I be sure? So he was taking what you’re saying to heart and saying just the opposite. Woe is me. If Paul couldn’t be sure, I’m really not sure. How deep in despair would you have to be? I think this guy was in denial because he wasn’t in deep despair, and I think he should have been. In other words, ultimately, if you hold that theology, it should drive you to go back to John’s Gospel and go back to John 3.16 and say, maybe I’ve misunderstood this, and go back to 1 Corinthians 9.27. Because Paul talks a lot about rewards in his writings, and the issue here is not rejected for eternal life. It’s rejected for the prize of this imperishable crown.
SPEAKER 02 :
Which is what it just got talked about in 24.
SPEAKER 03 :
Or disapproved. I don’t really mind any of these things, except the translation castaway just… gives the false impression that maybe loss of salvation is in view.
SPEAKER 02 :
And someone who holds to the King James Version is going to probably stumble over that. You know, he’s going to say, well, the castaway’s here. But, you know, in BDAG, which is one of the most popular Greek lexicons, you see how this word is used in other places. For example, in Romans 128. Right. In Romans 128, where the word occurs. And in that verse, it talks about those who do things which are not fitting. Right. Those who do things which are not approved. Right. You know, we wouldn’t say those who do things that are cast away into hell.
SPEAKER 01 :
Right.
SPEAKER 02 :
Just unacceptable or unapproved or unacceptable. Yeah, that’s not – the word there is – just simply means, you know, I don’t approve of what you’re doing. Exactly. I don’t – they’re not acceptable. Right. And so this idea that when we talk about this being qualifications, we’re not strong enough because of the King James translation of cast away, that’s not the way the word is used in the New Testament. Right.
SPEAKER 03 :
No, and in my estimation, Joe’s view is a private interpretation. In other words, what he’s doing is he evidently believes you can either prove you’re not saved or lose your salvation, and he’s reading that into 1 Corinthians 9.27. Listen to 2 Corinthians 13.5-7. Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith, and I would argue this is in your experience. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you? He’s talking about in your experience. Unless, indeed, you are adakimoi, disapproved or disqualified. But I trust that you know that we are not adakimoi, disapproved or disqualified.
SPEAKER 02 :
In their actions now, in the way they’re conducting their ministry. The apostles, yeah. Right.
SPEAKER 03 :
And then he says, now I pray to God that you do no evil, not that we should appear approved, dokimoi, approved, but that you should do what is honorable, though we may seem disqualified. And this is from Adakimos.
SPEAKER 02 :
And the same in their present experience and what they’re doing. Anyone who’s wondering about 2 Corinthians or 1 Corinthians 9, 27 there, I would encourage you to look at the way the word occurs there. how the word is used in the rest of the New Testament. And you’ll see it doesn’t refer to being cast into the lake of fire. It does mean disapprove instead of cast away.
SPEAKER 03 :
And by the way, start with the Gospel of John to determine what we need to do to have eternal life. One drink…
SPEAKER 02 :
And our thirst is quenched forever, right, John chapter 4? And Paul is talking about works in 1 Corinthians 9, and works have no role whatsoever in us entering into the kingdom.
SPEAKER 03 :
That’s right. This is Christianity 101, basic stuff. Joe, I hope you find that helpful, and I hope you all find it helpful. And in the meantime, let’s keep grace in focus. Thank you.
SPEAKER 01 :
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