Topical Lexicon
OverviewThe Greek verb ἀγωνίζομαι (Strong’s 75) pictures intense exertion in pursuit of victory, whether on a literal battlefield, an athletic arena, or the spiritual plane. Every New Testament occurrence casts the believer in an arena where determined, costly effort is required to reach a God-appointed goal. The word never connotes earning salvation by works; instead, it portrays the strenuous, Spirit-enabled response of faith to God’s gracious call.
Greco-Roman and Old Testament Background
In the first-century Mediterranean world the noun ἀγών described athletic contests held in stadia across the Empire. Competitors submitted to strict training, contended under public scrutiny, and sought an imperishable wreath of honor. Scripture adapts that familiar image, wedding it to older covenant language of warfare, pilgrimage, and covenant loyalty. Thus the verb naturally evokes both athletic and military connotations—discipline, endurance, courage, and focus.
Usage in the Teaching of Jesus (Luke 13:24;John 18:36)
Luke alone preserves Jesus’ direct command: “Strive to enter through the narrow door” (Luke 13:24). Here agonizomai confronts complacent religiosity. Many assume proximity to covenant privilege guarantees entrance; Christ insists on earnest response before the door is shut. InJohn 18:36 the temple police and Roman cohort “were fighting” over Jesus’ custody. The verb’s lone non-figurative New Testament use provides a vivid backdrop: earthly kingdom struggles contrast with the spiritual striving of Christ’s disciples.
Pauline Employment
Paul adopts the term seven times, filling it with gospel urgency.
1.Athletic Self-Mastery (1 Corinthians 9:25)
“Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things”. The image highlights personal discipline—diet, schedule, and mindset—voluntarily embraced for a prize. By analogy, the Christian missionary renounces legitimate freedoms to win the lost.
2.Energy Empowered by Grace (Colossians 1:29)
Paul “strives with all the energy Christ so powerfully works” in him. Human toil and divine power meet; sanctification and ministry never rest on unaided human strength.
3.Intercessory Labor (Colossians 4:12)
Epaphras “is always wrestling in prayer for you.” Prayer is not passive wishing but agonizing engagement against impediments to believers’ maturity.
4.Corporate Perseverance (1 Timothy 4:10)
“For this reason we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God.” Evangelistic outreach and pastoral care demand effort fueled by eschatological hope.
5.The Noble Fight of Faith (1 Timothy 6:12)
Timothy must “Fight the good fight of the faith; take hold of the eternal life.” The present imperative underscores an ongoing campaign, not a single skirmish.
6.A Finished Course (2 Timothy 4:7)
Near death, Paul declares, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” Agonizomai embraces both conflict and completion; the faithful servant anticipates the crown.
Theological Themes
• Divine Sovereignty and Human Responsibility
Striving presupposes God’s prior initiative. The door (Luke 13), the crown (2 Timothy 4), and eternal life (1 Timothy 6) are God’s gifts, yet believers actively seize them.
• Perseverance of the Saints
Agonizomai connects with New Testament calls to endurance. The genuine disciple’s life is characterized by persevering struggle until final vindication.
• Spiritual Warfare
Although never directly paired with demonic language, the verb often stands in contexts of opposition—religious hostility (Luke), false teaching (Pastorals), and apathy (Colossians). The fight is fundamentally spiritual.
• Corporate Dimension
Paul’s usage extends beyond personal holiness to intercessory prayer and gospel ministry. The church strives together, each member supplying what others lack.
Implications for Ministry Today
1.Prayer Meetings as the Frontline
Like Epaphras, congregations must approach prayer as wrestling, not ritual. Victory for missionaries, elders, and struggling saints is often secured in unseen agony before God.
2.Discipleship Rooted in Discipline
Athletes surrender comforts for a fading wreath. Pastors should train believers to embrace spiritual disciplines—Scripture intake, fasting, service—for an imperishable crown.
3.Balanced View of Effort and Grace
Ministry curricula must avoid both quietism and legalism.Colossians 1:29 offers the pattern: labor energized by divine power.
4.End-of-Life Faithfulness
Retirement from secular vocation is legitimate; retirement from spiritual striving is not. Elders, missionaries, and laypeople should aim to echo Paul’s final testimony.
Historical Witness
Early Christian writers seized the metaphor. Ignatius urged Polycarp, “Be sober as an athlete of God; the prize is immortality.” The martyrs’ arena struggles rendered the image literal; their blood testified that the good fight can demand one’s life.
Key Observations Across Occurrences
• Present imperatives (Luke 13:24;1 Timothy 6:12) stress ongoing effort.
• Aorist forms (2 Timothy 4:7) celebrate completed faithfulness.
• The sphere of striving ranges from personal holiness to missional outreach, prayer, and doctrinal defense.
• Success is measured not by earthly applause but by divine approval and the eternal inheritance.
Summary
Strong’s 75 portrays the Christian life as an arena of Spirit-empowered exertion. From the moment one enters the narrow gate until receiving the victor’s crown, believers contend—against sin, unbelief, and satanic opposition—confident that Christ has secured the decisive victory.
Forms and Transliterations
Αγωνιζεσθε αγωνίζεσθε Ἀγωνίζεσθε αγωνιζομεθα ἀγωνιζόμεθα αγωνιζομενος αγωνιζόμενος ἀγωνιζόμενος αγωνιζου αγωνίζου ἀγωνίζου απο ηγωνιζοντο ηγωνίζοντο ἠγωνίζοντο ηγωνίσατο ηγωνισμαι ηγώνισμαι ἠγώνισμαι Agonizesthe Agonízesthe Agōnizesthe Agōnízesthe agonizomenos agonizómenos agōnizomenos agōnizómenos agonizometha agonizómetha agōnizometha agōnizómetha agonizou agonízou agōnizou agōnízou egonismai egṓnismai ēgōnismai ēgṓnismai egonizonto egonízonto ēgōnizonto ēgōnízontoLinks
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