Sport en de Bijbel

The New Testament speaks positively of physical exercise once (1 Tim. 6:12). It also emerges metaphorically as an image for the believer's life (1 Cor. 9:24-27). This metaphorical use has its background in the everyday world of the early Christians. In that world, sport as important as it is today. Interestingly, the theme of 'training', askesis, is the root of the phenomenon of 'asceticism'. For many, the ideal believer wore himself out and hardened the body to become a champion of renunciation in order to draw closer to God. In moderate form, the ascetic ideal was maintained in Reformation theology. It is still relevant today.