Charles Spurgeon Commentary 1 Corinthians 9:27

"but I buffet my body, and bring it into bondage: lest by any means, after that I have preached to others, I myself should be rejected." — 1 Corinthians 9:27 (ASV)

Lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

The Greek word translated as "a castaway" is "adokimos." It might better have been rendered "disapproved." It certainly does not have the meaning that has generally been given to it. Paul was not afraid of being cast away by God in the end.

What he aimed at was this—as he had entered the contest, as a Christian minister, to fight for Christ, to wrestle against principalities and powers, to seek to win souls for Christ, he had to keep his bodily powers and passions so in subjection that, in the end, when the prizes were distributed, he would be found to have won his. This is quite another matter from being "a castaway" from salvation and eternal life.

Paul was saved and he knew it; and some of us know, with certainty, that we are saved. But we also know that there is another crown to be won, which the Lord will give to His servants who win in the great fight with sin. To win this crown is our high ambition, and we long to hear the Master say to each one of us in that day, Well done, thou good and faithful servant, thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.

But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection:

The Greek word, according to some, implies getting his body into the same position as a man does, when, in a pugilistic encounter, he gets his adversary's head under his arm and strikes him with all his might. So Paul says concerning his body, "I bring it into subjection and take care that it feels the full force of my will."

According to other interpreters, the verse may be read, "I drag my body off as a slave;" just as in some of those ancient fights, the victors dragged away their antagonists as slaves. Paul accounted his body to be as a slave to his soul, and dragged it behind him in chains.