And if a man also competes as an athlete, yet is he not crowned, unless he strives lawfully.
All Commentaries on 2 Timothy 2:5 Go To 2 Timothy 2
Jerome
AD 420
Christ’s athlete is not crowned unless he has competed according to the rules, unless he has accepted and sustained the challenge, unless his face is black and blue from the fray and bathed in blood. It is the discolored bruises that deserve a crown, and suffering and pain that merit joy.
