119. athlésis
Lexical Summary
athlésis: Contest, struggle, conflict

Original Word: ἄθλησις
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Transliteration: athlésis
Pronunciation: ATH-lay-sis
Phonetic Spelling: (ath'-lay-sis)
KJV: fight
NASB: conflict
Word Origin: [from G118 (ἀθλέω - competes)]

1. a struggle (figuratively)

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
fight.

From athleo; a struggle (figuratively) -- fight.

see GREEK athleo

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from athleó
Definition
a contest
NASB Translation
conflict (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 119: ἄθλησις

ἄθλησις, (εως, , contest, combat, (frequently from Polybius down); figuratively, ἄθλησις παθημάτων a struggle with sufferings, trials, Hebrews 10:32; (of martyrdom, Ignatius mart. 4; Clement, mart. 25).

STRONGS NT 119a: ἀθροίζωἀθροίζω: perfect passive participle ἠθροισμένος; (from ἀθρόος, equivalent to θρόος (a noisy crowd, noise), with a copulative (see A, a, 2)); to collect together, assemble; passive to be assembled, to convene: Luke 24:33 L T Tr WH. ((Sophocles) Xenophon, Plato, Polybius, Photius, others; O. T. Apocrypha; sometimes in the Sept. for קָבַץ.) (Compare: ἐπαθροίζω, συναθροίζω).

Topical Lexicon
Biblical Occurrence

The noun ἄθλησις (“contest,” “struggle”) appears once, in Hebrews 10:32. Addressing believers who were wavering under persecution, the writer reminds them: “Remember the early days that, after you were enlightened, you endured a great conflict in the face of suffering”. The term frames their past hardships as an athletic contest, directing attention to disciplined perseverance rather than passive resignation.

The Athletic Metaphor in Scripture

Hebrews 10:32 stands within a broader biblical pattern that draws from the realm of athletics to describe life in Christ:
1 Corinthians 9:24–27 pictures runners and boxers who pursue an imperishable crown.
2 Timothy 2:5 notes that “an athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules.”
2 Timothy 4:7 records Paul’s retrospective, “I have fought the good fight,” echoing the same athletic arena.
Hebrews 12:1 immediately follows the passage in question, urging the church to “run with endurance the race set before us.”

These texts collectively highlight dedicated effort, focus, and the certainty of reward—central themes underlying ἄθλησις.

Historical Background

First-century audiences lived among ubiquitous Greco-Roman games—Olympic, Isthmian, Nemean, and countless local contests. Athletes embraced rigorous training, strict diets, and public scrutiny, all for the hope of a fading laurel wreath (1 Corinthians 9:25). By invoking athletic imagery, the writer of Hebrews bridges familiar cultural experience with spiritual reality: the church’s suffering is not meaningless chaos but a purposeful stadium in which faith is tested and refined.

Spiritual Conflict and Perseverance

Ἄθλησις conveys active engagement. Persecution, loss of property (Hebrews 10:34), and social ostracism form the arena; endurance, steadfast faith, and joy constitute the victory. Scripture consistently ties such struggle to:
• Identification with Christ’s own sufferings (Philippians 3:10).
• Spiritual warfare against unseen forces (Ephesians 6:12).
• Maturity produced through testing (James 1:2–4).

Thus the “contest” is both external (hostility from men) and internal (the battle to keep confidence and hope).

Ministry Applications

1. Pastoral Encouragement: Remind believers that present trials are part of a God-ordained contest which He oversees and rewards (Hebrews 10:35–36).
2. Discipleship: Cultivate disciplines—prayer, Scripture intake, fellowship—paralleling an athlete’s regimen, strengthening believers for inevitable conflict.
3. Corporate Solidarity: Hebrews describes a community struggle; mutual support (“encourage one another,” Hebrews 10:25) is essential for victory.
4. Perspective on Suffering: Reframing hardships as ἄθλησις transforms adversity into opportunity to display the surpassing worth of Christ.

Christological Insights

Jesus is both pioneer and champion. He “endured the cross” (Hebrews 12:2), modeling perfect athletic perseverance. His victory guarantees the believer’s ultimate triumph and supplies grace for present contests (Hebrews 4:14–16).

Eschatological Perspective

Every contest anticipates the final award ceremony: “For yet in a very little while, He who is coming will come and will not delay” (Hebrews 10:37). The imperishable crown (1 Peter 5:4) and promised inheritance (Hebrews 10:34; 1 Peter 1:4) motivate endurance, assuring that no faithful effort is wasted.

Related Passages for Further Study

Hebrews 10:32–39 — immediate context of ἄθλησις
Hebrews 12:1–3 — running with endurance, eyes on Jesus
1 Corinthians 9:24–27 — disciplined athletes and imperishable crowns
Philippians 1:27–30 — “striving together for the faith of the gospel”
1 Timothy 6:12 — “Fight the good fight of the faith”
2 Timothy 4:7–8 — the finished race and the crown of righteousness

Forms and Transliterations
αθλησιν άθλησιν ἄθλησιν αθροίσατε άθροισον αθροίσω ήθροισεν ηθροίσθησαν athlesin athlēsin áthlesin áthlēsin
Links
Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Hebrews 10:32 N-AFS
GRK: φωτισθέντες πολλὴν ἄθλησιν ὑπεμείνατε παθημάτων
NAS: a great conflict of sufferings,
KJV: a great fight of afflictions;
INT: having been enlightened much conflict you endured of sufferings

Strong's Greek 119
1 Occurrence


ἄθλησιν — 1 Occ.

118
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