2 Timothy 2:5
“And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Like an athlete who wins the crown only by competing according to the rules, faithful service must be carried out God's way.
What Does 2 Timothy 2:5 Mean?
The second image is the athlete. A competitor does not receive the victor's crown merely for effort; he must compete according to the rules. Striving alone is not enough if it ignores the appointed way.
Effort matters, but so does faithfulness to how the contest is meant to be run. Zeal that disregards God's ways forfeits the reward. There is wisdom here for anyone tempted to think good intentions excuse any method. The crown comes to those who run rightly, not just hard. For the reader, this gently corrects the notion that sincerity alone secures the prize. God calls us to strive, yes, but to strive His way, with integrity and obedience, that we may stand at the end crowned by the One who set the course.
In the Original Language
nomimos (νομίμως), 'lawfully' -- according to the rules, competing by the agreed terms rather than by one's own.