Quick Definition
a contest
Strong's Definition
properly, a place of assembly (as if led), i.e. (by implication) a contest (held there); figuratively, an effort or anxiety
Derivation: from G71 (ἄγω);
KJV Usage: conflict, contention, fight, race
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
ἀγών, ἀγῶνος, ὁ (ἄγω);
1. a place of assembly (Homer, Iliad 7, 298; 18, 376); specifically, the place in which the greeks assembled to celebrate solemn games (as the Pythian, the Olympian); hence,
2. a contest, of athletes, runners, charioteers. In a figurative sense,
a. in the phrase (used by the greeks, see τρέχω, b.) τρέχειν τόν ἀγῶνα, Heb_12:1, that is to say 'Amid all hindrances let us exert ourselves to the utmost to attain to the goal of perfection set before the followers of Christ'; any struggle with dangers, annoyances, obstacles, standing in the way of faith, holiness, and a desire to spread the gospel: 1Th_2:2; Php_1:30; 1Ti_6:12; 2Ti_4:7.
b. intense solicitude, anxiety: περί τίνος, Col_2:1 (cf. Euripides, Ph. 1350; Polybius 4, 56, 4). On the ethical use of figures borrowed from the greek games cf. grimm on Wis_4:1; (Howson, Metaphors of St. Paul, Essay iv.; Conyb. and Hows. Life and Epistles of St. Paul, chapter xx.; McClintock and Strong's Cyclopaedia iii. 733bf; BB. DD. under the word ).
Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary
ἀγών agōn 6x
place of contest, race-course, stadium; a contest, strife, contention; peril, toil
Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon
ἀγών -ῶνος , ὁ
( <ἅγω ),
[in LXX : Isa_7:13 ( H3811 ), Ezr_4:17 , Wis_4:2 Wis_10:12; 2Mac.6 , 4Mac.5 * ;]
1. a gathering, esp . for games.
2. a place of assembly.
3. a contest, struggle, trial; metaph . ( MM , VGT , s.v. ),
(a) of the Christian life as a contest and struggle: Php_1:30 , 1Th_2:2 , 1Ti_6:12 , 2Ti_4:7 , Heb_12:1 ;
(b) solicitude, anxiety: Col_2:1 .†
Moulton & Milligan — Vocabulary of the Greek NT
ἀγών [page 8]
The ethical meaning of ἀγών is requent in late Greek, e.g. P Flor I. 36 .26 (iv/A.D.) τ [ὸ ]ν̣ περὶ ψυχῆς ἀγῶ [ν ]α . In Col_2:1 , however, Field ( Notes, p. 195) prefers to think of outward, rather than of inward, conflict, and compares Plut. Vit. Flam. XVI. πλεῖστον δ᾽ ἀγῶνα καὶ πόνον αὐτῷ παρεῖχον αἱ περὶ Χαλκιδέων δεήσεις πρὸς τὸν Μάνιον , where Langhorne translates, but he had much greater difficulties to combat, when he applied to Manius in behalf of the Chalcidians. In a petition of B.C. 5, BGU IV. 1139 .17 , we find διὸ ἀξιοῦμέν [σε ] τὸν πάντων σωτῆρα καὶ ἀντιλήμπτορα ὑπὲρ σπλάγχνου τὸν ἀγῶνα ποιούμενοι to compel restitution of a stolen daughter. For the literal meaning, see Syll 524 where various τῶν τε παίδων καὶ τῶν ἐφήβω [ν ] . . . ἀγῶνες in reading, music, etc., are enumerated; BGU IV. 1074 .16 (iii/A.D.) of great games at Oxyrhynchus, etc., etc.
Liddell-Scott — Intermediate Greek Lexicon
ἀγών [Etym: ἄγομαι] "a number of people brought together, a gathering, assembly", like ἀγορά, ἵζανεν εὐρὺν ἀγῶνα, λῦτο δ᾽ ἀγών, ἐν ἀγῶνι νεῶν Hom. : esp. "an assembly met to see games", id=Hom. , etc. "a place of contest, the arena", id=Hom. , etc.; βήτην ἐς μέσσον ἀγῶνα Il. "an assembly" of the Greeks "at their great national games", ὁ ἐν Ὀλυμπίῃ ἀγών Hdt. ; ὁ Ὀλυμπικὸς ἀγών Ar. "the contest for a prize" at the games, ἀγὼν ἱππικός, γυμνικός Hdt. , etc.; ἀγὼν τῶν ἀνδρῶν, in which the chorus was composed of men, opp. to τῶν παίδων, Dem. , etc.:— hence, ἀγῶνα ἄγειν, καθιστάναι, τιθέναι, προτιθέναι, ποιεῖν, to hold or propose "a contest"; ἀγῶν or ἐν ἀγῶνι νικᾶν, to win one or "at" one. generally, "any struggle, trial", or "danger", πολλοὺς ἀγῶνας ἐξιών, of Hercules, Soph. ; ἀγὼν προκέαται, c. inf., it is "hard or dangerous" to do a thing, Hdt. :— also, ἀγὼν περὶ τῆς ψυχῆς, περὶ μεγίστων "a struggle" for life and death, for one's highest interests, Eur. "a battle, action", Thuc. "an action at law, trial", Plat. , etc. metaph., οὐ λόγων ἔθ᾽ ἁγών now is not "the time for" speaking, etc., Eur. ; οὐχ ἕδρας ἀγ. 'tis no "time for" sitting still, id=Eur.
STEPBible — Tyndale Abridged Greek Lexicon
ἀγών, -ῶνος, ὁ
(ἄγω), [in LXX: Isa.7:13 (לאה), Est.4:17, Wis.4:2 10:12, II Mac.6, 4Mac .5 * ;]
__1. a gathering, esp. for games.
__2. a place of assembly.
__3. a contest, struggle, trial; metaphorically (MM, VGT, see word),
__(a) of the Christian life as a contest and struggle: Php.1:30, 1Th.2:2, 1Ti.6:12, 2Ti.4:7 Heb.12:1;
__(b) solicitude, anxiety: Col.2:1.
† (AS)
📖 In-Depth Word Study
Opposition (73) agon
Fight (73)(agon = root of English agony, agonize) is the noun form of the verb (agonizomai) discussed above and speaks of the conflict or contest for victory in the Olympic and Pythian games. It refers to strife (bitter sometimes violent conflict. Exertion or contention for superiority. Struggle for victory), contention (a violent effort to obtain something; to strive or vie in contest or rivalry or against difficulties), a competition, a contest, a race, a struggle against opposition.
Agon - 5x in 5v - Phil 1:30; Col 2:1; 1 Thess 2:2; 1 Tim 6:12; 2 Tim 4:7; Heb 12:1. NAS = conflict(1), fight(2), opposition(1), race(1), struggle(1).
In secular Greek agon was used generally, any struggle, trial, or danger, as for example a "struggle for life and death." Other secular meanings include "a battle" and "an action at law, trial" (Liddell, H. Abridged from Liddell and Scott's Greek-English lexicon)
Agon is used 6 times in the NT (see below). It should be noted that the English words used to translate agon (and agonizomai) give us only a faint idea of the intensity of purpose and effort that is implied by the original Greek words.
Here are the six uses of agon...
Philippians 1:30 (note) experiencing the same conflict which you saw in me, and now hear to be in me.
Colossians 2:1 (note) For I want you to know how great a struggle I have on your behalf, and for those who are at Laodicea, and for all those who have not personally seen my face,
1Thessalonians 2:2 (note) but after we had already suffered and been mistreated in Philippi, as you know, we had the boldness in our God to speak to you the gospel of God amid much opposition.
1 Timothy 6:12 Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
2 Timothy 4:7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith;
Hebrews 12:1 (note) Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us
Vine adds that agon can also describe
the inward conflict of the soul, this inward conflict often the result of or the accompaniment of outward conflict... and implying a contest against spiritual foes, as well as human adversaries. (Vine, W. Collected writings of W. E. Vine. Nashville: Thomas Nelson or Logos)
Agon also described a number of people brought together, a gathering or an assembly and thus was used to refer to actual place where the contest took place. The first-century Roman world was acquainted with these Greek athletic terms, for the Greek stadium was a familiar sight, and the Greek athletic games were well known in the large cities of the Empire. Paul seized upon the terms agon and agonizomai using them to vividly illustrate the intensity of purpose and activity that should characterize Christian living and service. Football and soccer matches are a good modern day picture of the terrific struggle for supremacy in the Greek athletic games that was commonly seen by the first-century stadium crowds.
Paul used agon to remind the saints at Philippi that they were not just spectators of this "good fight" but that they had "been granted for Christ's sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake, experiencing the same conflict (agon) which you saw in me, and now hear to be in me." (Php 1:29, 30-note) The enemy wanted them to think they were alone in the agonizing struggle but Paul reminds them of the hostile opposition he and Silas had faced when they were imprisoned in Philippi (see Acts16:16-40) and then reminds them that although he is in Rome, he is going through the same difficulties as they are. A change in geography seldom solves spiritual struggles, because human nature is the same wherever we go, and the adversary is everywhere. However, knowing that our fellow believers are also sharing in the conflict should be an encouragement for us to keep fighting the good fight.
Paul wrote to the saints of Thessalonica that
after we had already suffered and been mistreated in Philippi, as you know, we had the boldness in our God to speak to you the gospel of God amid much opposition (agon) (1Th 2:2-note)
By using agon Paul is referring to the agonizing life and death spiritual struggle. Beloved, when we were transferred by God's Spirit from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light and of God's beloved Son, we entered into the agon, the stadium, to engage the powers of darkness in spiritual warfare. Paul fought the good fight, and so can we.
In sum, from these many examples one can see that Paul had indeed "fought the good fight" and could look back on his life with a sense of fulfillment. Motivated by Paul's example every believer should engage in this spiritual race with resolute commitment and maximum effort, fully convinced that eternity will prove that it was worth the extreme effort.
John Piper comments " I don’t think we should view fighting the fight and finishing the race as different from keeping the faith. They are simply pictures that Paul used to describe what is involved in keeping the faith. The reason I think this is that when Paul commanded Timothy in 1 Timothy 6:12 to fight the good fight, he called it the fight of faith: “Fight the good fight of faith; take hold on eternal life to which you were called when you made the good confession.” So when Paul uses the very same phrase of his own experience in 2 Timothy 4:7, followed by the phrase, “I have kept the faith,” we have good reason to believe he meant: I have fought the good fight of faith. The two pictures of a fight and a race illustrate what is involved in keeping the faith.
I HAVE FINISHED THE COURSE: ton dromon teteleka (1SRAI) ton dromon: (Jn 4:34; Acts 13:25; 20:24; 9:24, 9:25, 9:26, 9:27 Php 3:13, 14 Heb12:1, 2)
Other translations - I have come to the end of my journey (BBE), My race, I like a runner have finished, and at present am resting at the goal (Wuest), I have run the full distance (TEV), I have run the race to the finish (NJB), The course that I was set I have finished (Phillips)
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