No, because the context and language employed in 1Cor. 9:27 means far more than that.
For those who don’t read Koine Greek and who aren’t familiar with the context, multiple English Bible translations are necessary and extremely helpful.
Paul is no doubt in this passage referring to something his audience, the church at Corinth, knew very well as observers: rigorous athletic competition in the Isthmian Games, something akin to the Olympics, which the city of Corinth hosted every two years. [That information is contingent on the accuracy of my ancient memories.] Participants trained for many months and then underwent a final month of supervised and carefully evaluated training under the Isthmian Games’ officials. Any failures to live up to the strict rules of conduct, training requirements, and performance standards during that time would lead to disqualification. This could bring not only great disappointment but shame for one who had invested much in reaching an important goal and then not even completing the race with honor.
Thus, the Apostle Paul is talking about something far more strict than just “just eat properly and exercise.” Indeed, Patrick, if someone asked you, “How can I get prepared for participation in the Olympic Games?”, you wouldn’t say, “Just eat properly and exercise.”
Of course, the Apostle Paul is using athletic metaphors throughout the passage to make ultimate spiritual applications in superlative terms. But that doesn’t mean that he was not addressing the need for rigid discipline of both the mind and body. We know from many passages of the New Testament that the Apostle Paul and other writers rejected the ideas of some that “The body doesn’t really matter. Only the mind and spirit matters.” Paul urged extreme self-discipline of all that constitutes our humanity, mind and body.
As happens so often with Patrick’s comments, they take us into important details and subtopics.
