▁in ▁the ▁Paul ine ▁ep ist les ▁and ▁the ▁Ep ist le ▁to ▁the ▁Heb rew s . ▁ ▁Such ▁met aph ors ▁also ▁appear ▁in ▁the ▁writ ings ▁of ▁contemporary ▁philosoph ers , ▁such ▁as ▁Ep ict et us ▁and ▁Phil o , ▁drawing ▁on ▁the ▁tradition ▁of ▁the ▁Olympic ▁Games , ▁and ▁this ▁may ▁have ▁influenced ▁New ▁Testament ▁use ▁of ▁the ▁imag ery . ▁ ▁The ▁met ap hor ▁of ▁running ▁a ▁race ▁" with ▁per se ver ance " ▁appears ▁in ▁Heb rew s ▁ 1 2 : 1 , ▁and ▁related ▁met aph ors ▁appear ▁in ▁Philipp ians ▁ 2 : 1 6 , ▁Gal ati ans ▁ 2 : 2 , ▁and ▁Gal ati ans ▁ 5 : 7 . ▁In ▁ 2 ▁Tim othy ▁ 4 : 7 , ▁Paul ▁writes ▁" I ▁have ▁fought ▁the ▁good ▁fight , ▁I ▁have ▁finished ▁the ▁race , ▁I ▁have ▁kept ▁the ▁faith ." ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 ▁Cor inth ians ▁ 9 : 2 4 – 2 6 , ▁written ▁to ▁the ▁city ▁that ▁hosted ▁the ▁Ist hm ian ▁Games , ▁the ▁met ap hor ▁is ▁extended ▁from ▁running ▁to ▁other ▁games , ▁such ▁as ▁box ing , ▁to ▁make ▁the ▁point ▁that ▁winning ▁a ▁prize ▁requires ▁discipline , ▁self - control , ▁and ▁coordin ated ▁activity . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 ▁Tim othy ▁ 2 : 5 ▁the ▁same ▁point ▁is ▁made . ▁These ▁athlet ic ▁met aph ors ▁are ▁also ▁echo ed ▁in ▁later ▁Christian ▁writing .