73 agṓn(a masculine noun, and the root of the English words, "agony," "agonize") – properly, a contest (struggle), a grueling conflict (fight); (figuratively) positive struggle that goes with "fighting the good fight of faith" (1 Tim 6:12) – which literally states, "Struggle (75 /agōnízomai) the good struggle (73 /agṓn) of the (life of) faith."

[73 (agṓn) refers to "an (athletic) contest; hence, a struggle (in the soul)" (Souter).

"In secular Greek 73 (agṓn) refers to a gathering to see the games, or the place of contest (Homer), or the Olympus games themselves, or some smaller contest in particular – the gymnikos, hippikos, and mousikos – and more generally, any struggle or battle" (Nigel Turner, Christian Words, 81).

In the ancient world, athletic contests could be so severe they caused the toughest men to crumble. Indeed, this was common (so Euripedes, Xenophon).]

STRONGS NT 73: ἀγών

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, Hebrews 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: 1 Thessalonians 2:2; Philippians 1:30; 1 Timothy 6:12; 2 Timothy 4:7.

b. intense solicitude, anxiety: περί τίνος, Colossians 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 ).



conflict, contention, fight, race.

From ago; properly, a place of assembly (as if led), i.e. (by implication) a contest (held there); figuratively, an effort or anxiety -- conflict, contention, fight, race.

see GREEK ago

αγωνα αγώνα ἀγῶνα αγωνι αγώνι ἀγῶνι agona agôna agōna agō̂na agoni agôni agōni agō̂ni