St. Paul could have attended the Olympic Games in ancient Greece. He was in Greece when they were being played. He never mentioned the Olympics in his letters, but he has a lot to say about winning.
“Do you not know that the runners in the stadium all run in the race, but only one wins the prize? Run so as to win. Every athlete exercises discipline in every way. They do it to win a perishable crown, but we an imperishable one. “(1 Cor 9:24-25)
He is not talking about “winning the gold.” The prize St. Paul is referring to is “an imperishable one,” and the race he is referring to is the journey we all make to God. The great thing about this race is that everybody can win the prize. But, like the Olympians, it takes determination and self-discipline.
Athletes from throughout the world are in London this week to compete for the “perishable prize” referred to by St. Paul. Most of them have trained for years to make it to the Olympics. They have willingly sacrificed many legitimate pleasures in order to prepare their bodies for a single moment of glory and piece of precious metal on a ribbon. They compete knowing that the odds are against most of them.
Our training regimen for our race for the imperishable prize is much simpler. We heard it in the first reading of the Mass last Monday. “…to act justly, to love tenderly and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8)
I look forward to the Olympics. Let’s enjoy the games, but let’s never lose sight of our own race and the imperishable prize.
Bishop Kevin Joseph Farrell was appointed Seventh Bishop of Dallas on March 6, 2007 by Pope Benedict XVI. 
Paul possibly attending the Olympic Games. This really makes St. Paul seem even more alive! Thanks for the article!
Paul indeed picked up secular language and used in his teachings. “I became all things to all men, that I might save all. And I do all things for the gospel’s sake, that I may be made partaker thereof.” I count it unlikely, though, that it would have included his attending, say, the Isthmian games of Corinth.
The ancient games were strongly religious in nature, and (as you’ll agree) not of Paul’s religion!
Today the Games are strongly (completely?) nationalistic, and so also against Paul’s thinking about the Gospel. “For Christ therefore we are ambassadors, God as it were exhorting by us, for Christ, we beseech you, be reconciled to God.” He “ran” for God’s Kingdom (Mt 6:9,10), not any of man’s. Even Abraham knew that God was the “judge [of] all the earth.” Gen 18:25
How do we think to get imperishable gift in this perishable world ? Do we live here like a runner participate in race (life) for only this imperishable gifts ?
Keep in mind that there were many games in ancient Greece and four very important ones, those at Olympia, Delphi, Nemea, and the Isthmus (the last two of these were very near Corinth). He almost certainly attended these games, and possibly the Olympics, because he was a tent-maker and you needed tent cities at these games to accommodate all the sports enthusiasts. With the huge crowds, they would have been great places to preach (keep in mind his attitude at Ephesus when the riot was breaking out).
If Paul did attend, it was to convert the Pagans, as the Olympics was and still is pagan worship. I don’t waste my time watching them as it is all about self-glory, hero worship and the love of money. +JMJ+