What does ἀγών (agṓn) mean in the Bible?
Ἀγών names a contest, struggle, or conflict that demands sustained effort. Paul's uses are governed by the gospel rather than by aggression.
Greek · G73
ἀγών
Ἀγών names a contest, struggle, or conflict that demands sustained effort. Paul's uses are governed by the gospel rather than by aggression.
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ἀγώνG73
Pronunciationagṓn
What does ἀγών (agṓn) mean in the Bible?
Reader summary
Full entry for ἀγών (G73) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render G73?
The BSB source-word alignment has 6 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include fight (2), opposition (1), race (1), struggle (1), vvv (1).
Where does ἀγών (agṓn) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Philippians 1:30. Its strongest book concentrations include 1 Thessalonians (1), 1 Timothy (1), 2 Timothy (1), Colossians (1).
What This Word Actually Means
Ἀγών names a contest, struggle, or conflict that demands sustained effort. Paul's uses are governed by the gospel rather than by aggression. In 1 Thessalonians 2, the struggle is the costly boldness required to speak God's gospel amid opposition after mistreatment in Philippi. First Timothy 6 commands Timothy to fight the good fight of faith by pursuing righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness while taking hold of eternal life.
At the end of 2 Timothy, Paul can say that he has fought the good fight because he has finished his course and kept the faith. The noun does not celebrate quarrelsomeness or culture-war hostility. Its goodness comes from its object, manner, and goal: fidelity to Christ, endurance in truth, and a life shaped by godliness.
How the Bible Uses It
Paul uses ἀγών for costly gospel struggle and persevering faithfulness. The contest is good only when its cause, conduct, and goal are governed by Christ.
- 1Thess.2.2
As you are aware, we had already endured suffering and shameful treatment in Philippi. But in the face of strong opposition, we were bold in our God to speak to you the gospel of God.
Paul's struggle consists in speaking God's gospel boldly amid suffering, without flattery, greed, or a search for human praise.
- 1Tim.6.12
Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made the good confession before many witnesses.
The good fight is defined by pursuit of godly virtues, confession, and eternal-life hope, not by combative temperament.
- 2Tim.4.7
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
Paul's completed contest is paired with finishing the race and keeping the faith as he awaits the righteous Judge's crown.
Book contextPassage context
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders Itfight2×1 Timothy 6:12, 2 Timothy 4:7
opposition1×1 Thessalonians 2:2
race1×Hebrews 12:1
struggle1×Philippians 1:30
vvv1×Colossians 2:1
Show sample aligned rows
Philippians 1:30ἀγῶναtostruggleNoun - Accusative Masculine SingularColossians 2:1ἀγῶναtovvvNoun - Accusative Masculine Singular1 Thessalonians 2:2ἀγῶνιtooppositionNoun - Dative Masculine Singular1 Timothy 6:12ἀγῶναtofightNoun - Accusative Masculine Singular2 Timothy 4:7ἀγῶναtofightNoun - Accusative Masculine SingularHebrews 12:1ἀγῶναtoraceNoun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned rowPhilippians 1:30
Aligned rows6
Books represented6
Philippians1Colossians11 Thessalonians11 Timothy12 Timothy1Hebrews1
Source forms
ἀγῶνα5xagōnaPhilippians 1:30, Colossians 2:1, 1 Timothy 6:12, 2 Timothy 4:7
ἀγῶνι1xagōni1 Thessalonians 2:2
Parsing patterns
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular5xPhilippians 1:30, Colossians 2:1, 1 Timothy 6:12, 2 Timothy 4:7
Noun - Dative Masculine Singular1x1 Thessalonians 2:2
Using This Word Well
Be careful not to...
- Before calling something a good fight, test its cause, methods, virtues, and promised goal by the surrounding Scripture.
Avoid claiming...
- Do not use ἀγών to sanctify quarrelsomeness, partisan hostility, or aggressive leadership.
- Do not define victory as silencing opponents; Paul's final measure is keeping the faith and finishing the course.
Evidence Summary
FaithMessiah
Greek word. Contest depicting Christian life as spiritual struggle requiring perseverance and endurance.
Strong'sG73
Lexical occurrences6 versesGreek text appearances6 timesWord forms2 forms6 referencesVerse guides0 guides
Study link2 Timothy 4:6-8Source Gloss
fight
Extended definitionSource: STEPBible TBESG + Abbott-Smith
Contest depicting Christian life as spiritual struggle requiring perseverance and endurance.
(ἄγω), [in LXX: Isa.7:13 (לאה), Est.4:17, Wis.4:2 10:12, II Mac.6, 4Mac .5 * ;]
1a gathering, esp. for games.
2a place of assembly.
3a contest, struggle, trial; metaphorically (MM, VGT, see word),
bsolicitude, anxiety: Col.2:1.
Greek Text Appearances
Textus Receptus witness, full corpusGreek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
6 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
Philippians 1:30Noun Accusative Singular Masculine
ἀγῶναagwna
a contest
Read verseColossians 2:1Noun Accusative Singular Masculine
ἀγῶναagwna
a contest
Read verse1 Thessalonians 2:2Noun Dative Singular Masculine
ἀγῶνι.agwni
a contest
Read verse1 Timothy 6:12Noun Accusative Singular Masculine
ἀγῶναagwna
a contest
Read verse2 Timothy 4:7Noun Accusative Singular Masculine
ἀγῶναagwna
a contest
Read verseHebrews 12:1Noun Accusative Singular Masculine
ἀγῶνα,agwna
a contest
Read verseFull New Testament corpus: 260 chapters, 7,957 verses, 140,628 tokens. Data source: honza/textus-receptus (data only), with authority check against byztxt/greektext-textus-receptus.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
This word appears as a noun across 2 case and number patterns. The form changes show how the word functions in a sentence; they do not change the basic lexical meaning by themselves.
Form patterns2Aligned forms6Case patternAccusative (5)Number patternSingular (6)
Verse guides are not available for this word yet, so verse references remain plain evidence markers.
Dative · Singular · Masculine1 Thess 2:21×
Accusative · Singular · MasculinePhil 1:30 · Col 2:1 · 1 Tim 6:12 · 2 Tim 4:7 · Heb 12:15×
Selected Scripture Witnesses
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
New Testament Witnesses
contest, struggle, or conflict
intense struggle
Showing 2 selected witnesses from 6 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
ἀγών is built from this root:
Why This Word Matters
Highlights the depth of Christ’s suffering.2 Timothy 4:6-8
The Christian life involves disciplined effort and endurance in faith.Luke 22:39–46
Canonical Themes
FaithMessiah
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
For the Preacher and Teacher
Not every struggle is the good fight. Paul measures the contest by allegiance to Christ and by the manner in which it is fought. His boldness in Thessalonica is accountable to God, free from manipulation, and tender toward the church. Timothy's fight is surrounded by commands to flee greed and pursue righteousness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness. Paul's final testimony is not that he defeated every opponent, but that he kept the faith and finished the assigned course.
These contexts expose the temptation to use battle language for ego, outrage, or domination. Gospel ministry can require real courage and costly resistance, yet its weapons and virtues must match its Lord. Teachers should call believers to perseverance, confession, and disciplined holiness while refusing to bless needless conflict. The crown belongs to those who love Christ's appearing, not to those who simply enjoy a fight.
Anchor passage
1Thess.2.2
Doctrinal connections
- 1 Thessalonians 2:1-12, gospel boldness without manipulation
- 1 Timothy 6:11-16, pursuing virtue and fighting the good fight
- 2 Timothy 4:6-8, finishing the course and keeping faith
- Genesis 32:22-32, Jacob's struggle and dependent blessing
- Nehemiah 4:7-23, watchful labor under opposition
- Hebrews 12:1-3, enduring the race while looking to Jesus
Ἀγών originally evokes an assembly or arena and then the contest conducted there. In Paul's metaphorical use, the surrounding genitive or argument identifies the struggle. The noun itself does not specify whether a conflict is righteous; the gospel context must do so.
From Old to New Testament
God's servants throughout Scripture labor and endure opposition, yet victory repeatedly depends on the Lord rather than human force. Jesus completes His obedient path through suffering, and His people persevere by looking to Him, keeping faith, and awaiting His righteous reward.