What does 2 Timothy 2:5 mean?

This verse transitions from the imagery of a soldier to that of an athlete. Athletes, both as amateurs and professionals, existed even prior to New Testament times. Athletics was especially popular in the ancient Grecian Olympics. Winners were presented with an olive wreath from a sacred tree near the temple of Zeus in Olympia.

An athlete who broke the rules of competition could not be crowned. In ancient times, just as in the modern day, rules existed both for the competition and the training. In the ancient Olympic Games, athletes had to swear before the statue of Zeus that they had strictly trained for 10 months prior to the event. Similarly, today's elite athletes devote their entire lives to training and competition. Yet athletes can be disqualified by breaking one major rule and even have prior medals or awards taken away. The Christian is to likewise follow God's truth in daily life in order to successfully be awarded in heaven. This is not a matter of salvation (Ephesians 2:8–9), but of heavenly rewards.