“1 Corinthians 7:17-24”

Friday, April 06, 2018

“Only, as the Lord has assigned to each one, as God has called each, in this manner let him walk. And so I direct in all the churches. Was any man called when he was already circumcised? He is not to become uncircumcised. Has anyone been called in uncircumcision? He is not to be circumcised. Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but what matters is the keeping of the commandments of God. Each man must remain in that condition in which he was called.

“Were you called while a slave? Do not worry about it; but if you are able also to become free, rather do that. For he who was called in the Lord while a slave, is the Lord's freedman; likewise he who was called while free, is Christ's slave. You were bought with a price; do not become slaves of men. Brethren, each one is to remain with God in that condition in which he was called.”

---End of Scripture verses---

Paul had just given one exception to the rule of staying married to your unbelieving husband or wife in verse 15. He said there, “Yet if the unbelieving one leaves, let him leave; the brother or the sister is not under bondage in such cases, but God has called us to peace.” But that is the exception and not the rule. God’s desire is for us to stay married to the one that He has bound us to in the most intimate of all earthly relationships. I think Paul is really emphasizing that point in today’s passage where he gives us two other examples to show that God has not called us to change our “social relationships” when He calls us out of the world and into the kingdom by His Gospel.

The two examples he cited as proof that the Gospel doesn’t demand “national” or “societal upheaval” are “circumcision” and “slavery”. Circumcision was a means to distinguish Jewish people from non-Jewish people. But in the church of Jesus Christ, a person’s nationality is completely irrelevant. “For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:27-28).

“Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but what matters is the keeping of the commandments of God” (verse 19). This text reveals a couple of things about circumcision in an indirect way. The first is that circumcision is obviously no longer a part of “keeping the commandments of God.” Since circumcision was a foundational aspect of the Law of Moses, that Law is obviously no longer in effect, and no one is bound to its precepts today. The second very interesting implication is that there was actually a medical procedure to be “uncircumcised”. Some Jewish men would attempt to “hide” their circumcision to avoid social embarrassment or harassment because of their national mark of identity.

But Paul’s main point is that, in Christ, it really doesn’t matter if you are circumcised or not. The second example he used to demonstrate that becoming a Christian does not demand a change in societal status is “slavery”. If a person obeyed the Gospel while in the capacity of a servant of another man, he should not “worry about” that (verse 21). You can be a faithful Christian and a faithful slave at the same time. Our freedom in Christ does not demand that we seek freedom from an earthly “master”.

Please understand that Paul is not “condoning” slavery in this passage and neither am I. He is merely teaching that Christ did not die to abolish the institution of slavery. He died to liberate individual people from the bondage and slavery of sin and save their souls. He did that for ALL people, for those standing on the highest and the lowest rungs of the societal ladder, and all rungs in between.

What Paul is teaching here is that it is perfectly alright to “grow where we have been planted.” It is okay to be content in the social status and social relationships that we find ourselves in when we come to Christ, AS LONG AS THEY ARE NOT SINFUL OF COURSE! Your nationality is irrelevant when you are a citizen of the kingdom of heaven! Your position in society is inconsequential when your name has been written in the Lamb’s book of life!

We should really take this to heart during the current hateful and divisive political climate that we have in our nation today. Our spiritual association is much more significant and binding than our political affiliation. We are citizens of the kingdom of heaven before and above being democrats, republicans, libertarians, and even Americans! The spiritual ties that bind Christians together in Christ should be much greater than any bonds that this world can produce!

Another thing that Paul is NOT doing here is teaching that we cannot strive to “better” our position in life. He IS teaching us to be content, but he is NOT insisting that there is no room for “ambition” and “upward mobility”. It is good for a slave to “become free” if he can “do that” (verse 21). But climbing the social or corporate or national ladder is not what Christ has called us to do. Christ called us out of the world and into His kingdom in order to serve Him and be loyal to Him first and foremost. We must remember that if we “belong” to Christ, we will always be His slave whatever our position in earthly society might be (verse 22-23).

Please read 1 Corinthians 7:25-31 for tomorrow.

Have a blessed day!

- Louie Taylor

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