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Live the Life That the Lord Has Assigned (1 Cor. 7:17-24)

Only, everyone should live as the Lord has assigned, just as God called each one. I give this order in all the churches. 18 Was someone called after he had been circumcised? He should not try to undo his circumcision. Was an uncircumcised person called? He should not be circumcised. 19 Circumcision means nothing, and uncircumcision means nothing; what matters is keeping God’s commandments. 20 Everyone should remain in the state in which he was called. 21 Were you a slave when you were called? Do not be concerned but, even if you can gain your freedom, make the most of it. 22 For the slave called in the Lord is a freed person in the Lord, just as the free person who has been called is a slave of Christ. 23 You have been purchased at a price. Do not become slaves to human beings. 24 Brothers, everyone should continue before God in the state in which he was called.

God calls believers in varied situations in life and they should remain in the familial and social situation in which they have been called (Gal. 2:27-28).  What matters is our response to God’s call by keeping His commandments not our ethnicity or our social or marital status.  Response to God’s call was a point of contention in the nascent Church primarily because the major groups were Jews and Gentiles.  The issue about the requirements of Mosaic Law was debated at the Council of Jerusalem (c. 50 CE) where it was decided that Gentile Christians did not have to observe the Mosaic Law (Acts 15:1-35).  

Many of the Christians in Corinth were slaves so Paul addressed God’s calling while being a slave.  Two different interpretations of verse 21 are 1) If you are called when you are a slave remain a slave even if there is the opportunity to gain freedom; 2) If you are called when you are a slave and there is the opportunity to gain freedom, take advantage of it.  No matter your station in life when called, you are free in Christ who purchased you with the price of his blood (Eph. 1:7).  You became a slave to Christ (Rom. 1:1) so do not allow yourself to become enslaved to human values or circumstances.  Free people sometimes sold themselves into slavery for different reasons.  That slavery, however, was different from slavery in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Almighty God, we give thanks to your Son for purchasing our freedom from sin with his blood on the Cross.  Grant us the strength to keep your commandments in all circumstances out of love for you, as you showed your love for us by the sacrifice of your Son.  This we ask through the same Christ our Lord.  Amen!

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References
Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Upper Saddle River, NJ, United States, Prentice Hall, 1990.

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