A Personal Hello,

In our study of the 1 Corinthians Chapter 7 and in the excerpt of this post (1 Cor 7:17-24) we will see the teaching of the apostle that each one assumes his Christian vocation independent of the condition in which he finds himself. We see:

Verse 17 appears to resume and conclude the text before. The counsel in order that each one continues in the condition in which he is: single, married and widows. St. Paul reinforces his role as apostle, from authority. His authority was questioned by some members of the community and from unity, for this is the teaching given to all the Churches. But the situation (of each one remaining in his condition) it is amplified to the social atmosphere social — religious. Of the special mode of the two conditions circumcised/uncircumised and slave/free.

Many questions on cirumcision, generated division in the Church. The Circumcision was not, for Paul, a condition for the Christian. On the other hand, the circumcised are in pagan land, they should not adapt themselves to local customs. Where we read faith to the call should also be translated as each one faithful to his Christian vocation. This verse hinges on the ties of the religious (circumcision) to the social (slavery).

This call also is not only for the free, but also for the slaves. Otherwise it would assume that the Christian community, or the Christian slave will have to require freedom of the slave. The Apostle does not ask the slave that he refuse freedom when that is possible, but that the vocation of christian is the same for the slave.

Therefore St. Paul presents an interesting investment: That the slave becomes free in Jesus and the one that is free becomes a servant of Christ. For all slaves and free were bought at the price of the blood of the Lord, being thus free and servants of Christ not of men. Finally the verse reinforces the necessity in which each one assumes his vocation of Christian independent of his condition of life.

Abraços,

Dennis Duarte

Translated from Portuguese