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Timothy: I Corinthians 7:17-24
Live as You Are Called

17 But as God hath distributed to every man, as the Lord hath called every one, so let him walk. And so ordain I in all churches.

18 Is any man called being circumcised? let him not become uncircumcised. Is any called in uncircumcision? let him not be circumcised.

19 Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God.

20 Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called.

21 Art thou called being a servant? care not for it: but if thou mayest be made free, use it rather.

22 For he that is called in the Lord, being a servant, is the Lord’s freeman: likewise also he that is called, being free, is Christ’s servant.

23 Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men.

24 Brethren, let every man, wherein he is called, therein abide with God.

[King James Version]

Dear God, my Beloved Father, I respectfully offer my praise and gratitude to You. By Your grace and protection, another day has been granted to me. You continue to provide me with opportunities to serve and share Your Word with my fellow believers. You have given me the Eternal Living Word of God to contemplate, and I am truly grateful to You. May all glory be Yours forever. I pray to Christ to relieve me of my physical and mental exhaustion and sickness. I pray to the Holy Spirit to grant me understanding of Your Word, and I thank Christ and the Holy Spirit.

Father, I would like to present my reflection on 1 Corinthians 7:17-24 as follows:

Verse 17: I understand that You have a general calling for those who believe in Your salvation, but You also have a specific calling for some people within the Church. If someone does not receive a specific calling, then they should stay in their current environment and circumstances and work as long as those aspects are not violating Your Word. Those who receive a specific calling must obey that call, such as those who are called to be apostles, pastors, teachers of the Word, or preachers of the Gospel… Besides, You also have a specific calling for each person regarding their education, work, social position, marriage, and place of living…

Verses 18 and 19: Even during the time of Paul, there were people teaching false doctrines in the Church. They taught that those who believe in the Gospel must be circumcised, must avoid certain foods that are considered unclean in the Old Testament, and must observe the seven Old Testament festivals. Nowadays, there are also false teachings that instruct believers to pronounce the names of God and Jesus in the Hebrew language. There are many other false teachings as well. But the reality is that those who believe in the Gospel only need to sincerely repent, fully accept the redemption of Christ’s sacrifice, and then be baptized in the name of the Triune God, and live a new life without sin, that is, without violating God’s commandments. God’s commandments include the Ten Commandments, Christ’s New Commandment, and the Holy Spirit’s Sanctification Commandment.

Verse 20: God’s general call to everyone is a call to repent of sins and accept His Gospel of Redemption. Those who have truly accepted the Gospel must be faithful and remain in it, living a new life. God’s specific call to some people is a call to serve in positions and tasks within the Church, accompanied by the Holy Spirit’s gifts to carry out those duties, as taught in 1 Corinthians 12. Those called to serve in the Church must also be faithful and remain in their positions and tasks.

Verses 21 and 22: During the time of Paul, there was a system of slavery. God wanted slaves to believe in Him and not worry about their circumstances, but to entrust their lives to Him and wholeheartedly follow His Word. When God provides an opportunity to leave slavery, they should take it. A slave who believes in God is, in reality, a free person in the Lord, having been freed from the bondage of sin. Spiritual freedom is far more precious than physical freedom. Even someone who holds a position of societal freedom becomes a slave to Christ when they believe in Him. This means that a believer must completely submit to God, living and dying for Him.

Verse 23: All who belong to God have been redeemed from the slavery of sin and its consequences through Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. This was the highest price God paid to redeem them, for Christ Himself is God in human form. I understand that the word translated as “servants” in English is “slaves” in Greek. During Paul’s time, many believers were slaves, so the teaching “be not ye the servants of men” did not refer to physical slavery but to spiritual slavery. This means that believers must not obey anyone who asks them to do anything that goes against God’s Word.

Verse 24: Once again, Paul repeats the advice he gave in verse 20, that whoever is called to a certain place should stay there, but he adds “with God.” Each of God’s people should stay in the place that God has assigned for them in His presence. This means that they should worship and serve God in the place where God has placed them. From ancient times until now, there have been many people in the Church who have not been called by God but want to hold power in the Church or want to be teachers of the Word of God. They have become troublemakers in the Church.

Father, please help Your people understand the teachings in this section of the Bible so that each one may live according to Your will and actively participate in building the Church. I thank You. Amen!

In the grace of Jesus Christ, my Lord.

Timothy Christian Huynh
05/05/2023