1 Corinthians 7:21 - Exposition

Being a servant. This is the second instance of the rule. One who was converted whilst he was a slave is not to strive over anxiously for freedom. The word "emancipation" sometimes seems (as in the letter to Philemon) to be "trembling on Paul's lips," but he never utters it, because to do so would have been to kindle social revolt, and lead to the total overthrow of Christianity at the very commencement of its career. Our Lord had taught the apostles to adapt means to ends; and the method of Christianity was to inculcate great principles, the acceptance of which involved, with all the certainty of a law, the ultimate regeneration of the world. Christianity came into the world as the dawn, not as the noon—a shining light, which brightened more and more unto the perfect day. Care not for it. Do not be troubled by the fact, because in Christ "there is neither bond nor free" ( Galatians 3:28 ), and because earthly freedom is as nothing in comparison with the freedom which Christ gives ( John 8:36 ). But if thou mayest be made free, use it rather. The words may mean,

1. By the strict interpretation of the Greek particles.

2. By the entire context, which turns on the rule that each man should stay in the earthly condition in which he first received God's call.

3. By the fact that even the Stoic moralists—like Epictetus, who was himself a slave—gave similar advice (Epict., 'Dissert.,' 3:26; 'Enchir.,' 1 Corinthians 10:32 .)

4. By the indifference which St. Paul felt and expressed towards mere earthly conditions ( Galatians 3:28 ), as things of no real significance ( Colossians 3:22 ).

5. By his appeal to the nearness of the day of Christ ( 1 Corinthians 7:29-31 ).

6. By the preponderance of high authorities—Chrysostom, Theodoret, Luther, Bengel, De Wette, Meyer, Alford, etc.—in favour of this view

7. By its parallelism to the advice given to Christian slaves in 1 Timothy 6:2 , where they are urged to serve Christian masters all the more zealously because they were brethren.

8. Lastly, all the apparent harshness of the advice is removed when we remember that St. Paul was probably thinking only of the Christian slaves of Christian masters, between whom the relation might be as happy as that of Philemon to the forgiven Onesimus.