Reading:
Brethren,
let every man, wherein he is called, therein abide with God.
Commentary:
The background to this verse is rather
important. There were slaves in the
Corinthians congregation, who were called by the Gospel, namely converted to
Christ. Since Christ had set them free,
should they likewise flee their masters?
And if such remained slaves, does this mean Christians are to be slaves
to other men? "Brethren, let every
man, wherein he is called, therein abide with God." Christian slaves were to stay and remain in
this earthly calling (as slaves), remembering God by the Gospel had set them
free from spiritual slavery (to sin and the devil). Christian slaves then were still free in
God's eyes, yet this liberty enables them (us) to be the servants of all
men. By the same token, since the Gospel
sets us free, no man is lord over us, for "we ought to obey God rather
than man." Our obedience to man in
our given station in life (father, mother, employee, employer, civil office,
pastor, teacher, elder, son, daughter, etc) is limited to God's Word. If they command us to break God's commandments,
by not obeying man we obey God. Paul's
instruction thus is a guard against man's sinful flesh, to abuse his Christian
liberty and sin against his masters. Let
us "abide in God", remaining faithful to Him, by obeying God's
representatives according to faith.
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