Revolution or Transformation?

1 Corinthians 7:17–24 AV

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. Is any man called being circumcised? let him not become uncircumcised. Is any called in uncircumcision? let him not be circumcised. Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God. Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called. Art thou called being a servant? care not for it: but if thou mayest be made free, use it rather. 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. Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men. Brethren, let every man, wherein he is called, therein abide with God.

When the Jews wanted the Romans to kill Jesus, they accused him of being a revolutionary. They said to Pilate, If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar’s friend: whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Caesar (John 19:12). They accused the Lord of perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying that he himself is Christ a King (Luke 23:2).

The early disciples were also accused of being revolutionaries. The Jews of Thessalonica arrested Jason and other brethren, claiming that they associated with those who had turned the world upside down by teaching contrary to the decrees of Caesar and promoting another king, the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 17:6–7).

The idea that the Christian faith seeks to destroy the social customs of the day is a common objection raised against it by unbelievers. Sometimes it does that, of course. When Paul preached in Ephesus, the silversmiths of the goddess Diana suffered a huge financial loss. The gospel invariably confronts sin in everyone who hears it, and conquers it in those who believe. But its purpose is never to create chaos.

One place where we certainly do not want chaos is in our marriages and homes. And that’s exactly what this evening’s text is about. The first sixteen verses of 1 Corinthians were about marriage. A discussion of marriage continues in the verses immediately following this evening’s text. But right in the middle Paul laid out a principle that helps us avoid chaos in marriage and in other areas of our lives. In fact, he cited two extreme examples to make his point. We’ll talk about them in a minute.

The Principle

Before we do that, however, let’s consider the principle. Paul was so concerned that you not miss this that he wrote it three times. You’ll find it in verses 17, 20 and 24. Look at what he wrote, But as God hath distributed to every man, as the Lord hath called every one, so let him walk.… Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called.… Brethren, let every man, wherein he is called, therein abide with God.

Now what does this mean? Let me point out three things.

First, in each of these three verses Paul used the phrase every man or every one. Of course, he meant every believer. He wrote to the church. Therefore, his exhortation applies to everyone who professes the name of Jesus Christ. It’s not just for those who are circumcised or for those who are uncircumcised. It’s not just for slaves or free men. Rather, it applies to husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, children, employers, employees, farmers, bakers, auto mechanics, housewives and kindergarteners. If you call yourself a Christian, this principle applies to you.

Second, note that each of these verses also uses the word called or calling. Yet, it has two different but not unrelated meanings. This is particularly true of verse 20, where Paul exhorted us to abide in the same calling (i.e., the same situation, circumstance, occupation) in which we were called (i.e., to salvation in Jesus Christ). Both callings come from God. Just as the Lord calls us to faith in his Son, so he calls us to serve his Son. Because Jesus is both Savior and Lord, the two callings are really one.

And third, all three verses exhort us to remain in the calling that we have from God. Verse 17 says that we should walk in it. Verses 20 and 24 use the word abide. In each case the idea is that we must keep on living in agreement with our calling. A plumber who becomes a Christian should not think that his new faith requires him to become a doctor, and a nurse who learns to trust Jesus must not think that she has to leave her family and friends to serve as a medical missionary. Just as the gospel does not create chaos in society, it doesn’t wreak havoc in the lives of those who embrace it. Rather, it brings stability and order.

Does this then mean that a believer can never change his occupation or circumstances? Of course not. Our lives are changing all the time whether we want them to or not. Our children grow up, move out of the house, have their own families. Our jobs change. Our neighborhoods change. Even the church changes — sometimes for the good, sometimes not. Change is inevitable.

This is not what Paul meant. Remember that he wrote 1 Corinthians to a fairly young church. The members of this church had not progressed very far in the faith. Earlier Paul described them as babes. They needed to learn what Christianity is about and what God requires of them before they upset their lives and the lives of those around them. But even those who have been believers for many years need to be careful. Being the sinners that we are, it’s so easy to bring chaos into our lives needlessly. Whenever we think that the Lord might be calling us to something new, we should approach it with prayer. Sometimes he makes his will very clear — he closes one door and opens another. But that’s not always true. When it’s not, we have to consider how we can best use all that the Lord has given us.

Now, what does this have to do with marriage? It’s like this: whether we’re single, married, widowed or divorced, the Lord has called us to be single, married, widowed or divorced. There’s nothing about the Christian faith that requires one or the other. What the faith does require, though, is that we live in our calling to the glory of God, using whatever he gives us as he intended it to be used.

Illustration 1: Circumcision

As I said a few minutes ago, Paul stated his main principle three times. In between these, he gave two specific examples of what he meant: circumcision and slavery. So, the outline of this evening’s text is as follows: a statement of principle, circumcision as an illustration, a restatement of the principle, slavery as an illustration, and a concluding restatement of the principle.

Now, let’s consider Paul’s first illustration. He wrote in verses 18 and 19: Is any man called being circumcised? let him not become uncircumcised. Is any called in uncircumcision? let him not be circumcised. Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God.

This illustration was particularly appropriate because it included everyone in the church. Church membership of most churches in the first century would have included both Jews (circumcised) and Gentiles (uncircumcised). And it’s also a helpful illustration because it’s extreme: few Jews would have willingly removed the mark of their heritage, and not many Gentiles would have jumped at the chance to get it. So, changing from circumcised to uncircumcised, or the other way around, was not very likely.

However, both were possible.

Josephus wrote about Jews who hid their circumcision in order to look like Gentiles (Ant. 12.5.1). They wanted a gymnasium in Jerusalem so that they could participate in Greek sports. The Apocrypha tells of others who had their circumcisions medically reversed (1 Macc. 1:15). There’s even a first-century medical doctor named Celsus who described the process known as epispasm or decircumcision. I’m not aware of any Jews who thought that they had to have this procedure in order to become Christians, but if there were any, Paul was very clear. He wrote, Let him not become uncircumcised.

On the other hand, there were some heretics who insisted that Gentiles had to become circumcised in order to be saved. They were known as Judaizers. Paul dealt with them extensively in his letter to the Galatians and called them cursed. Here his response is very succinct: Let him not be circumcised.

Both circumcision and uncircumcision had advantages. Timothy’s circumcision, to which he was called because of his ancestry, established his credibility among the Jews, and thus opened doors for ministry among the biological seed of Abraham (Acts 16:3). Titus’ uncircumcision exemplified the freedom of the gospel to a Gentile audience (Gal. 2:3–5). If they had not submitted to their calling, their message would have been different and they would not have been able to fulfill the ministry that God had given them.

Yet, circumcision and uncircumcision are morally indifferent now that baptism has replaced circumcision. Since the Word of God neither commands nor forbids either, both are acceptable. It’s like buying a car: whether you choose a Ford or a Chevy may be determined by other factors (the reputation of the manufacturer, the warranty, the comfort of the ride, etc.) but not by a direct command from God.

That’s really the point. God’s law is what matters. We are called by God to serve him by keeping his commandments. When we keep (or literally guard) his commandments out of gratitude for all that he has given us in Jesus Christ, we can avoid the extremes of imposing laws where there are none and rejecting laws that we should obey. And when we avoid these extremes, we also avoid the chaos that comes from overthrowing God’s created order.

Illustration 2: Slavery

Paul’s second illustration is slavery. Look at verses 21–23 with me. The apostle wrote, Art thou called being a servant? care not for it: but if thou mayest be made free, use it rather. 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. Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men.

This illustration and the previous one contrast in one very important way. With circumcision it’s theoretically possible to go either way: a circumcised man can become uncircumcised and an uncircumcised man can become circumcised. But that’s not true of slavery. It’s hard to imagine any normal scenario in which a free man would make himself a slave. And so, you can see that Paul did not give that as an option. He wrote only about what it means to be called to follow Christ as a slave.

Paul wrote two things for the benefit of Christian slaves.

The first is, Care not for it. That is, Don’t be worried about the fact that you’re a slave. Don’t let it bother you. If this is what the Lord has called you to, he will also give you the strength to bear it.

In the first century some slaves were treated fairly well. They lived in their master’s homes and became professionals (educators, accountants and lawyers). But most were not treated very well. They were uneducated, illiterate and often abused by their masters. Peter wrote, Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward.… For even hereunto were ye called (1 Pet. 2:18, 21). Suffering under the unjust only means that we’re following in the steps of our precious Savior, who, though never having sinned, bore the full burden of God’s wrath in our place.

The second thing Paul wrote for slaves is at the end of verse 21, but how you understand it will depend on how you understand two small words. If you think these words have very little meaning, you will ignore them and your interpretation will be something like this: “But if you are able to become free, take advantage of that opportunity and seek your freedom.” This is how the KJV and most translations render it. But if you think the words in question should be emphasized, your interpretation will be very different. The New Revised Standard Version, which I do not recommend, says, “Even if you can gain your freedom, make use of your present condition now more than ever.”

In this case, I believe there are several good reasons for adopting the second interpretation. For one thing it represents the obvious thrust of the passage. Three times Paul exhorted the Corinthians to remain in their calling. It doesn’t make much sense to tell slaves something completely different. We also have an example of a slave remaining in his calling in the New Testament. Onesimus had run away from his master Philemon. He was later converted under Paul’s ministry and thereafter proved to be very helpful to him. Paul wrote to Philemon, offering to send Onesimus back to continue his work as his slave. And further, the reason given in verse 22 — that a slave who is called in the Lord is the Lord’s free man — doesn’t really speak to the issue if believing slaves were to seek their freedom.

There’s a much better way to look at this. The emphasis of verse 21 is on what the slave does. Should a Christian slave do whatever he can to become free, either legally or illegally? The answer is no. Rather, he should serve his master. That’s what he’s called to do. Interestingly, Paul did not say a single word about what the slave should do if his master were to take the initiative and release him, probably because it didn’t happen very often. But if it did, I believe the slave should take advantage of his master’s offer. The example, again, is Onesimus. In his letter to Philemon Paul stated his preference that Philemon release Onesimus in order to aid him in his ministry. But the choice was Philemon’s.

Again, this is an extreme example, but it’s extremity only emphasizes that the principle behind it is universal. If a slave who has been converted to Christ is not to seek his release from bondage, then every believer should remain in his calling. It shows that Christianity is not revolutionary.

But if Christianity isn’t revolutionary, what is it? It’s transformational. The Lord himself set the pattern when he transformed us from children of the devil to his own sons. Or as Paul puts in in verse 22, when he makes slaves free, and turns free men into slaves. He also expects us to be transformed daily by his grace and Spirit so that our lives reflect the transformation that has already taken place. That’s what Paul wrote in the early verses of Romans 12: Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. And as that transforming power works itself out in our lives, it inevitably transforms the world in which we live.

More than once it has been said that we live in an increasingly mobile society. Not much more than a century ago, Christians rarely attended church more than three or four miles from their homes. That’s because they didn’t have automobiles that zipped along at seventy miles an hour. They either walked or rode in horse-drawn carriages. But today forty or fifty miles is nothing. We drive that far just for dinner or a movie.

Mobility gives us a greater choice of churches, but it also makes it easier to move from one church to another. How many churches exist within a forty or fifty mile radius? Quite a few. If you don’t like one, try another. Because of this, faithfulness and commitment to a congregation is not what it used to be.

For the same reason, it’s just as easy to change jobs, shopping habits, pastimes, and just about everything else in our lives.

For several decades the world treated marriage with the same casualness — easy in, easy out. If you get tired of your spouse, get a different one. And while we’re at it, let’s make it easy to do this by having no fault divorces. It’s even worse today. Multitudes don’t even bother with marriage. They just play house as if they were married.

But Paul’s exhortation to you as God’s people is to remain in the calling in which you were called. You see, you can’t serve the Lord in new ways until you’ve first learned how to serve him in your present situation. Changing your circumstances won’t help. If your heart’s not already in submission to him, it won’t suddenly find submission just because you’ve gotten married or divorced or become widowed. If you’re not serving Jesus Christ where you are today, you won’t serve him somewhere else tomorrow.

So, rather than seeking a new life, our goal should be to learn how to serve our Lord and Master in the life he has given us. We must learn to apply his commands to our current circumstances, whatever they may be. That’s how we are to glory him. Amen.