The Circumstances of Your Calling

The Circumstances of Your Calling

(1 Corinthians 7:17-24)

7:17 Nevertheless,14 as the Lord has assigned to each one, as God has called each person, so must he live. I give this sort of direction in all the churches. 7:18 Was anyone called after he had been circumcised? He should not try to undo his circumcision.15 Was anyone called who is uncircumcised? He should not get circumcised. 7:19 Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing. Instead, keeping God’s commandments is what counts. 7:20 Let each one remain in that situation in life in which he was called. 7:21 Were you called as a slave? Do not worry about it. But if indeed you are able to be free, make the most of the opportunity. 7:22 For the one who was called in the Lord as a slave is the Lord’s freedman. In the same way, the one who was called as a free person is Christ’s slave. 7:23 You were bought with a price. Do not become slaves of men. 7:24 In whatever situation someone was called, brothers and sisters, let him remain in it with God. (NET)

So, what is written here? What is meant by circumcision? First, lets deal with the latter, circumcision, of course, taken literally, we know what that means, and I am a firm believer in “As is written”, however, the point of this study is to provoke a deeper thought and this is a topic that I have been taught could mean much more. Throughout the New Testament, there are issues where the once Jewish disciples, have issues with the fact that the Gentiles don’t have to first follow the Jewish rules in order to be included in the Good News, as is written here (Acts 10:45).

Could it be that in this case, since it is a letter referring to the Corinthians, who as Gentiles (non-Jews) were not physically circumcised as the Jews were, this is meant literally? Is this in fact, as I was taught, a much deeper issue, meaning that if you are a carpenter, stay a carpenter, but follow the teachings of Christ? Could it even be taken to be that just as one does not first have to become a Jew to follow Christ, nor stop being a slave, to whomever, but maybe, whatever?

In other words, keep it simple, if you are an alcoholic (a slave to alcohol) and can get free, do so, if not, “Keeping God’s commandments is what counts”. If you own a bar, keep it, “Keeping God’s commandments is what counts”, “In whatever situation someone was called, brothers and sisters, let him remain in it with God.” See my point? Think about it, if you own a bar,  or you are a patron of the bar, and then feel the calling, is it possible, that God called you and wants you to remain in that situation, only with God, and not without? Jesus hung out with the drunkards, right?

Here comes the hitch in this line of thought (1 Corinthians 5:1-13) and that is where I feel, we get hung up, we forget that we were called in a certain situation, possibly to help others in that same situation. No, I am not saying to stay a drunk, but, as God cleans you up (1 Corinthians 6:11), in front of others, won’t they then see this and benefit from it? No, it would not be easy, being around your fellow drinkers leads to more drinking, but I believe that if you are relying on your own strength, you won’t make it anyway, and God can do anything, but you still need to resist (1Corinthians 6:12-20).

Now, with all I have said, and you have read, what do you think? That is the point of this, to open up discussion.

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