SEV Biblia, Chapter 7:17
¶ Sino que cada uno como el Seor le reparti, y como Dios llam a cada uno, así ande; y así ordeno en todas las Iglesias.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - 1 Corinthians 7:17
Verse 17. But as God hath distributed to every man, &c.] Let every man fulfill the duties of the state to which God in the course of his providence has called him. So ordain I in all Churches.] I do not lay on you a burden which others are not called to bear: this is the general rule which, by the authority of God, I impose on every Christian society.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 17. But as God hath distributed to every man , etc.] This text is so placed, and the words of it so expressed, as that it may have regard both to what goes before, and follows after; it may have respect to every mans proper gift, whether of continence, or of disposition to marriage, which every man has of God, ( 1 Corinthians 7:7), and accordingly ought to live in a single, or in a married state; or it may refer to the last verse, what knowest thou , etc. and ei mh , which we render but, be translated either unless; and then the sense is, thou knowest not, O man or woman, whether thou shalt save thy wife or husband, nor any other, unless God, who distributes his, grace to everyone as he pleases; or else it may be rendered if not, and the sense be, if thou shouldst not save thy husband, or thou, man, shouldst not save thy wife; yet as God hath distributed to every man his own proper gift, both as to nature and grace; his proper sphere of usefulness, and the station in which he would have him be, and the place he would have him fill up, and the business he must do in life; so let him act, and as the Lord hath called everyone ; which is to be understood of that particular station of life, and those circumstances of it, in which men are providentially placed by God, or are found in when he calls them by his grace; as whether married or unmarried; whether joined to a believer or an unbeliever; whether circumcised or uncircumcised; whether bond or free; a servant or a master; and so may refer to what follows, as well as to what goes before: so let him walk ; contented with his station and kind of life, agreeably to the profession he makes of the Gospel, doing all the good he can to those he is concerned with: and so ordain I in all churches ; the decisions and determinations he had made, in the cases proposed to him about marriage, the rules and orders he had prescribed, what he had given out by way of precept or permission, by command or counsel, or what he was about to deliver, were no other than what he in common enjoined other churches; and therefore they ought not to think that they were used with more strictness and severity than others; and might be induced hereby to attend to what was advised or enjoined, since it was what was common to all the churches.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 17-24 - The rules of Christianity reach every condition; and in every state man may live so as to be a credit to it. It is the duty of ever Christian to be content with his lot, and to conduct himself in his rank and place as becomes a Christian. Our comfort and happiness depen on what we are to Christ, not what we are in the world. No man shoul think to make his faith or religion, an argument to break through an natural or civil obligations. He should quietly and contentedly abid in the condition in which he is placed by Divine Providence.
Greek Textus Receptus
ει 1487 COND μη 3361 PRT-N εκαστω 1538 A-DSM ως 5613 ADV εμερισεν 3307 5656 V-AAI-3S ο 3588 T-NSM θεος 2316 N-NSM εκαστον 1538 A-ASM ως 5613 ADV κεκληκεν 2564 5758 V-RAI-3S ο 3588 T-NSM κυριος 2962 N-NSM ουτως 3779 ADV περιπατειτω 4043 5720 V-PAM-3S και 2532 CONJ ουτως 3779 ADV εν 1722 PREP ταις 3588 T-DPF εκκλησιαις 1577 N-DPF πασαις 3956 A-DPF διατασσομαι 1299 5731 V-PMI-1S
Vincent's NT Word Studies
17. But (ei mh). Rev., only. Introducing a limitation to the statement in ver 15. There is to be no enslavement, only, to give no excuse for the reckless abuse of this general principle, the normal rule of Christian life is that each one should seek to abide in the position in which God has placed him.Ordain (diatassomai). See on Matt. xi. 1.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
7:17 {Only} (ei me). this use of ei me as an elliptical condition is very common (#7:5; Ga 1:7,19; Ro 14:14), "except that" like plen. Paul gives a general principle as a limitation to what he has just said in verse #15. "It states the general principle which determines these questions about marriage, and this is afterwards illustrated by the cases of circumcision and slavery" (Robertson and Plummer). He has said that there is to be no compulsory slavery between the believer and the disbeliever (the Christian and the pagan). But on the other hand there is to be no reckless abuse of this liberty, no license. {As the Lord hath distributed to each man} (hekastwi hws memeriken ho kurios). Perfect active indicative of merizw, old verb from meros, apart. Each has his lot from the Lord Jesus, has his call from God. He is not to seek a rupture of the marriage relation if the unbeliever does not ask for it. {And so ordain I} (kai houtws diatassomai). Military term, old word, to arrange in all the churches (distributed, dia-). Paul is conscious of authoritative leadership as the apostle of Christ to the Gentiles.
