SEV Biblia, Chapter 7:21
¿Eres llamado siendo siervo? No te d cuidado; mas tambin si puedes hacerte libre, procralo ms.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - 1 Corinthians 7:21
Verse 21. Art thou called being a servant?] doulov eklhqhv, Art thou converted to Christ while thou art a slave-the property of another person, and bought with his money? care not for it-this will not injure thy Christian condition, but if thou canst obtain thy liberty-use it rather-prefer this state for the sake of freedom, and the temporal advantages connected with it.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 21. Art thou called being a servant ? etc.] That is, called by grace whilst in the condition of a servant, care not for it ; do not be troubled at it, and uneasy with it; be not anxiously solicitous to be otherwise; bear the yoke patiently, go through thy servitude cheerfully, and serve thy master faithfully; do not look upon it as any objection to thy calling, any contradiction to thy Christian liberty, or as unworthy of, and a reproach upon thy profession of Christ: but if thou mayest be made free , use it rather. The Syriac renders the last clause, jwlptd l ybg , choose for thyself to serve; perfectly agreeable to the sense given of the words, by several great critics and excellent interpreters, who take the apostles meaning to be, that should a Christian servant have an opportunity of making his escape from his master, or could he by any art, trick, and fraudulent method, obtain his liberty, it would be much more advisable to continue a servant, than to become free by any such means: yea, some seem to carry the sense so far, that even if servants could be made free in a lawful way, yet servitude was most eligible, both for their own and their masters good: for their own to keep them humble and exercise their patience; for their masters not only temporal, but spiritual good; since by their good behaviour they might be a means of recommending the Gospel to them, and of gaining them to Christ; but one should rather think the more obvious sense is, that when a Christian servant has his freedom offered him by his master, or he can come at it in a lawful and honourable way, this being preferable to servitude, he ought rather to make use of it; since he would be in a better situation, and more at leisure to serve Christ, and the interest of religion: however, certain it is, that the apostles design is, to make men easy in every station of life, and to teach them how to behave therein; he would not have the freeman abuse his liberty, or be elated with it, nor the servant be uneasy under his servitude, nor be depressed by it, for the reasons following.
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
δουλος 1401 N-NSM εκληθης 2564 5681 V-API-2S μη 3361 PRT-N σοι 4671 P-2DS μελετω 3199 5720 V-PAM-3S αλλ 235 CONJ ει 1487 COND και 2532 CONJ δυνασαι 1410 5736 V-PNI-2S ελευθερος 1658 A-NSM γενεσθαι 1096 5635 V-2ADN μαλλον 3123 ADV χρησαι 5530 5663 V-ADM-2S
Vincent's NT Word Studies
21. Use it rather. Whether the apostle means, use the bondage or use the freedom - whether, take advantage of the offer of freedom, or, remain in slavery - is, as Dean Stanley remarks, one of the most evenly balanced questions in the interpretation of the New Testament. The force of kai even, and the positive injunction of the apostle in vers. 20 and 24, seem to favor the meaning, remain in slavery.95 The injunction is to be read in the light of ver. 22, and of Gal. iii. 28; Col. iii. 11; 1 Corinthians xii. 13, that freeman and slave are one in Christ; and also of the feeling pervading the Church of the speedy termination of the present economy by the second coming of the Lord. See vers. 26, 29. We must be careful to avoid basing our conclusion on the modern sentiment respecting freedom and slavery.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
7:21 {Wast thou called being a bondservant?} (doulos ekleqes;). First aorist passive indicative. Wast thou, a slave, called? {Care not for it} (me soi meletw). "Let it not be a care to thee." Third person singular (impersonal) of melei, old verb with dative soi. It was usually a fixed condition and a slave could be a good servant of Christ (#Col 3:22; Eph 6:5; Tit 2:9), even with heathen masters. {Use it rather} (mallon cresai). Make use of what? There is no "it" in the Greek. Shall we supply eleuqeriai (instrumental case after cresai or douleiai)? Most naturally eleuqeriai, freedom, from eleuqeros, just before. In that case ei kai is not taken as although, but kai goes with dunasai, "But if thou canst also become free, the rather use your opportunity for freedom." On the whole this is probably Paul's idea and is in full harmony with the general principle above about mixed marriages with the heathen. cresai is second person singular aorist middle imperative of craomai, to use, old and common verb.
