SEV Biblia, Chapter 7:23
Por precio sois comprados; no os hagis siervos de los hombres.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - 1 Corinthians 7:23
Verse 23. Ye are bought with a price] As truly as your bodies have become the property of your masters, in consequence of his paying down a price for you; so sure you are now the Lord's property, in consequence of your being purchased by the blood of Christ. Some render this verse interrogatively: Are ye bought with a price from your slavery? Do not again become slaves of men. Never sell yourselves; prefer and retain your liberty now that ye have acquired it.
In these verses the apostle shows that the Christian religion does not abolish our civil connections; in reference to them, where it finds us, there it leaves us. In whatever relation we stood before our embracing Christianity, there we stand still; our secular condition being no farther changed than as it may be affected by the amelioration of our moral character. But slavery, and all buying and selling of the bodies and souls of men, no matter what colour or complexion, is a high offense against the holy and just God, and a gross and unprincipled attack on the liberty and rights of our fellow creatures.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 23. Ye are bought with a price , etc.] Some read these words interrogatively, as ( 1 Corinthians 7:18,21), are ye bought with a price? and suppose them directed to such who had bought out their time of servitude with a sum of money, and ought not to return to their former condition; but they are rather to be read affirmatively, and to be understood of all, whether freemen or servants, that are bought with the inestimable price of Christs blood, as in ( 1 Corinthians 6:20) and contain in them a reason why such as are called by the grace of God, whilst in a state of civil servitude, are Christs freemen, because they are redeemed by him from sin, Satan, the law, and from among men; and also why such as are called by the grace of God, being in a state of civil liberty, are Christs servants, because he has purchased them with his blood, and therefore has a right unto them, both to their persons and service: be not ye the servants of men : not that the apostle dissuades such as are redeemed by Christ, and are believers in him, from being the servants of men in a civil sense; for this would be to contradict himself, who here and elsewhere exhorts servants to continue in the service of their masters, and to perform it heartily and cheerfully, and with great sincerity and integrity; but his meaning is, that since they were redeemed from a vain conversation by the blood of Christ, they should not be servants to the lusts of men, nor obey them in things sinful and wicked, which were contrary to law and Gospel, and which were made unlawful by the word of God, and were a breach of the command of their Lord and master Christ; nor should they in matters of religion and the worship of God submit to the authority of any set of men whatever, or be subject to the doctrines and commandments of men; whether these relate to Jewish ceremonies, or Gentile superstitions, or be a mixture of both: they were to call no man master upon earth; nor suffer any to lord it over them, as the false teachers very much did in this church; but to acknowledge Christ, who had bought them to be their only Lord and master. The allusion seems to he to a tradition of the Jews, that the Israelites being redeemed out of Egypt were the servants of God, and not of men f135 ; R. Jochanan ben Zaccai was explaining this Scripture, ( Exodus 21:6) how different the ear is from all the members of the body; says the holy blessed God, the ear that heard my voice on Mount Sinai, at the time I said, the children of Israel are my servants, ydb[l ydb[ alw , and not servants to servants; and this goes and gets itself a master, let it be bored: R. Simeon ben Ribbi was explaining the same Scripture, how different the door and the door post were from all the parts of the house; says the holy blessed God, the door and the door post, which were witnesses in Egypt, at the time that I passed by the threshold, and by the two door posts, and I said, the children of Israel are my servants, and not servants to servants, and I brought them out of bondage to liberty; and this goes and gets itself a master, let it be bored before them. Ver. 24. Brethren, let every man wherein he is called , The apostle repeats the advice given in ( 1 Corinthians 7:20) and prefaces it with that tender and affectionate appellation, brethren, the more to engage them to attend to it; showing also that whatever difference there was in their civil state and condition, there was none in their religious one; they were all brethren, one of another, they were his brethren, yea, even the brethren of Christ: therein abide with God ; that is, abide in his civil calling and station of life, be it what it will, as knowing he is in that state it is the will of God he should be in; and as in the sight of God, who knows all men, and what is best for them, and who sees and observes all their actions and conduct of life; and with whom there is no respect of persons, of bond or free, of masters or servants; they are admitted equally to enjoy the same favours and privileges in the house of God; have the same access to the throne of grace, and enjoy the same communion with God; and therefore should be content in their present situation, discharging the several duties of their station aright, and exercise a good conscience both towards God and man.
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
τιμης 5092 N-GSF ηγορασθητε 59 5681 V-API-2P μη 3361 PRT-N γινεσθε 1096 5737 V-PNM-2P δουλοι 1401 N-NPM ανθρωπων 444 N-GPM
Vincent's NT Word Studies
23. The servants of men. Not referring to the outward condition of bondage, but to spiritual subjection to the will and guidance of men as contrasted with Christ.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
7:23 {Ye were bought with a price} (times egorasqete). See on 6:20 for this very phrase, here repeated. Both classes (slaves and freemen) were purchased by the blood of Christ. {Become not bondservants of men} (me ginesqe douloi anqrwpwn). Present middle imperative of ginomai with negative me. Literally, stop becoming slaves of men. Paul here clearly defines his opposition to human slavery as an institution which comes out so powerfully in the epistle to Philemon. Those already free from human slavery should not become enslaved.
