Abide in the Same Calling 1 Corinthians 7:20

“Circumcision”, according to Paul the apostle, “is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God”, and in chapter seven and verse twenty of First Corinthians, Paul further instructed the church members to “abide in the same calling” where we read:

Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called.

The verse begins, “Let every man abide in the same calling ..” Paul began with the word, “Let” which means “allow and permit” “every man” or “each, all, the whole, and every person whether male or female” “abide” which means “remain, sojourn, tarry and not depart” “in the same calling” which means “toward the aforementioned invitation to embrace salvation of God”. According to Paul, each person was to “continue and remain in” the “calling” he mentioned previously.

The verse goes on to say, “... wherein he was called.” Paul added the word, “wherein” which means “by and with which” “he was called” or “uttered in a loud voice, given a name and saluted”. Whichever station a person was in when “called” by God, he or she was to remain in that state.

When we consider these words from Paul, we understand the church members were to “abide” in their state whether they were a Jew, Gentile, bond or free when they were “called” by God. There was no need for people to become something other than they were for the purposes of salvation, and when the Judaizers suggested otherwise, the church members were to ignore them. God desires all people to be saved through His Son Jesus Christ, and their position sociologically makes no difference in their ability to come to Him. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

Next time Paul asks the church members, “are you called being a servant? Care not for it”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, and the new devotional “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.