Passage

1 Corinthians 7.17

Book: 1 Corinthians · ASV / WEB / KJV / YLT

Immediate context (±2 verses)

ASV

15. Yet if the unbelieving departeth, let him depart: the brother or the sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God hath called us in peace. 16. For how knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt save thy husband? or how knowest thou, O husband, whether thou shalt save thy wife?

17. Only, as the Lord hath distributed to each man, as God hath called each, so let him walk. And so ordain I in all the churches.

Was any man called being circumcised? let him not become uncircumcised. Hath any been called in uncircumcision? let him not be circumcised. 19. Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing; but the keeping of the commandments of God. (1 Corinthians 7:15-19, ASV)

WEB

15. Yet if the unbeliever departs, let there be separation. The brother or the sister is not under bondage in such cases, but God has called us in peace. 16. For how do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?

17. Only, as the Lord has distributed to each man, as God has called each, so let him walk. So I command in all the assemblies.

Was anyone called having been circumcised? Let him not become uncircumcised. Has anyone been called in uncircumcision? Let him not be circumcised. 19. Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God. (1 Corinthians 7:15-19, WEB)

KJV

15. But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God hath called us to peace. ^{to peace: Gr. in peace} 16. For what knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt save thy husband? or how knowest thou, O man, whether thou shalt save thy wife? ^{how: Gr. what}

17. But as God hath distributed to every man, as the Lord hath called every one, so let him walk. And so ordain I in all churches.

Is any man called being circumcised? let him not become uncircumcised. Is any called in uncircumcision? let him not be circumcised. 19. Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God. (1 Corinthians 7:15-19, KJV)

YLT

15. And, if the unbelieving doth separate himself, let him separate himself: the brother or the sister is not under servitude in such [cases], and in peace hath God called us; 16. for what, hast thou known, O wife, whether the husband thou shalt save? or what, hast thou known, O husband, whether the wife thou shalt save?

17. if not, as God did distribute to each, as the Lord hath called each, so let him walk; and thus in all the assemblies do I direct:

being circumcised, was any one called? let him not become uncircumcised; in uncircumcision was any one called? let him not be circumcised; 19. the circumcision is nothing, and the uncircumcision is nothing, but a keeping of the commands of God. (1 Corinthians 7:15-19, YLT)

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Setting

Speaker: Paul the apostle, with Sosthenes named in the greeting (1:1)
Audience: the church of God at Corinth, mostly Gentile with Jewish members
Location: written from Ephesus (16:8)
Time period: about AD 53-55

Theological reading

Remain where God called you. "As the Lord hath distributed to each man, as God hath called each, so let him walk." Paul applies the principle to circumcision and to slavery in the verses that follow. Conversion does not require a person to change outward station in order to please God.

A rule for all the churches. "And so ordain I in all the churches." This is not special advice for Corinth but Paul's standing teaching. The repeated line "Let each man abide in that calling wherein he was called" (7:20) frames the section.

Not a ban on change. Paul tells a slave who can gain freedom to take it (7:21, though the verse is read in more than one way). The point is that a person's standing with God does not depend on social position, so no one needs to escape their situation to serve Christ.

Key words

Theologically-loaded Greek or Hebrew words in this verse may have entries in the lexicon. Curated to roughly 100 contested terms across the corpus, not every word.

G1577 - ekklesia, ekklesia, Strong's G1577
G2962 - kyrios, kyrios, Strong's G2962
G3956 - pas, pas, Strong's G3956
G2316 - theos, theos, Strong's G2316

Quoted in

Arguments and defeaters:

Argument from Vocation, via 1 Corinthians 7

Notes

Your annotations.

Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the most literal English translations available (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the public domain in the United States, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

ASV (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
WEB (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
KJV (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
YLT (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See Bibles for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.