# 1 Corinthians 7.21-22 **Book:** [1 Corinthians](/codex/1-corinthians/) · NASB95 ## Immediate context (±2 verses) **ASV** ([ASV](/codex/asv/)) > 19. Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing; but the keeping of the commandments of God. 20. Let each man abide in that calling wherein he was called. > > **21. Wast thou called being a bondservant? Care not for it: nay, even if thou canst become free, use it rather. 22. For he that was called in the Lord being a bondservant, is the Lord's freedman: likewise he that was called being free, is Christ's bondservant.** > > 23. Ye were bought with a price; become not bondservants of men. 24. Brethren, let each man, wherein he was called, therein abide with God. (1 Corinthians 7:19-24, ASV) **WEB** ([WEB](/codex/web/)) > 19. Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God. 20. Let each man stay in that calling in which he was called. > > **21. Were you called being a bondservant? Don’t let that bother you, but if you get an opportunity to become free, use it. 22. For he who was called in the Lord being a bondservant is the Lord’s free man. Likewise he who was called being free is Christ’s bondservant.** > > 23. You were bought with a price. Don’t become bondservants of men. 24. Brothers, let each man, in whatever condition he was called, stay in that condition with God. (1 Corinthians 7:19-24, WEB) **KJV** ([KJV](/codex/kjv/)) > 19. Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God. 20. Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called. > > **21. Art thou called being a servant? care not for it: but if thou mayest be made free, use it rather. 22. For he that is called in the Lord, being a servant, is the Lord's freeman: likewise also he that is called, being free, is Christ's servant. freeman: Gr. made free** > > 23. Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men. 24. Brethren, let every man, wherein he is called, therein abide with God. (1 Corinthians 7:19-24, KJV) **YLT** ([YLT](/codex/ylt/)) > 19. the circumcision is nothing, and the uncircumcision is nothing, but a keeping of the commands of God. 20. Each in the calling in which he was called, in this let him remain; > > **21. a servant, wast thou called? be not anxious; but if also thou art able to become free, use [it] rather; 22. for he who [is] in the Lord, having been called a servant, is the Lord's freedman: in like manner also he the freeman, having been called, is servant of Christ:** > > 23. with a price ye were bought, become not servants of men; 24. each, in that in which he was called, brethren, in this let him remain with God. (1 Corinthians 7:19-24, YLT) ## Setting - **Speaker:** _TBD_ - **Audience:** _TBD_ - **Location:** _TBD_ - **Time period:** _TBD_ ## Theological reading _Patristic / early-church-father exegesis, to be added._ ## 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; see Lexicon Roadmap._ - _TBD_ - _TBD_ - _TBD_ - _TBD_ ## Quoted in **Arguments and defeaters:** - [Biblical Slavery Objection Defeater](/codex/biblical-slavery-objection-defeater/), via [1 Corinthians 7.21](/codex/1-corinthians-7-21/) - [Israelite Slavery Possession-vs-Ownership Defeater](/codex/israelite-slavery-possession-vs-ownership-defeater/), via [1 Corinthians 7.21](/codex/1-corinthians-7-21/) **Concepts:** - [Atheism](/codex/atheism/), via [1 Corinthians 7.21](/codex/1-corinthians-7-21/) - [Biblical Slavery Objection](/codex/biblical-slavery-objection/), via [1 Corinthians 7.21](/codex/1-corinthians-7-21/) **Lexicon:** - [G1401 - doulos](/codex/g1401-doulos/) --- _Scripture quotations taken from the **New American Standard Bible®** (NASB), Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by **The Lockman Foundation**. Used by permission. All rights reserved. [www.lockman.org](https://www.lockman.org)_ ## 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](/codex/asv/)** (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition. - **[WEB](/codex/web/)** (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English. - **[KJV](/codex/kjv/)** (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base. - **[YLT](/codex/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](/codex/bibles/) for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.