1 COR 7:18 Interlinear View

SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 7:1–40: Paul answered questions about marriage

In an earlier letter to Paul, the Corinthians had mentioned some problems and asked him some questions. There are no longer any copies of this letter, so we can only guess what they wrote by reading Paul’s answers. Apparently some of the questions the Corinthians had asked were about marriage and sex. In this section Paul discussed these topics. He wrote about sexual intercourse, divorce, marrying again after a person’s husband or wife dies, and never marrying.

From the way Paul talked, it appears that the Corinthians were thinking that if believers want to be holy, they should abstain from sexual relations. The Corinthians were wondering if married people should sleep together, if Christians who were married to non-Christians should divorce them, and if Christians should get married. Paul gave them some wise teaching on each of these topics. In 7:1–16 he addressed Christians who were married. In 7:17–24 he wrote about his general rule for Christians: Remain as you are. In 7:25–38 he taught Christians who were not married. In 7:39–40 he addressed women whose husbands had died.

Other possible section headings include:

Paul gave/wrote instructions about Christian marriage

Paul’s teaching on marriage

Paragraph 7:17–24

In these verses Paul taught the Corinthians his general rule or principle: “Remain as you are.” He said that a believer does not have to change his or her situation in life to please God. So each believer should try to stay the way they were when God called them to belong to Christ. They could serve him as Jew or Gentile, married or single, and slave or free. They could please God in whatever situation he has put them.

In these verses Paul began by giving his general rule (7:17). Then he gave an example of this rule: When you become a Christian, it does not matter if you are circumcised or not; just stay that way (7:18–19). Then he repeated the general rule (7:20). Then he gave a second example: When you become a Christian, it does not matter if you are a slave; you can serve God as a slave or as a free man (7:21–23). Then he repeated his general rule (7:24).

7:18a

Was a man already circumcised when he was called?

For example, if God calls a man to become one of his people, and this man is a Jew and so he has already been circumcised,
What I mean is this: If you are a man who was already circumcised according to the Jewish custom, and later God called/chose you to become a Christian/believer,

Was a man already circumcised when he was called?: This is a rhetorical question. It introduces a possible scenario. There are several ways to translate it:

using a rhetorical question. For example:
Was anyone called after he had been circumcised? (NET)
using a conditional clause. For example:
If a man was already circumcised… (NCV)
If you were already circumcised at the time when you became a believer…
as a descriptive clause. For example:
a man who was circumcised before he became a believer [should not try to reverse it] (NLT)

Introduce this situation in a way that is natural in your language.

Was a man already circumcised…?: This is a passive clause. There are two ways to translate it:

using a passive verb. For example:
If someone has already been circumcised
If you are already circumcised (CEV)
using an active verb. For example:
Had someone circumcised you?
Has someone already received circumcision?

Use the expression that is natural in your language. If necessary and natural, use a euphemism.

already circumcised: In these verses, a circumcised person refers to a male who was a Jew and who worshiped God as Jewish people did. All Jewish boys were circumcised, usually on the eighth day after they were born. This was the mark of being a Jewish male.

In some languages it may be natural to translate the verb circumcised with a noun and a verb:

already received circumcision

when he was called: This refers to the time when God saved a man and he became a believer. There are two ways to translate this:

using a passive verb. For example:
when he was called to be a Christian (NCV)
using an active verb. For example:
when God called/saved him/you.
he became a believer (NLT)
accepted God’s call (GNT)

7:18b

He should not become uncircumcised.

this man does not need to change his body so he no longer is circumcised.
you should not try to remove the mark/sign of circumcision from your body.
then I do not want you/him to do anything to change that.

He should not become uncircumcised: The Greek word that the BSB translates as become uncircumcised is a medical word for a surgical operation to try to hide a circumcision. You may want to translate the meaning in a way such as the following:

hide the circumcision

change the circumcision to look like uncircumcision

remove the sign of circumcision

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

Was anyone called after he had received circumcision? He should not try to hide the fact. (NET)

If you are already circumcised, don’t change it. (CEV)

7:18c

Was a man still uncircumcised when called?

Another example: if God calls a man to become one of his people, and this man is not a Jew and so he has not been circumcised,
Likewise, if you^(sing) are a man who was not circumcised when God called/chose you to become a Christian/believer,
Or if you^(sing) had not been circumcised before God called/chose you to belong to Christ,

7:18d

He should not be circumcised.

this man does not need to get circumcised.
then I do not want you^(sing) to allow people to circumcise you.
you do not have to follow the Jewish customs by getting circumcised in order to please God.

7:18c-d

Was a man still uncircumcised when called? He should not be circumcised: You will probably want to translate this using the same pattern as you did in the previous two verse parts. Again, consider whether a rhetorical question is clear and natural here.

He should not be circumcised: Paul was not absolutely forbidding the practice of circumcision (for he himself approved of Timothy being circumcised in Acts 16:3). Rather, he was saying that it is not necessary. It does not make any difference to God whether a person is circumcised or uncircumcised. As in 7:18a, it is possible to translate be circumcised with an active verb:

He should not receive circumcision.

He should not order/allow someone to circumcise him.

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / gendernotations

μὴ ἐπισπάσθω & μὴ περιτεμνέσθω