OET interlinear 1 COR 7:21

7:21a

Were you a slave when you were called?: As in 7:18a and c, Paul asked a rhetorical question. This introduces a possible scenario or situation. There are two ways to translate this:

• as a rhetorical question. For example:

  Were you called as a slave? (NET)

• as a statement using a conditional clause. For example:

  If you were a slave when you were called…

In Greek the word translated you is singular. It is as though Paul were speaking to only one person. But actually his words are for any believer who is a slave, so this could be translated as a plural. You should translate it in a way that is natural in your language for addressing multiple people. For example:

Were you^(plur) slaves…?

slave: The Greek word that the BSB translates as slave refers to someone who belonged to their master as a possession. Slaves normally worked without pay. Their owners gave them food, clothes, and a place to stay. They were not allowed to leave their masters and their work. Many of the believers in Corinth were probably slaves.

when you were called: The words when you were called refer to the time when the slave became a believer. There are two ways to translate them:

• using a passive verb. For example:

  when you were called (REB)

• using an active verb. For example:

  when God called you (GNT)

7:21b

Do not let it concern you: Paul was talking to slaves who were believers. It is likely that some of them thought they could serve Jesus Christ better if they were free. Paul wanted them to know that even if they were slaves, Jesus Christ was in control of their lives and their situation in life. They should be content to live as his followers, no matter what their situation was. Other ways to translate this include:

Don’t let that bother you. (NCV)

Don’t let that worry you. (CEV)

Don’t be sad/hurt in your heart, saying, “I cannot be a good follower of Christ if I am only a slave.”

7:21c

but: The Greek word that the BSB translates as but here introduces an exception or limitation to what Paul had just said. The slaves should not be troubled about their situation, but that did not mean Paul required them to remain slaves for always. Paul told them to gain their freedom if they could.

if you can gain your freedom, take the opportunity: The Greek phrase that the BSB translates as take the opportunity is literally “rather/instead use it.” There are two ways to understand how a slave should “use” this situation:

1. Slaves should make use of their chance to be free by becoming free. For example:

   but if you get a chance to be free, take it (NLT) (BSB, CEV, NLT, NIV, RSV, GNT, NET, NCV, GW, REB, NASB, KJV, ESV)

2. Slaves should make use of their slavery by remaining a slave and living as a slave in a way that honors the Lord. For example:

   even if you have a chance of freedom, you should prefer to make full use of your condition as a slave (NJB) (NRSV, NJB)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). This is the interpretation that almost all English versions follow.Here are some reasons for following the first interpretation:(1) The verb “use it” in Greek is in the past tense (aorist), which means it is something that happens at a specific time. This fits better with the meaning “If you get the opportunity to become free, take it.” This past tense does not fit well if Paul was saying: “If you get the opportunity to become free, remain a slave and work for the Lord as a slave.”(2) Paul did not tell slaves to run away (see Philemon 10–16), but he did know that many slave owners decided to free their slaves for one reason or another.(3) When Paul says, “do so,” we ask, do what? The answer is: “Make use of your opportunity to become free.”(4) The main thing Paul was saying in chapter 7 was “Remain as you are.” But already several times in this chapter he had given some exceptions to this rule. In 7:3–5a he gave a rule that married couples should not stop having sex with each other; but then in 7:5b-c he gave an exception to that rule. In 7:8 he gave a rule that Christians whose husband or wife had died should remain unmarried; then in 7:9 he gave an exception to that rule. In 7:12–14 he gave a rule that Christians who are married to non-Christians should not divorce their spouse; then in 7:15 he gave an exception to that rule. The same thing is true here in 7:21. In 7:21a-b Paul said that Christians who are slaves should not worry about being a slave; they can be good Christians as slaves. But in 7:21c he gave an exception: he said that if a slave can become free, that is all right too, and he should do it.(5) In the Roman world, slaves probably did not have a choice to remain slaves or to be freed. If their masters chose to free them, they probably had to accept it.

gain your freedom: In some languages it may be natural to translate the noun freedom with an adjective. For example:

become free (JBP)