7:17
Paul now introduces a general concept, illustrated by two examples. The concept is “each person should live as a believer in whatever situation the Lord has assigned to him”. Now this is not a hard and fast rule, but a general principle. It is our human nature to think that changing the circumstances is the key to greater happiness, or the answer to a problem. In terms of the popular adage, “the grass always looks greener ...”. The truth is that our relationship with Christ is the crucial thing. It is my experience that God is more concerned with changing me than changing my circumstances. Indeed, once He has changed me, then the circumstances may change, but my trust and obedience to Christ is the key factor, not the circumstances. The principle Paul is teaching is not just for the Corinthians, but one that he applies to all the churches.
7:18
The first example he uses is that of circumcision. As we know from Galatians and other parts of the New Testament (see Acts 15), circumcision was a very contentious issue in the early church, and Jews took great pride in being circumcised. Paul’s teaching is that it doesn’t matter either way. So if someone was circumcised they should remain so. Apparently it was possible to remove the marks of circumcision. However, I don’t wish to dwell on this matter! Conversely, if someone was uncircumcised when they were called, then they should remain so. That this was a general principle, rather than a hard and fast rule, is illustrated by the fact that Paul did have Timothy circumcised (Acts 16:3).
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