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Has anyone been called in uncircumcision? Let him not be circumcised. Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God. Let each man remain in the calling in which he was called. Were you called as a slave? Let it not concern you.” These things, he says, contribute nothing to the faith, therefore do not be contentious, nor make a disturbance. For faith has cast out all these things. And the phrase, “let him not become uncircumcised,” means, “let him not make uncircumcision out of circumcision.” “But if you can become free, use it rather.” That is, rather be a slave. And why ever does he command one who can be freed to remain a slave? 95.625 wishing to show that slavery does no harm, but even helps. “For he who was called in the Lord as a slave is the Lord’s freedman. Likewise, he who was called as a free man is Christ’s slave.” See how he consoled slavery; calling the one who is called a slave, Christ's freedman; and the one who is called free, a slave of Christ. Giving something more to the slave in his statement, even if both are not equal according to the logic of the calling. “You were bought with a price; do not become slaves of men. Brothers, let each one remain with God in that state in which he was called. Now concerning virgins, I have no commandment from the Lord, but I give my judgment as one who has received mercy from the Lord to be faithful. I think therefore that this is good because of the present distress, that it is good for a man to be as he is. Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be loosed. Are you loosed from a wife? Do not seek a wife. But if you do marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. Yet such will have trouble in the flesh. But I spare you. But this I say, brethren, the time that remains is shortened; so that from now on those who have wives should be as though they had none; those who weep, as though they did not weep; those who rejoice, as though they did not rejoice; those who buy, as though they did not possess; and those who use this world, as not misusing it. For the form of this world is passing away. But I want you to be without care. He who is unmarried cares for the things of the Lord—how he may please the Lord. But he who is married cares about the things of the world—how he may please the world; he is divided. And the unmarried woman, the virgin, cares for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit. But she who is married cares about the things of the world—how she may please her husband. And this I say for your own profit, not that I may put a leash on you, but for what is proper, and that you may serve the Lord without distraction. But if any man thinks he is behaving improperly toward his virgin, if she is past the flower of her age, and needs must so be, let him do what he wishes. He does not sin; let them marry. Nevertheless he who stands steadfast in his heart, having no necessity, but has power over his own will, and has so determined in his heart that he will keep his virgin, does well. So then he who gives her in marriage does well, but he who does not give her in marriage does better. A wife is bound by law as long as her husband lives; but if her husband dies, she is at liberty to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord. But she is happier if she remains as she is, according to my judgment—and I think I also have the Spirit of God.” This word is spoken not only to servants, but also to the free. For it is possible for one who is a slave not to be a slave, and for one who is free to be a slave. How then will the slave not be a slave? but when he does all things for God's sake, and practices nothing as a men-pleaser. Again, the free man will not 95.628 be free when he ministers to men, and does all things according to what pleases them.

CHAPTER 8. “Now concerning things offered to idols.” Many among the Corinthians, having learned that not

the things which go into a man defile him, but the things which come out; and that idols are wood and stones and demons, and are able to neither harm nor help, used this perfection of knowledge without measure, both to the harm of others and of themselves; for they both went into idol temples, and partook of their tables, and

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ἀκροβυστίᾳ τις κέκληται; μὴ περιτεμνέσθω. Ἡ περιτομὴ οὐδέν ἐστιν, καὶ ἡ ἀκροβυστία οὐδέν ἐστιν, ἀλλὰ τήρησις ἐντολῶν Θεοῦ. Ἕκαστος ἐν τῇ κλήσει ἐν ᾗ ἐκλήθη, ἐν ταύτῃ μενέτω. ∆οῦλος ἐκλήθης; μή σοι μελέτω.» Ταῦτα, φησὶν, εἰς τὴν πίστιν οὐδὲν συντελεῖ, μὴ τοίνυν φιλονείκει, μηδὲ θορυβοῦ. Ἡ γὰρ πίστις πάντα ἐξέβαλε ταῦτα. Τὸ δὲ, μὴ ἐπισπάσθω, ἀντὶ τοῦ, μὴ ἐκ περιτομῆς ἀκροβυστίαν ποιείτω. Ἀλλ' εἰ καὶ δύνασαι ἐλεύθερος γενέσθαι, μᾶλλον χρῆσαι.» Τουτέστι, μᾶλλον δούλευε. Καὶ τί δήποτε τὸν δυνάμενον ἐλευθερωθῆναι, κελεύει μεῖναι δοῦλον; 95.625 θέλων δεῖξαι, ὅτι οὐδὲν βλάπτει ἡ δουλεία, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὠφελεῖ. «Ὁ γὰρ ἐν Κυρίῳ κληθεὶς δοῦλος, ἀπελεύθερος Κυρίου ἐστίν. Ὁμοίως καὶ ὁ ἐλεύθερος κληθεὶς, δοῦλός ἐστι Χριστοῦ.» Ὅρα πῶς παρεμυθήσατο τὴν δουλείαν· τὸν μὲν καλούμενον δοῦλον, ἀπελεύθερον εἶναι Χριστοῦ· τὸν δὲ καλούμενον ἐλεύθερον, δοῦλον λέγων Χριστοῦ. Πλέον τι τῷ δούλῳ ἐν τῷ λόγῳ διδοὺς, εἰ καὶ μὴ ἴσοι ἀμφότεροι κατὰ τὸν τῆς κλήσεως λόγον. «Τιμῆς ἠγοράσθητε, μὴ γίνεσθε δοῦλοι ἀνθρώπων. Ἕκαστος ἐν ᾧ ἐκλήθη, ἀδελφοὶ, ἐν τούτῳ μενέτω παρὰ Θεῷ. Περὶ δὲ τῶν παρθένων ἐπιταγὴν Κυρίου οὐκ ἔχω, γνώμην δὲ δίδωμι ὡς ἠλεημένος ὑπὸ Κυρίου πιστὸς εἶναι. Νομίζω οὖν τοῦτο καλὸν ὑπάρχειν διὰ τὴν ἐνεστῶσαν ἀνάγκην, ὅτι καλὸν ἀνθρώπῳ τὸ οὕτως εἶναι. ∆έδεσαι γυναικί; μὴ ζήτει λύσιν· λέλυσαι ἀπὸ γυναικός; μὴ ζήτει γυναῖκα. Ἐὰν δὲ γήμῃς, οὐχ ἥμαρτες· καὶ ἐὰν γήμῃ ἡ παρθένος, οὐχ ἥμαρτε· θλῖψιν δὲ τῇ σαρκὶ ἕξουσιν οἱ τοιοῦτοι. Ἐγὼ δὲ ὑμῶν φείδομαι. Τοῦτο δέ φημι, ἀδελφοὶ, ὅτι ὁ καιρὸς συνεσταλμένος τὸ λοιπόν ἐστιν· ἵνα καὶ οἱ ἔχοντες γυναῖκας, ὡς μὴ ἔχοντες ὦσιν· καὶ οἱ κλαίοντες, ὡς μὴ κλαίοντες· καὶ οἱ χαίροντες, ὡς μὴ χαίροντες· καὶ οἱ ἀγοράζοντες, ὡς μὴ κατέχοντες· καὶ οἱ χρώμενοι τῷ κόσμῳ τούτῳ, ὡς μὴ καταχρώμενοι· παράγει γὰρ τὸ σχῆμα τοῦ κόσμου τούτου. Θέλω δὲ ὑμᾶς ἀμερίμνους εἶναι· ὁ ἄγαμος μεριμνᾷ τὰ τοῦ Κυρίου, πῶς ἀρέσει τῷ Κυρίῳ. Ὁ δὲ γαμήσας, μεριμνᾷ τὰ τοῦ κόσμου, πῶς ἀρέσει τῷ κόσμῳ· μεμέρισται. Καὶ ἡ γυνὴ ἡ παρθένος, ἡ ἄγαμος μεριμνᾷ τὰ τοῦ Κυρίου, ἵνα ᾖ ἁγία καὶ σώματι καὶ πνεύματι. Ἡ δὲ γαμήσασα, μεριμνᾷ τὰ τοῦ κόσμου, πῶς ἀρέσει τῷ ἀνδρί. Τοῦτο δὲ πρὸς τὸ ὑμῶν αὐτῶν συμφέρον λέγω· οὐχ ἵνα βρόχον ὑμῖν ἐπιβάλω, ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὸ εὔσχημον καὶ εὐπάρεδρον τῷ Κυρίῳ ἀπερισπάστως. Εἰ δέ τις ἀσχημονεῖν ἐπὶ τὴν παρθένον αὐτοῦ νομίζει, ἐὰν ᾖ ὑπέρακμος, καὶ οὕτως ὀφείλει γίνεσθαι, ὃ θέλει, ποιείτω. Οὐχ ἁμαρτάνει· γαμείτωσαν. Ὃς δὲ ἕστηκεν ἑδραῖος ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ, μὴ ἔχων ἀνάγκην, ἐξουσίαν δὲ ἔχει περὶ τοῦ ἰδίου θελήματος, καὶ τοῦτο κέκρικεν ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ αὐτοῦ τοῦ τηρεῖν τὴν ἑαυτοῦ παρθένον, καλῶς ποιεῖ· ὥστε ὁ ἐγγαμίζων, καλῶς ποιεῖ· ὃ δὲ μὴ ἐγγαμίζων, κρεῖσσον ποιεῖ· γυνὴ δέδεται νόμῳ ἐφ' ὅσον χρόνον ζῇ ὁ ἀνὴρ αὐτῆς. Ἐὰν δὲ κοιμηθῇ ὁ ἀνὴρ αὐτῆς, ἐλευθέρα ἐστὶν ᾧ θέλει γαμηθῆναι· μόνον ἐν Κυρίῳ. Μακαριωτέρα δέ ἐστιν, ἐὰν οὕτω μείνῃ κατὰ τὴν ἐμὴν γνώμην· δοκῶ δὲ κἀγὼ Πνεῦμα Θεοῦ ἔχειν.» Οὗτος ὁ λόγος οὐ πρὸς οἰκέτας μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πρὸς ἐλευθέρους εἴρηται. Ἔστι γὰρ καὶ δοῦλον ὄντα μὴ εἶναι δοῦλον, καὶ ἐλεύθερον ὄντα δοῦλον εἶναι. Πῶς δὲ ὁ δοῦλος, οὐκ ἔσται δοῦλος; ἀλλ' ἢ ὅταν διὰ τὸν Θεὸν πάντα ποιῇ, καὶ μηδὲν κατ' ὀφθαλμοδουλίαν πράττῃ. Πάλιν δὲ ὁ ἐλεύθερος οὐκ 95.628 ἔσται ἐλεύθερος ὅταν διακονῆται ἀνθρώποις, καὶ πάντα ποιῇ κατὰ τὸ ἐκείνοις ἀρέσκον.

ΚΕΦΑΛ. Ηʹ. «Περὶ δὲ τῶν εἰδωλοθύτων.» Πολλοὶ παρὰ τοῖς Κορινθίοις μαθόντες, ὅτι οὐ

τὰ εἰσπορευόμενα κοινοῖ τὸν ἄνθρωπον, ἀλλὰ τὰ ἐκπορευόμενα· καὶ ὅτι τὰ εἴδωλα, ξύλα καὶ λίθοι καὶ δαίμονες, καὶ οὔτε βλάψαι, οὔτε ὠφελῆσαι δυνάμενα, ἀμέτρῳ τῇ τελειότητι τῆς γνώσεως ταύτης ἐκέχρηντο, καὶ εἰς τὴν ἑτέρων καὶ εἰς τὴν αὐτῶν βλάβην· καὶ γὰρ εἰς εἰδώλεια εἰσῄεσαν, καὶ τῶν τραπεζῶν αὐτῶν μετεῖχον, καὶ