In 1 Corinthians 7:8–16 Paul has instructed the married not to divorce, and the unmarried not to seek marriage (unless they cannot exercise sexual self-control). He now summarizes his counsel with a simple rule, one that he teaches in all the churches.

Put in different words, Paul’s rule is that a person should not yearn for a change in situation when he or she becomes a believer. Whatever the believer’s situation in life may be, he can serve God in that situation. After all, it is the Lord who has assigned to the believer his situation in life. It is God who has called him to this situation.

In 1 Corinthians 7:18–23 Paul illustrates this rule by way of two examples: circumcision, and slavery.