1 Corinthians 7:20

"In the calling in which he was called," that is, in whatever manner of life, and in whatever rank and condition you believed, in that remain; for by calling he means the bringing to faith. Were you a slave when you accepted the faith? Do …

"Now," says the apostle, " art thou called being a servant? Be not over-solicitous about it. It is not inconsistent with thy duty, profession, or hopes, as a Christian.

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — odd-straight-quotes

Let every man abide in the same calling,....

the same calling--that is, the condition from which he is called a Jew, a Greek, a slave, or a freeman.

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase

Let every man abide - Let him remain or continue. In the same calling - The same occupation, profession, rank of life. We use the word “calling” in the same sense to denote the occupation or profession of a man. Probably the original idea which led people to designate a profession as a CallinG was the belief that God called every man to the profession and rank which he occupies; that is, that it is by his “arrangement, or providence,” that he occupies that rank rather than another. In this way every man has a Call to the profession in which he is engaged as really as ministers of the gospel; and every man should have as clear evidence that “God has called” him to the sphere of life in which he moves as ministers of the gospel should have that God has called them to their appropriate profession. This declaration of Paul, that everyone is to remain in the same occupation or rank in which he was when he was converted, is to he taken in a general and not in an unqualified sense. It does not design to teach that a man is in no situation to seek a change in his profession when he becomes pious. But it is intended to show that religion was the friend of order; that it did not disregard or disarrange the relations of social life; that it was suited to produce contentment even in an humble walk, and to prevent repinings at the lot of those who were more favored or happy. That it did not design to prevent all change is apparent from the next verse, and from the nature of the case. some of the circumstances in which a change of condition, or of calling, may be proper when a man is converted, are the following: (1) When a man is a slave, and he can obtain his freedom, 1Co 7:21. (2) When a man is pursuing a wicked calling or course of life when he was converted, even if it is lucrative, he should abandon it as speedily as possible. […]