1 Corinthians 7 23

1 Corinthians 7:23 kjv

Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men.

1 Corinthians 7:23 nkjv

You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men.

1 Corinthians 7:23 niv

You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of human beings.

1 Corinthians 7:23 esv

You were bought with a price; do not become bondservants of men.

1 Corinthians 7:23 nlt

God paid a high price for you, so don't be enslaved by the world.

1 Corinthians 7 verses

1 Corinthians 7 23 meaning

The verse emphatically declares that believers have been acquired through a sacred transaction at an immeasurably high price, rendering them the exclusive possession of God. Consequently, this divine ownership imposes a profound obligation to never allow oneself to be brought under the absolute control, servitude, or spiritual allegiance of other human beings or their systems, thereby asserting spiritual freedom and primary devotion to God.

1 Corinthians 7 23 Context

First Corinthians chapter 7 is primarily Paul's response to various questions from the Corinthian church concerning marriage, singleness, and believers' social statuses in light of their new life in Christ. The immediate context of verse 23 follows Paul's advice regarding physical slavery, where he encourages slaves not to be concerned about their earthly status, yet to seek freedom if the opportunity arises (v. 21). Paul consistently emphasizes that one's external status – whether married or single, circumcised or uncircumcised, free or slave – is secondary to their standing and calling in God. Verse 23 provides the theological underpinning for this indifference to worldly status: their ultimate allegiance and identity are now defined by their redemption in Christ, making them truly free from subservience to any human authority that would usurp God's rightful place. This directly counters the common social and religious pressures of the time to conform to societal hierarchies or humanly constructed doctrines.

1 Corinthians 7 23 Word analysis

• You (ὑμεῖς - hymeis): This is a plural pronoun, directly addressing the Corinthian believers, implying both their collective identity and individual responsibility. It highlights the personal nature of their redemption.
• were bought (ἠγοράσθητε - ēgorasthēte): An aorist passive indicative verb. The aorist tense indicates a completed past action with a continuing result, meaning the transaction of buying occurred decisively in the past. The passive voice emphasizes that the action was done to them; they were the objects of purchase. The Greek root, ἀγοράζω (agorazo), refers to buying in a marketplace, connoting a commercial transaction involving a transfer of ownership.
• at a price (τιμῆς - timēs): This genitive noun, meaning "price," "value," or "honor," denotes the high cost involved in the transaction. It's not a mere token payment, but a significant and worthy expenditure. This term echoes throughout the New Testament to signify the preciousness of Christ's sacrifice.
• do not become (μὴ γίνεσθε - mē ginesthe): This is a negative present imperative. The present tense, combined with the negation, issues a command either to stop an ongoing process of becoming or not to start becoming. It implies a continuous, ongoing struggle or temptation to revert to old patterns of subservience. It is a warning and a command for vigilance.
• slaves (δοῦλοι - douloi): This noun refers to bondservants or slaves, individuals fully subject to a master. In this context, it moves beyond legal, physical slavery to a deeper, spiritual or volitional form of bondage. It means relinquishing one's will, conscience, or allegiance to human authority in a way that rivals or replaces God's authority.
• of men (ἀνθρώπων - anthrōpōn): A plural genitive noun, specifying "human beings." This contrasts directly with divine ownership. The warning is not against civil obedience where due, but against surrendering one's ultimate freedom and allegiance to any human or human system. This encompasses ideologies, philosophies, societal pressures, human approval, or the doctrines of particular leaders.

• You were bought at a price: This phrase foundationalizes Christian identity and allegiance. It grounds the believer's freedom and obligation in the reality of their redemption. The price refers to the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ, His shed blood, which satisfied the righteous demands of God, freeing humanity from the bondage of sin and death. This is an unparalleled payment that establishes God's indisputable claim and ownership over believers.
• do not become slaves of men: This command logically flows from the previous statement of redemption. Because believers have been freed from sin and bought by God, their allegiance belongs solely to Him. To "become slaves of men" means to allow any human entity—be it individuals, institutions, opinions, or philosophies—to exert ultimate control over one's conscience, beliefs, or spiritual life, overriding the will of God or the freedom found in Christ. This applies not to civil or respectful conduct, but to a deeper level of subservience that compromises one's status as a bondservant of Christ alone. It is a call to resist undue human influence in spiritual matters.

1 Corinthians 7 23 Bonus section

The concept of being "bought at a price" is a strong puroasis (ownership claim) from ancient Roman legal contexts. When a slave was manumitted, the price was often paid by the slave to the owner (even if provided by a third party), rendering the slave nominally free but sometimes still obligated to their former master. Here, Christ's payment makes believers truly free from the slavery to sin and to God. The Greek word for "price" (τιμῆς) also carries connotations of honor or value, thus underscoring the immense worth God places on those He redeems, not merely a commercial exchange. Paul consistently battles against "legalism" or subjection to human regulations (Col 2:20-23, Gal 2:4-5), which can be seen as forms of becoming "slaves of men," emphasizing that Christian freedom is not merely theoretical but must be actively lived out against the constant pressure of human systems and expectations.

1 Corinthians 7 23 Commentary

First Corinthians 7:23 stands as a pivotal declaration of Christian freedom and allegiance, arising directly from the believer's redemption. Having been "bought at a price" by God through Christ's sacrifice, believers are now owned by God, rendering their ultimate loyalty exclusively His. This divine transaction establishes a new identity and status that transcends all worldly conditions, whether free or enslaved, married or single. Consequently, the command "do not become slaves of men" prohibits any spiritual or moral subservience to human authority that would infringe upon God's exclusive claim. It safeguards the believer's conscience and convictions from being bound by human doctrines, societal pressures, or the pursuit of human approval when these conflict with divine truth or their direct accountability to Christ. It means valuing God's approval above all others and exercising spiritual autonomy under His Lordship. Practically, this implies that Christians should not allow human expectations, traditions, or leaders to dictate their faith beyond the clear teaching of Scripture, nor should they allow their social or economic status to define their ultimate worth or purpose.