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Rome refounded Corinth as a colony of free persons

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some scholars read references to slavery in Paul's letters as metaphorical or abstract

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e.g. inner freedom or slavery as sin

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in Romans, "You are set free from sin and have become slaves of God"

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Paul talks about himself as a slave

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when he was not a literal slave

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"For though I am free from all, I have made myself slave to all."

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Letter to Philemon

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prison letter, co-authored by Paul the Apostle with Timothy, to Philemon, a leader in the Colossian church

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Onesimus, was a common slave name which means "useful", a nickname for a useful slave

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1 Corinthians 7:21

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Were you a slave when called? Do not be concerned about it. But even if you can gain your freedom, rather use it.

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"it" could refer to freedom or slavery

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John Chrysostom wrote about this

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349 – 407, Archbishop of Constantinople

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perhaps the community who received this letter was unclear on it as well

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perhaps they asked the deliverer to clarify, as they were expected to interpret the message's contents

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we can wonder how early communities interpreted statements about slaves

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you are the masters's apeleutheros [ἀπελεύθερος], or freed person

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that they should become Christ's slave

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the larger context

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in Delphi from second century BCE to first century CE

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we find inscriptions that mention more than 12,000 slaves

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it showed that slaves would be sold and could gain their freedom in various ways

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free persons and their children could advance socially

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Roman Corinth was run in part by freed persons and they continued to be prominent in the public square

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there were even monuments that honored them

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freedom and slavery and the various methods and procedures to pass between them were on the Corinthians minds

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we can use this knowledge to understand more what Paul meant with the metaphors he used regarding slavery.