1 Corinthians 7:23

‘You were bought with a price. Do not be the bondservants of men.'

Taken literally this would contradict what he has said above. But he does not intend it to be taken literally. It continues the thought that Christians are bondservants to Christ (1 Corinthians 7:22). He is saying that having been bought by Christ through the giving of His own precious blood (1 Peter 1:18, and having been redeemed through His suffering, they should be His slaves and not slaves to every wind of men's devising. They should not let men determine their lives and how they lived, especially where they required that which was abhorrent to God. They should obey God rather than men (Acts 5:29). They may have to serve men because God has ordained it, but they should not see it as service to men. Indeed their service to men should be seen as service to God, so that they served not as menpleasers but as God pleasers (Ephesians 6:6; Colossians 3:22). For from now on all their service should be seen in this way, a service honoured in that it was the way Christ walked (Philippians 2:7; Mark 10:43).

The word for ‘price' contains within it reflections of honour (compare the use of ‘tim-es' in 1 Timothy 5:17). What we pay a good price for is highly valued, and what is highly valued we pay a good price for. Thus as these have been bought with such a price they are so important that they are above slavery to men.