But to the rest speak I, not the Lord…
“If any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away.
And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him.“
1 Corinthians 7:12,13
Did Paul, the apostle of Christ, when writing to the church at Corinth, depart from the Spirit of God to write to them something that was of his own opinion, and not of God?
Certainly not, for it is written,
“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.“
2 Timothy 3:16,17
What Paul wrote in all of the New Testament epistles ascribed to him is the holy scripture, and was given by inspiration of God.
The reason that he said, “But to the rest speak I, not the Lord…“…is that for what he was about to write, there was no written commandment in the scripture, but he was giving his judgment, as one that had obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful. (1 Corinthians 7:25)
Paul was an apostle of our Lord Jesus Christ, which, in the body of Christ, is the highest office under Christ himself; and therefore he was given mercy and grace in the Holy Ghost to be faithful and wise in judgment; and this judgment that he gave is according to the wisdom and righteousness of God, though there was no specific commandment of God in the scripture for him to refer to concerning it.
In the same way, though God hath said by the scripture that those who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of God’s sake (Matthew 19:12) shall have a place and a name in his kingdom better than sons and of daughters:
“Even unto them will I give in mine house and within my walls a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters: I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off.”
Isaiah 56:5
…he hath not said that all men should be eunuchs.
And so, Paul the apostle (who had made himself a eunuch for the kingdom of God’s sake), wrote these words:
“Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman.
Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.
Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband.
The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife.
Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.
But I speak this by permission, and not of commandment.
For I would that all men were even as I myself. But every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner, and another after that.
I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, it is good for them if they abide even as I.
But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn.“
1 Corinthians 7:1-9
We must observe and understand that there are many instances in which an apostle or elder stated things written in the New Testament scripture that was not specifically written in the Old Testament, or was an addition thereto.
For example, it is written in Joel 2:29:
“And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.”
And Peter, referring to that prophecy, said to the people of Israel on the day of Pentecost:
“And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy…” (Acts 2:18)
And, Moses wrote in the law,
“Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.” (Genesis 2:24)
But Jesus added by the Holy Ghost,
“Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.” (Matthew 19:6)
The apostles and elders whom God used to write the scriptures of the New Testament were writing those things by inspiration of God, and all that they wrote is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness; and no man may rightly say that any of the things that they wrote were anything less than God’s holy word.
Amen.
