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Scripture Reading: 1 Cor. 7:6, 10, 12, 25, 29, 35, 40
In the foregoing messages we have covered the basic principles in chapter seven concerning marriage life. In this message we shall consider the very important matter of the apostle’s teaching.
The Apostle Paul’s teaching is absolutely different from the teaching of the prophets in the Old Testament. We are told that when the prophets spoke for God in Old Testament times, the word of the Lord came to them and enabled them to speak on God’s behalf. Often the prophets would say, “Thus saith the Lord.” Many of those in today’s Pentecostalism follow this Old Testament practice. Catholicism brings people back to the Old Testament in ritual, but Pentecostalism brings the believers back to the Old Testament in the way of prophesying. Furthermore, according to my experience, Pentecostal believers more often sing portions of the Old Testament than they do portions of the New Testament. In particular, they sing verses from Psalms or Isaiah. Although they are New Testament believers, certain of their practices are according to the Old Testament. To say, “Thus saith the Lord,” in the Old Testament way is shallow and superficial. The New Testament way of speaking for the Lord is very different.
The New Testament has two outstanding characteristics — it is mysterious and deep. The New Testament is a book of mysteries and depths. It is very superficial to prophesy according to the Old Testament way. But to prophesy in the way of building up the church is deep. Likewise, to sing portions from the Psalms or Isaiah may be superficial, but to sing the third chapter of Ephesians, especially those verses about Christ making His home in our hearts so that we may be filled unto all the fullness of God, is to sing about things that are deep, profound, and mysterious. Do you know of any Christians today who sing about being one spirit with the Lord, or about their bodies being members of Christ? As we have seen, Paul speaks of such matters in 1 Corinthians 6. Nevertheless, to many believers Paul’s words are like a foreign language. These believers live on the surface; they have never touched the depths of the divine revelation in the New Testament.
First Corinthians 7 is mysterious and deep. In this chapter Paul never utters the words, “Thus saith the Lord.” The reason Paul does not use such an expression is that the apostles’ teaching in the New Testament is altogether based on the principle of incarnation. According to this principle, God speaks in man’s speaking. When the Lord Jesus spoke, it was difficult for others to discern who was speaking. To be sure, it was a man who was speaking. However, this man did not declare, “I am a prophet from Nazareth. Last night, the word of God came to me, and now I want to speak this word to you. Thus saith the Lord.” When the Lord Jesus spoke to the Pharisees, it seems that He was an ordinary person from Nazareth. There was no indication that He was different, and the Pharisees regarded Him as a man without learning. But the Lord Jesus is God incarnate. With Him there is the reality of incarnation. Thus, while He was speaking, God spoke also. Actually, His speaking was God’s speaking. God spoke with Him. This means that in the Lord Jesus God and man spoke together as one. This is the principle of incarnation.
On the day of Pentecost the apostles and disciples also began to speak according to the principle of incarnation. This is the reason the writings of Peter, John, and Paul recorded in the Bible could become God’s words. Furthermore, these words are among the contents of the New Testament. Although Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 7 that certain things he says are not the Lord’s word or the Lord’s commandment, everything spoken by Paul in this chapter has nonetheless become part of the divine revelation in the New Testament. This is because Paul was a person absolutely one with God. Even when he says that he does not have a word from the Lord, the Lord speaks in his speaking. Because Paul was one with the Lord, when he spoke, the Lord spoke with him. Thus, with Paul in 1 Corinthians 7 we have an example of the principle of incarnation. It is very important that we see this principle and understand it.
In 7:6 Paul says, “But this I say by way of concession, not by command.” The word command here implies that the apostle in his teaching has authority to give commands to the believers. However, what Paul says in 7:1-5 is by way of concession, not by command.
Verse 10 says, “But to the married I charge, not I but the Lord, A wife should not be separated from her husband.” We have seen that the Old Testament principle of speaking for God, of prophesying, is, “Thus saith the Lord” (Isa. 10:24; 50:1; Jer. 2:2; Ezek. 2:4). But the New Testament principle of incarnation is “I charge;” that is, the speaker charges. The speaker and the Lord are one. Hence, Paul also says, “Not I but the Lord.” The Greek word for charge may also be translated enjoin or command.
The words “I charge, not I but the Lord,” indicate two things: first, that the apostle is one with the Lord; hence, what he commands, the Lord commands. Second, his commandments are the Lord’s. What Paul commands here the Lord had already commanded in Matthew 5:31-32 and 19:3-9. Divorce is altogether not allowed by the Lord.
The principle in 7:10 is the same as that in Galatians 2:20, where Paul says, “It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.” In both verses we see the principle of incarnation; two persons living as one person. In 7:10 we have two persons, the Lord and Paul, speaking as one. This is the reason Paul says, “I charge, not I but the Lord.” Why does Paul not say in this verse, “But to the married the Lord charges”? Why does he say that he charges, yet not he but the Lord? The answer to these questions is that Paul realized that he was one with the Lord and that what he spoke was the Lord’s word. Even when he did not claim to have a word from the Lord, because he was one with the Lord, whatever he said was the Lord’s word.
In some matters Paul makes it clear that it is he who speaks, not the Lord. For example, in verse 12 he says, “But to the rest I say, not the Lord, If any brother has an unbelieving wife and she consents to dwell with him, let him not leave her.” This word also is based on the New Testament principle of incarnation. Although Paul is careful to add, “not the Lord,” whatever he says in the following verses is part of the divine revelation in the New Testament. It is his opinion in the Lord, not the Lord’s commandment, yet it still expresses the Lord’s mind.
Can you sense Paul’s spirit in these verses? Here Paul seems to be saying, “Even though I realize that this is my word, not the Lord’s word, I still believe that this is pleasing to the Lord. The Lord is pleased by keeping the peace. Even though the Lord does not say such a word, I have the assurance that it pleases Him. Therefore, I say that a brother should not leave an unbelieving wife if she consents to dwell with him. Likewise, a sister should not leave an unbelieving husband if he consents to dwell with her. However, if an unbelieving husband desires to leave a sister or if an unbelieving wife should leave a brother, neither the sister nor the brother should fight. Rather, each should let the other party go, for God has called us in peace. I am the one who is saying this, not the Lord. Yet I believe that such a saying is pleasing to the Lord.”
Here we see a person who is one with the Lord. Because he is one with Him, he knows the Lord’s heart, mind, and pleasure. For this reason, he has the boldness to utter something which the Lord has not spoken.
In verses 29 and 35 Paul also makes it clear that he is the one who speaks, not the Lord. In verse 29 he says, “But this I say, brothers, the time is shortened, that henceforth both those that have wives may be as though they had none.” In verse 35 Paul writes, “But I say this for your own profit, not that I may put a noose on you, but for that which is comely and waiting on the Lord without distraction.” In both verses it is clear that Paul is the one speaking. Nevertheless, the Lord speaks in Paul’s speaking.
Verse 25 says, “Now concerning virgins I have no commandment of the Lord, but I give my opinion as having received mercy of the Lord to be faithful.” A wife should not be separated from her husband. This, the apostle says, is the Lord’s commandment (v. 10). But concerning virgins not marrying, he says he has no commandment of the Lord, but he gives his opinion in the following verses. He dares to do this because he has received mercy of the Lord to be faithful to the Lord’s interests, and he is really one with the Lord. His opinion expresses the Lord’s desire. This is again based on the New Testament principle of incarnation.
Some readers of 1 Corinthians may think that Paul was too strong in giving his opinion when he had no commandment from the Lord. Which one of us would dare to say that we have no commandment of the Lord concerning a certain matter, but that we give our opinion? Yet this is the very thing Paul does in verse 25. Here we see the highest spirituality, the spirituality of a person who is so one with the Lord that even his opinion expresses the Lord’s mind. Paul was absolutely one with the Lord and thoroughly saturated with Him. Because his entire being was permeated with the Lord, even his opinion expressed the mind of the Lord. For this reason, we say that verse 25 expresses the highest spirituality.
In verse 26 Paul gives his opinion: “I consider then that this is good because of the present necessity, that it is good for a man to be as he is.” We have pointed out that the Greek word for present may also mean that the presence of a certain thing foreshadows and inaugurates something to come. The Greek word for necessity refers to the needs of the life in the present age, the demand of which constrains and presses people and becomes a distress and anguish to them. Paul realized that the present age is a pressing age, an age full of necessities. Those who are married and have children are pressed by necessities more than those who are not married. To be sure, there are many blessings in married life. But if we are honest, we shall admit that in married life we are pressed again and again. Those who have children and grandchildren can testify of this. On the one hand, our children make us happy; on the other hand, they cause us to suffer.
Because of the present necessity, Paul thought it was good for others to remain as he was. He realized that if a brother or a sister remained unmarried, that one would be spared the pressing caused by the present necessity.
In verse 40 Paul says, “But she is more blessed if she so remains, according to my opinion; but I think that I also have the Spirit of God.” In verse 10 the apostle says, “I charge, not I but the Lord.” In verse 12 he says, “I say, not the Lord.” In verse 25 he says, “I have no commandment of the Lord, but I give my opinion.” Here he says, “According to my opinion; but I think that I also have the Spirit of God.” All these words indicate the New Testament principle of incarnation, that is, God and man, man and God, becoming one. This differs drastically from the principle of Old Testament prophecy — speaking for God. In the Old Testament, as we have pointed out, the word of Jehovah came unto a prophet (Jer. 1:2; Ezek. 1:3), the prophet being simply the mouthpiece of God. But in the New Testament the Lord becomes one with His apostles and they become one with Him. Both speak together. His word becomes their word, and whatever they utter is His word. Hence, the apostle’s charge is the Lord’s charge (v. 10). What he says, though not by the Lord, still becomes a part of the divine revelation in the New Testament (v. 12). He is so one with the Lord that even when he gives his own opinion, not the commandment of the Lord (v. 25), he still thinks that he also has the Spirit of God. He does not claim definitely to have the Spirit of God, but he thinks that he also has the Spirit of God. This is the highest spirituality; it is based on the principle of incarnation.
We need to see the principle of incarnation illustrated here and receive mercy and grace from the Lord to speak in a genuine and frank manner without any pretense. In order to speak like this we need to be saturated with the Spirit. Then what we utter or express will be our thought, our opinion, but it will also be something of the Lord because we are one with Him.
Whatever the apostle teaches, regardless in what way, becomes the word of God in the New Testament.
Once again I would emphasize the importance of touching Paul’s spirit in 1 Corinthians 7. In his answers to the questions raised by the Corinthian believers, Paul expresses his spirit. This makes it possible for us to sense his spirit. Paul certainly was absolutely for the Lord and one with Him. Even in expressing his opinion, he had the feeling that he also had the Spirit of God. This is the New Testament teaching, and the way we should follow today. Do not follow the superficial Pentecostal way to copy the Old Testament manner of prophesying. Instead, follow Paul’s way to touch the depths of the New Testament mystery. This mystery is that the Lord and we, we and the Lord, have become one spirit.
