Featured How to be a spiritual leader of the home

I believe that when Paul gave his opinion (when he stated that it was not a command from God), that it was not inspired in such a way as to be obeyed but instead to be considered as wise instruction to the church. And this was not contrary to Jesus' commandments (the commands that John is arguing against were not those things Paul gave as coming from himself and not God....Paul specifically says that those things are commanded from God).

 

Brother, I don’t mean to appear difficult, nitpicky, or childish when I ask these questions of you. I think that most of us here would agree that Paul’s writings and Matthew’s writings are not contradictions precisely because they are of the same Author

As you well stated, Paul’s authority comes from Jesus, and I am sure that you are not arguing that Matthew’s authority did not. So when Matthew records something as “Jesus said”, we cannot assume it has more authority than when Paul says (as he does in 1 Corinthians 7:10) “But to the married I give instructions, not I, but the Lord”. I think that we can leave this behind and if it helps we can do so as a misunderstanding due to careless reading on my part.

I agree with you that divorce is not the will of God. There is a difference between what is permissible and what is desired, and God clearly has designed marriage to be between one man and one woman for life. Matthew’s is not permission to divorce but rather a statement that one who does put away his wife for reasons of fornication is not guilty of adultery if he remarries. Divorce is always a product of a heart which is hardened or resistant, to an extent, to God.

Paul’s command from the God in 1 Cor. 7:10 agrees with Matthew’s record of Jesus’ teaching. God commands that the wife should not leave her husband – but if she does she is to remain unmarried or reconciled back to her husband. And the husband should likewise not heave his wife.

And Paul’s personal advice, the application of this to the life of the believer who finds him or herself unequally yoked, agrees with God’s command. It is as if Paul is speaking pastorally. The believing partner is not to divorce the unbelieving spouse. But if the unbelieving partner leaves the believer, then the believer is no longer under bondage.

The question, then, is if this “bondage” is a release from the marriage vows and freedom to remarry. Paul’s application could be seen as nullifying the marriage and allowing the believer to remarry or it could be seen as freeing the believer from those bonds of marriage (they are no longer yoked to the unbeliever). But I believe that Paul is speaking within the bounds already given.

In Matthew 19, after Jesus’ words to the Pharisees on marriage, his disciples say “If the relationship of a man with his wife is like this, it is better not to marry.” Jesus response? "Not all men can accept this statement, but only those to whom it has been given. For there are eunuchs who were born that way from their mother's womb; and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men; and there are also eunuchs who made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven."

It seems (to me) that Paul is telling the believer that he or she is no longer bound to the unbelieving spouse who leaves. They are no longer yoked, no longer "one". There no longer exists a responsibility or accountability for the other. Paul is not giving permission to remarry in this passage.

 

I do not believe that Paul's comments, where he specifically states that his words are not a command from God, can be viewed as being such. For example, Paul said that it was of his opinion that a man remain single. If this is viewed as a command (that it is if Jesus Himself believes men should remain single) we have an issue.

Paul's comments were never meant to be a legalistic formula for life. Instead he seems very much to desire that the believer be unencumbered by the things of the flesh so that he or she will be fully devoted to the Kingdom of God We are bound, as long as we live, to our spouses. But if we are widowed the we can remarry a believer. Paul says he believes it would be best to remain single.

But apart from those very few instances where Paul states he is not writing Scripture (of God) but of his own view, then yes....Scripture is Scripture. God's Word is no less coming from Paul than from Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, James, or Peter.

 

No, I don't think so. When Paul spoke of having that mind of Christ I think he was speaking of spiritual things (not necessarily detailed revelations of how Scripture is applied).

The reason I say this is that if Paul was issuing a command from a position of authority, he would not have specified what was a command from God and what was his own view. But more than that, if Paul's words were to be obeyed as if they were spoken by Jesus .... and the church obeyed... then the church would have died out after two generations. Paul's words are to be taken, I believe, within the context of his understanding that Christ was to return soon. Still, his words have application in terms of priority.

 

1 Corinthians 7:5-13

1, I believe that Paul is saying this by way of concession and not of command:

But this I say by way of concession, not of command. Yet I wish that all men were even as I myself am. However, each man has his own gift from God, one in this manner, and another in that. But I say to the unmarried and to widows that it is good for them if they remain even as I. But if they do not have self-control, let them marry; for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.

2, I believe Paul is giving this instruction as a command from God:

But to the married I give instructions, not I, but the Lord, that the wife should not leave her husband (but if she does leave, she must remain unmarried, or else be reconciled to her husband), and that the husband should not divorce his wife.

3. I believe this is of Paul, and not the Lord:

But to the rest I say, not the Lord, that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he must not divorce her. And a woman who has an unbelieving husband, and he consents to live with her, she must not send her husband away.

 

I look at it this way....if Paul's words here were as if Jesus was speaking through him and authoritative, then when he said that it was from him and not the Lord we can take that as truth.

Paul was applying his understanding and experience to the single believer when he said that he believed it best they did not marry. He was not saying that Jesus commands that they not marry. Then Paul states a command of God regarding divorce....that we don't do it. And then Paul gives his view on those "unequally yoked" but who's unbelieving spouse leaves them.

I do not understand why this is a difficult passage. Paul specifically says what is a command from God and what is his own assessment. He even provides an "out" in for those who don't remain single. And in the last part, nothing he says contradicts Jesus commandments. I don't get the difficulty here. Paul is applying what has been commanded (Christians don't divorce) and offering his view that if the unbeliever leaves the Christian is not "bound".