Question:
I’m reading in 1 Corinthians in Paul’s message to the church in Corinth and came across 7:25. My Scofield bible reads, “So that concerning virgins I have no commandment of the Lord; yet I give my judgement, as one that hath obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful.”
It almost sounds like Paul is speaking “off the record”. It made me go back to the beginning of the book to see if I could find another reference like this. It just struck me that I consider the Word of God in its entirety to be written by men inspired by God, regardless of their personal feelings or “judgement”. Obviously, many Bibles put the words of Jesus in red, to recognize his words outstanding from the rest. We take the words we read at their literal interpretation and often need a scholar like our Pastor to provide the setting and context of the words written so long ago. It makes me wonder if a hundred souls or even a thousand, read the same passage of scripture and are then asked, “what does this mean to you”. The diversity and spectrum of the answers including “I don’t know” or “I’m not sure” would occur often and vary considerably. I sometimes find the meaning dubious or requiring research.
I guess what I’m asking is if Paul was giving his personal feelings inspired by God, but also recognizing there was no direct commandment he received concerning this particular issue within the church? Thanks.
Answer:
Thanks for your question! Let’s start with the main question first: When Paul says “I, not the Lord” (or something similar), is it not inspired?”
This type of phrase is used three different times in 1 Corinthians 7. The verses are 7:10 (“not I, but the Lord”, 7:12 (“I, not the Lord”), and 7:25 (“I, not the Lord”). When Paul says this, he isn’t saying, “This is just me talking.” Instead, he’s making a distinction. What he means is that Jesus didn’t speak directly about this issue during his earthly ministry. You will not find a quote from the Gospels where Jesus addressed this exact situation. But even when Paul isn’t quoting Jesus, he is still speaking under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
When Paul uses the word “judgment” in 1 Corinthians 7:25, he’s not offering a casual opinion or personal preference. The Greek word he uses (gnome) refers to a considered, trustworthy decision made with spiritual wisdom. As an apostle writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Paul’s “judgment” is not optional advice, it carries the same authority as the rest of Scripture.
The red-letter bibles can be helpful in giving us a visual clue that the words were spoken by Jesus, but that should not be understood to imply that the words are more important or more inspired than other words in the Bible.
How can I say this? Because Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, said this: “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” ALL Scripture is breathed out by God. Not just the red letters.
Therefore, whether Jesus said while on this earth or it came from another person, every part of Scripture is equally inspired.
Going back to 1 Corinthians 7:25, yes, even when Paul says it’s his “judgment,” it’s not just an opinion. It’s inspired, trustworthy, and authoritative. He was acknowledging that Jesus hadn’t addressed the specific issue of the betrothed during His earthly ministry. But Paul, as an apostle, was still speaking under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. His words carry the same weight and authority as the rest of Scripture.
Difficult Verses
The second issue you bring up is regarding some passages being more difficult to understand than others. You are correct! Not every verse jumps off the page with immediate clarity. There are plenty of places in Scripture where I’ve stopped and thought, “I’m not exactly sure what this means.” That doesn’t make the Bible unclear though, that just makes me unclear! It just means that I need to study further or maybe even have a person with more experience help me understand. While personal Bible study is essential, it’s also wise to learn from trusted pastors, teachers, and commentaries. God has given the church gifted leaders to help us grow in understanding and stay grounded in truth (Ephesians 4:11–14).
Having said that, let me be clear that the gospel is simple enough for a child to understand (Matthew 18:3, John 3:16). It’s the deeper things of God often take time, prayer, and study. But that does not mean the deeper things should be avoided. In fact, digging makes it even more meaningful in the end.
Different Interpretations
The last issue you bring up is regarding interpretation of Scripture. Yes, there are countless numbers of people out there with different interpretations and opinions. However, if the Bible is inspired, that means there is only one truth. But if that is the case, how can we know who is right?
People interpret differently for a lot of reasons: Background, traditions, biases, and many other things can lead people to look at the same verse and have different thoughts. Some reasons for having a different interpretation are understandable while others come from sin. Paul even says that unbelievers are blinded to the things of God (2 Corinthians 4:4).
But again, if that is the case, how do we know WE are the ones interpreting correctly? The answer to this question could really be a separate blog, so I will just go over things briefly. The technical word at the heart of the question is “hermeneutics.”
Proper hermeneutical techniques involve interpreting Scripture with careful attention to context, genre, language, and the overarching storyline of the Bible. This means asking what the original author intended to communicate to the original audience, studying the historical and cultural setting, and recognizing whether a passage is poetry, narrative, prophecy, or epistle. It also includes comparing Scripture with Scripture, letting clear passages shed light on more difficult ones, and seeking to understand each verse in light of the gospel. A faithful approach to hermeneutics avoids reading modern ideas into the text (eisegesis) and instead draws out the meaning the author actually intended (exegesis), always aiming to be shaped by God’s Word rather than shaping it to fit our preferences.
When people use bad hermeneutics, they will end up with misguided interpretations. This is why people have so many different interpretations. They use bad techniques and then let their biases, traditions, and other things get in the way.
Even though there are many different interpretations out there, I think there is a large core of faithful Christians who have pretty similar beliefs when it comes to the primary doctrines of the faith (salvation, Jesus, Scripture, etc.). Many times, it’s the secondary or tertiary doctrines that people disagree on. A lot of denominations do not come out of vastly different beliefs about primary doctrines (though there are some). Instead, they are formed over differences in less important doctrines.
To conclude, there are lots of differences out there. And honestly, there is not much you (personally) can do about it. Your job is to make sure YOU are studying the Bible correctly so that YOU have the right interpretations. You can also have an influence over your family and maybe even friends. But beyond that, don’t get too caught up in others having differences. Just make sure you are studying the best you can. And when you need help, the church is always there for you as well.
Do you have a question you would like answered by the pastor? Email your question to [email protected].