The following "Question" was asked by a member of the congregation at Grace Community Church in Panorama City, California, and "Answered" by their pastor, John MacArthur Jr. It was transcribed from the tape, GC 70-5, titled "Bible Questions and Answers."  A copy of the tape can be obtained by writing, Word of Grace, P.O. Box 4000, Panorama City, CA 91412 or by dialing toll free 1-800-55-GRACE.  Copyright John MacArthur Jr., All Rights Reserved.

Question

I was reading through 1 Corinthians this week and I came across verse 7:12, and I was wondering, if the Bible is the Word of God, then why does Paul say, "This I say; not the Lord?"

Answer

1 Corinthians 7:12, he's talking about marriage and singleness.  It's amazing, I can go all the way back to my seminary days and we were studying this passage and it continually is a question of people, but all you have to understand is one basic thing: what he is saying is (very simple), "to the rest speak I, not the Lord."   Now, all he means is: I am saying this; the Lord didn't say this.  Now, there were a lot of things that Paul said that Jesus didn't say.  Right?  In fact, Jesus didn't say anything in the Book of Romans, Paul said all that.

All Paul is saying here is this, "I am saying this; not quoting Christ."  That's all.  He is not saying this isn't inspired; he's saying I am not quoting Christ.  This is not something that Christ has taught.  See, go back to verse 10, "And unto the married I command, yet not I," I am going to tell you what my command is, "Don't divorce your husband, but the Lord said this too."  He's reaching back to where the Lord said that, "Don't divorce," (Matthew 5, Matthew 19).  So all that he is doing here in his discussion of marriage is at one point he is quoting the Lord; and at another point he's saying now I'm saying this, this is not a quote from the Lord, but he is not saying that it is not the Holy Spirit speaking through him in inspiration.