At the end of chapter seven, a long chapter concerned with married life, Paul says, “I think that I also have the Spirit of God” (v. 40). In the previous chapter Paul said that he was one spirit with the Lord. But in 7:40 he says, “I think that I also have the Spirit of God.” This indicates that he may not have been sure. I did not know how to reconcile these verses.
In 7:10 Paul says, “I charge, not I but the Lord.” In verse 12 he says, “I say, not the Lord.” In verse 25 he goes on to say, “I have no commandment of the Lord, but I give my opinion.” Then in verse 40 he 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.” All these verses indicate the New Testament principle of incarnation—the principle of 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 the word of Jehovah came to 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. As a result, both speak together. His word becomes their word, and what they utter is His word. Hence, the apostle’s charge is the Lord’s charge (1 Cor. 7:10). 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, the spirituality based on the principle of incarnation.
I can remember that one day in 1948 Brother Nee pointed out in fellowship with some of us that 1 Corinthians 7 is the most spiritual chapter in the Bible. I wondered how a chapter concerned with married life could be considered the most spiritual chapter in the Scriptures. Brother Watchman Nee said that in this chapter we not only have married life, but we also have the matter of the spirit. He pointed out that according to 1 Corinthians 7 Paul wrote certain things even though he did not have the commandment of the Lord. How would you react if someone told you that he did not have any commandment of the Lord, yet he went on to give you instructions regarding a certain thing? Is it not likely that you would refuse to listen to him? Brother Nee helped us to see that in 1 Corinthians 7 we have a person who did not have the word of the Lord, but spoke his own word, even his own opinion. Eventually, Paul could say in verse 40 that he thought he also had the Spirit of God. This, Brother Nee said, is the most spiritual experience.
Eventually I became convinced that no spiritual experience is as deep as that revealed in 1 Corinthians 7. Here we have a man who tells us that he does not have the Lord’s commandment. Then he proceeds to give his own opinion. After giving his opinion, he tells us, “I think that I also have the Spirit of God.” Here Paul seems to be saying, “I am giving you my word, my opinion, without any commandment from the Lord. But I think that I nevertheless have the Spirit of God.”
If we had been able to question Paul concerning this, he might have replied, “Brother, I am now practicing what I wrote about in 6:17. It is certainly right to say that he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit. Now when I say that I think I also have the Spirit of God, I am living the Lord. I live the Lord in this one spirit. Even when I give you my opinion, I still have the Spirit of the Lord, although I don’t have the boldness to declare with assurance that I have the Spirit. However, those who are childish and shallow may say with assurance that they have the Spirit of God. Actually, they don’t have that kind of assurance. But what I am saying is a description of my living of the Lord.” If we see this, we shall realize that chapter seven of 1 Corinthians describes something profound.