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.