How can Paul's "judgment as one who by the Lord's mercy" be trusted? Setting the Scene in 1 Corinthians 7:25 “Now about virgins, I have no command from the Lord, but I give a judgment as one who by the Lord’s mercy is trustworthy.” (1 Corinthians 7:25) Paul addresses a specific question from the Corinthian believers: What guidance should the unmarried (especially betrothed women) follow during a season of “present distress” (v. 26)? What Paul Means by “My Judgment” • “No command from the Lord” simply means Jesus gave no recorded teaching on this point during His earthly ministry. • “I give a judgment” tells us Paul is offering Spirit-guided counsel, not a personal hunch. • The phrase “by the Lord’s mercy” points to God’s enabling grace that made Paul “trustworthy.” The trust does not rest on Paul’s personality but on divine mercy working through him. Why “by the Lord’s Mercy” Makes Paul Trustworthy • Mercy is the backdrop of Paul’s entire calling (1 Timothy 1:13-16). The same mercy that saved him equipped him to speak reliably. • Mercy implies dependence on God, not human wisdom. Paul is consciously submitting his judgment to the Lord’s oversight. • Because the Lord’s mercy is perfect, the counsel that flows from it carries divine reliability. Scriptural Proof of Paul’s Reliable Authority • Acts 9:15—“He is My chosen instrument,” Jesus says of Paul. God Himself commissioned Paul. • Galatians 1:11-12—Paul’s gospel is “not according to man… I received it by a revelation of Jesus Christ.” • 2 Corinthians 13:3—Christ is speaking “in” Paul. • 2 Timothy 3:16—“All Scripture is God-breathed.” Peter classifies Paul’s letters with “the rest of the Scriptures” (2 Peter 3:15-16). • John 16:13—The Spirit would guide the apostles “into all truth,” a promise that covers Paul’s writings. Distinguishing Command from Counsel Without Diminishing Authority Paul sometimes differentiates: 1. “Not I, but the Lord” (7:10-11)—direct words of Jesus. 2. “I, not the Lord” (7:12) and “I give a judgment” (7:25)—Spirit-inspired apostolic counsel. Both categories come from God; the distinction helps readers understand historical context, not levels of inspiration. Endorsement by the Early Church • The earliest believers copied, circulated, and publicly read 1 Corinthians alongside Old Testament Scripture (Colossians 4:16). • Church councils later merely affirmed what the churches already practiced: Paul’s letters are divinely authoritative. Practical Implications for Us • We read Paul’s counsel with the same confidence we give any Scripture because the Holy Spirit breathed it out. • When facing issues Scripture addresses only in principle, Paul models how to apply Christ’s teachings with Spirit-led wisdom. • The Lord’s mercy that made Paul trustworthy still makes Scripture “living and active” (Hebrews 4:12) for believers today. Summary Paul’s “judgment” in 1 Corinthians 7:25 is reliable because: 1. He speaks as a divinely commissioned apostle. 2. The Lord’s mercy empowers and authenticates his words. 3. The whole of Scripture—and church history—recognizes his writings as God-breathed. Therefore, believers may trust and obey Paul’s counsel with full assurance that they are receiving the wisdom of God. |
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