UNDERSTANDING THE
INSPIRATION OF APOSTLE PAUL
BY
KEITH HUNT
Probably no writer of any part of the Bible has come under
more attack and misunderstanding than the man used by the Lord to
write 14 books of the New Testament(NT) - the apostle Paul.
During the time he lived he not only had the religious Jews
breathing fire down his back, inspiring others to stone him,
accusing him of preaching against Moses, and plotting how to kill
him, but he had certain ones WITHIN the very church of God,
contradicting him and trying to undermine his work in the eyes of
their followers.
From the epistles of Paul themselves we have some who claim
they are only partly inspired, where he quoted from the law to
back his position, but when he stated "this is my judgment" and
the such like, we can ignore what he said as his personal opinion
to take or leave as we fancy.
Let's first look at some basics concerning Paul in relation
to his work and the church. We shall begin in Acts chapter 9.
Paul was out doing his persecution against the church of Christ.
Jesus appears to him, talks with him, and strikes him blind.
Tells him to go to the city of Damascus, which he does(verses
1-9). The Lord in vision comes to a man called Ananias. Notice
what God tells him in verse 15, "....Go your way: for he is
a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, the
kings, and the children of Israel."
So the Eternal can and does call and choose men(out of all
the disciples, Jesus chose, after all night prayer, 12 whom He
names apostles, to go forth and preach - see Mark 3:13-14; Luke
6:12-16), for the function of Elders/Preachers/Teachers within
the church and to the world at large, as Paul was chosen to do.
Later Paul was inspired to give to the church the basic
qualifications that men should meet in order to be spiritual
OVERSEERS/ELDERS(Bishop = Greek "episkopos" = overseer. Elder =
Greek "presbuteros" = older). Elders are church overseers as Acts
20:17,28; 1 Tim.3:1; Titus 1:5,7 clearly show, where these two
Greek words are used).
A very important fact about the training of Paul to fulfil
his function in the church that he was chosen to do(and we all
have a function to perform in the body, the gifts to fulfil it,
as the Spirit distributes to every man to profit all. We are not
all called to the same function nor are we all given the same
gifts. Read carefully 1 Cor.12), is that he was PERSONALLY TAUGHT
for a length of time, privately, by Christ Jesus Himself. That
truth can be found in Galatians chapter one, verses
11-12,15-17,18-20.
PAUL BACKED UP MUCH OF HIS TEACHING FROM THE WORD OF GOD
Anyone who has read for any time the epistles of Paul, will
soon know that he was often able to substantiate his point of
evidence for the truth he was teaching, from DIRECT laws, quotes,
principles, of the common scriptures of the day - what we call
today the Old Testament. An example would be Romans 3:9-20.
Then we also know as we have seen that Paul was taught
directly by Jesus Christ. Add to that the fact that Paul also
knew and had contact with the apostles before him, Peter, John,
James and others who also knew what Jesus taught during His
earthly ministry.
Now with all that in mind, we can start to understand such
verses as 1 Cor.7:10,11. The Corinthians had written to him about
a number of concerns(verse 1). Part of the key to this chapter 7
is verse 26. Mark it well! VERSE 26 ! There was a "present
distress" - a very serious hard times going on. Life was not at
all easy for the people at Corinth, especially for those with
other concerns than just having to look out for the self. A
single person only has him/her self to worry about. They can move
around, change situations etc. much easier than a married
person(who may also have the responsibility of children).
Tough times effect families more than single people, generally
speaking of course.
We must sometimes read between the lines exactly the
questions the Corinthians had asked Paul. For verses 10-11 it was
probably something like: "Paul, during this time of distress, and
as it is easier for the single people to fight through it, would
it be okay for the married to DIVORCE or SEPARATE from each
other?"
Concerning this question, which really was hitting at
"divorce" for this particular "distressful present" Paul had an
already given LAW from the Lord wherewith to answer them. He told
them it was not just he himself who was commanding, BUT THE LORD!
He knew the law of the Lord on this. He had been taught by Jesus.
He knew the apostles before him who knew what the Lord had spoken
on the subject of marriage and divorce.
They all knew what EXCEPTIONS the Lord had permitted against the
basic law of "married until death do us part." The teaching of
the Lord, what was the Lord's command is now recorded for us in
Mat.5:32; 19:6,9; Mark 10:11; Luke 16:18. Paul knowing this law
of the Lord, could back up what he was saying with a direct law
already handed down to everyone by the Lord. It was a law already
in writing, which he could answer their question from. Jesus had
NEVER given any "present distress" exception for divorcing
your mate. You could NOT DIVORCE just because times got tough.
Oh, Paul was wise enough to know the working of human
nature. He knew some would argue that, well okay, I cannot
divorce my mate under this present distress, but nothing really
says I cannot separate. Human nature will find a way around the
basic law if it really wants to. So Paul says in effect: "You
want to find a way around staying together without a divorce
under this present distressful time, and some of you will. Then
you must remain single or again be reconciled. The fact remains,
the Lord in His law has not allowed for any divorce because of
stressful hard times."
I know of couples who because of hard times(various reasons,
loosing a job etc.) the man(if he was the main wage earner, today
in our society it could be the woman), had to accept work
hundreds(maybe thousands) of miles away. The house was put up for
sale, the man moved to where the work was. The wife stayed with
the children(to the end of the school year) and until the house
sold. They were living as singles until they could be reconciled
again when the present distress for them was over. There was no
thought of divorcing each other. Under the law of Christ no
divorce for such situations can be allowed, granted or given.
TO THE REST SPEAK I, NOT THE LORD
"Wow,now we have it" some will shout, "See, Paul often
just gave his own personal opinion about things, and I can take
it or leave it as I fancy."
We have seen what Paul meant by "not I speaking, but the
Lord." He could quote an already written law/command/example,
but for some things that would come up as the church was growing
in the grace and knowledge of Christ, with situations that would
be NEW, circumstances never before faced by the church(what about
us today with situations the first century church would never
have encountered?), Paul had NO LAW he could pick out from the
Old Testament, or the teachings of Christ. He could not say
to them: "Well I can answer your question by quoting you this law
from the Lord.....chapter so and so, verse...."
And this should not be looked upon as never before
encountered, as something strange, just never done before in
Israel!
The truth is such judgments were always done from the
beginning. The law of the Lord was never ALL ENCOMPASSING in the
way of being able to find a quote of law for every situation that
would possibly arise within the community of God. Common logic
would tell you that if that was so, there would need be HUNDREDS
of books from the Lord with every conceivable situation and law
given to answer every conceivable situation.
Turn to Deut.17 and read verses 8 to 13. God has always had
Elders in His community to render judgments on hard matters that
came along at times, matters not covered in any specific laws
already written and given. Notice how these judgments were
given, how it was to be taught to them, no blind faith asked for
here. Yet also notice God did not think highly of those who would
after coming to His true servants for judgment, not follow or
obey. I need say no more, the words of the Lord speak for
themselves.
Back to 1 Cor.7. Paul was now going to address things that
he had no law to quote. He could not take them to a certain book
of the Bible, a certain chapter and verse, and say: "Here is your
answer to your question directly from the mouth of the Lord as
already written and given."
So he had to give judgment, as a true servant of God, as one
chosen to be an Elder in the church, as one filled with the
Spirit of the Lord, and certainly in Paul's case
ery inspired of the Lord.
Please note what Adam Clarke says in his Bible Commentary
about this: "Verse 12. But to the rest speak I, not the Lord. As
if he had said: For what I have already spoken I have the
testimony of the Lord by Moses, and of my own Lord and Master,
Christ; but for the directions which I am now about to give there
is NO WRITTEN TESTIMONY, and I deliver them now for the first
time. These words DO NOT INTIMATE that the apostle was NOT NOW
UNDER the influence of the Divine Spirit; but, that there
was NOTHING IN THE SACRED WRITINGS WHICH BORE DIRECTLY ON THIS
POINT."
Paul gave judgments for the present distress, as one who had
the Spirit of God. Some of their questions he could answer from
the written law of the Lord, other questions too hard for
them(Deut.17) he, with the inspiration and guidance of the Holy
Spirit, gave judgment on(verse 40), and those judgments became
the law of the Lord, written for all from that time forth even
unto this day.
This truth we shall clearly see from Paul's letter to the
Corinthians, in chapter fourteen.
Many things were transpiring in their church services. Not
all by any means was good or approved by Paul. He had to do much
correcting and instructing. Within it all there is only ONE back
up quote or proof on ONE point, from an already established
principle given in the LAW. I am referring to verse 34. All the
rest that Paul lays down as to some specific ways they are to
conduct services(no one can speak in tongues if
there is no interpreter, no more than three to speak in tongues,
no more than three prophets to speak), are NOT BACKED WITH
ANYTHING FROM THE LAW, for nothing in the law covered this new
situation within the community of God. But was this just
Paul's ideas, his wishes, his suggestions to them? Not at all!
He sure never thought they were mere opinions they could just
take or leave as they fancied.
Notice it! "If any man think himself to be a prophet, or
SPIRITUAL, let him acknowledge that the THINGS I WRITE UNTO YOU
ARE THE COMMANDMENTS OF THE LORD."
There it is. Paul was writing under direct INSPIRATION from
the Lord. He had been taught by the Lord personally at the
beginning of his converted life. And the Lord was CONTINUING TO
TEACH PAUL HIS LAW AND COMMANDMENTS as the situations arose
within the church where judgments were needed. Those judgments
then became inspired commands of the Lord for the whole church,
from that time forth.
Paul was used by Christ to write sacred scriptures! The
other apostles KNEW IT! Peter was inspired to tell us so! Here
it is: "Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him has
written unto you; As also in ALL his epistles, speaking in them
of these things.....which they that are unlearned and unstable
wrest,as they do also THE OTHER SCRIPTURES, unto their own
destruction" (2 Peter 3:15,16).
Peter said Paul's writings were SCRIPTURE, being twisted by
the unlearned and unstable just as they did with other
scriptures.
Paul did not write his own ideas from just his own
imagination, but he was inspired of the Lord to write wonderful
holy SCRIPTURE. And as Jesus said: "The scripture cannot be
broken." There is no contradiction in Paul's writings, just as
there is none in the other scriptures.
Paul, a man greatly maligned and often misunderstood by
many. But he need not be. Now you understand a little more
about a servant mightily used of the Lord Jesus.
Written November 1996
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