Psalm 8:1, and I Love You, LORD.

My Shepherd met me in His green pastures and laid me down in 1 Corinthians 7. Verse 12 seized my thoughts:

1 Corinthians 7:12 But to the rest speak I, not the Lord: If any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away.

What? Paul said, “To the rest speak I, not the Lord.” Wait, look at that again: “Not the Lord”!

Paul was giving his counsel to unequally yoked believers. He advised them to remain in the marriage so long as the unbelieving partner was content to do so. However, if the unbelieving partner was not, and desired to depart, let him or her depart. He “decreed”: “But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God hath called us to peace” (1 Corinthians 7:15).

I have studied this many times, and I’ve noticed before that Paul said, “To the rest speak I, not the Lord.” But I was always focused on the advice the Apostle Paul gave to unequally yoked believers; I never zeroed in on the fact that Paul expressly admits his advice comes from his own Apostolic authority, not from “the Lord.”*

Along the still waters, I thought about Moses’ very liberal provision for divorce, or “putting away,” something God hates (Malachi 2:16). His law of Divorce is recorded in Deuteronomy 24:1-4.**

As for the unequal yoking of believers with unbelievers, consider what Ezra required, who rebuked them and led the people to put away their strange wives (Ezra 9-10). This was reaffirmed by Nehemiah (Nehemiah 10:28-30). But the people backslid again into this evil. Consider how Nehemiah dealt with this problem.

Nehemiah said: “Shall we then hearken unto you to do all this great evil, to transgress against our God in marrying strange wives?” For “In those days also saw I Jews that had married wives of Ashdod, of Ammon, and of Moab” (Nehemiah 13:27, 23). See how seriously Nehemiah objected to the unequal yoking of the Jews with the Gentiles: “And I contended with them, and cursed them, and smote certain of them, and plucked off their hair, and made them swear by God, saying, Ye shall not give your daughters unto their sons, nor take their daughters unto your sons, or for yourselves” (Nehemiah 13:25).

Apparently, Moses’ law provided for this, since the Jewish men would say they found “uncleanness” in their wives.

However, listen to what Jesus said about Moses’ law of divorce: “Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so” (Matthew 19:8). Moses said this, but “not the Lord.”

There is a difference to be acknowledged between what God allows and what He approves. Clearly, God allowed Moses to make this law and allowed Paul to offer guidance that reversed the rule of Ezra and Nehemiah. Paul addressed the issue of unequal yoking differently from Ezra and Nehemiah and gave advice in line with Moses, though much more restrictive.

The essential rule of Paul’s advice is “God hath called us to peace” (1 Corinthians 7:15b).

What are we to make of this? Does Paul’s advice have the authority of Scripture? Jesus explained that what Moses advised was governed by something God affirmed by His allowance: “For the hardness of your hearts.” This suggests Moses was allowed to make that exception to God’s will for marriage under the same rule Paul applied: “God has called us to peace.” Remember, when Jesus answered the question on divorce, the disciples exclaimed: “If the case of the man be so with his wife, it is not good to marry” (Matthew 19:20).

Jesus raised the bar, but did not raise it so high as to condemn His Father, who “For all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce” (Jeremiah 3:8). Jesus said, “except it be for fornication” (Matthew 19:9).

As to the question: Does Paul’s “advice” have the authority of Scripture, the answer is given in 2 Peter 3:15-16: “Even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.” Peter accepted Paul’s writings as “scripture.” So must we!

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God (2 Timothy 3:16). The Scripture came to us by God through holy men who spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost (2 Peter 1:21). Paul was moved by God’s Spirit to offer his personal advice regarding unequally yoked believers. Like I said in my pulpit this past Lord’s Day—the more acquainted I become with God, the more I like and love Him. He is generous, and while He does not approve of some of fleshly weaknesses, He does make allowances. Beware, any allowance we take that is not supported in a direct way by the Scriptures is not authorized by the Spirit. Also, while pastors are authorized to make judgments within the parameters of Scripture, care must be given to keep those judgments within those parameters.***

In the valley, as I knelt there, in the shadow of His Cross, I remembered His concession to His weary disciples: “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak,” and “Sleep on now, and take your rest: behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners” (Matthew 26:41, 45). And on the Cross: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). I praised HIm for making room for me in His service, with all my failings and inadequacies.

He spoke: “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23).

At the table, He anointed my head with His oil and filled my cup with His grace. We walked into the harvest, with goodness and mercy following close.

Praying for revival! 🙏

Going live asap:

https://rumble.com/v78i40e-shepherds-pasture.html

[*Catholics would be totally okay with that. They’ve transferred the authority of Christ to a man long ago. When the Pope speaks ex-cathedra, from “The Seat,” his pronouncements are given the weight of Scripture. The following is taken from the Catechism of the Catholic Church, p. 249-255, sections 863-885, under the Imprimi Potest (authority) of Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, aka Pope Benedict XVI, published by Doubleday, 1995:

“For the Roman Pontiff, by reason of his office as Vicar of Christ and as pastor of the entire Church, has full, supreme, and universal power over the whole Church, a power which he can always exercise unhindered.” (The word Vicar literally means “substitute,” and by extension is used to identify a deputy, a proxy, or a representative. The key is that it identifies someone who “serves in the place of another person.” (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vicar and https://www.etymonline.com/word/vicar, speaking to its use before employment by the Catholic Church as a title for their Pope, see, https://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/2022/06/in-a-word-the-vicarious-vicar/ .)

(Underlining and bold typeface added to bring attention to key elements) “The college or body of bishops has no authority unless united with the Roman Pontiff, Peter’s successor, as its head. As such, this college has ‘supreme and full authority over the universal Church; but this power cannot be exercised without the agreement of the Roman Pontiff.’”

“The college of bishops exercises power over the universal Church in a solemn manner in an ecumenical council. But ‘there never is an ecumenical council which is not confirmed or at least recognized as such by Peter’s successor.’”

“This college, in so far as it is composed of many members, is the expression of the variety and universality of the People of God; and of the unity of the flock of Christ, in so far as it is assembled under one head.” (That “one head” is the Pope.)

And as for their claim of infallibility for the pronouncements of the Magesterium, under the authority of the Pope, consider the following, taken from the same source cited above, beginning on p. 256, sections 889-892:

“In order to preserve the Church in the purity of the faith handed on by the apostles, Christ, who is the Truth, willed to confer on her a share in his own infallibility. By a ‘supernatural sense of faith’ the People of God, under the guidance of the Church’s living Magisterium, ‘unfailingly adheres to this faith.’” (NOTE: It does not say the living Magisterium “must,” do so. It informs the Catholic that it does do so. How does this happen? Read on!)

“To fulfill this service, Christ endowed the Church’s shepherds with charism of infallibility in matters of faith and morals.”

“The Roman Pontiff, head of the college of bishops, enjoys this infallibility in virtue of his office, when as supreme pastor and teacher of all the faithful – who confirms his brethren in the faith – he proclaims, by a definitive act, a doctrine pertaining to faith or morals.” And, “… The infallibility promised to the Church is also present in the body of bishops when, together with Peter’s successor, they exercise the supreme Magisterium,’ above all in an Ecumenical Council.” (Underlining added.)

This infallibility of the Magisterium means that every determination (or conclusion) of the Magisterium is to be regarded as equal in authority to the divine Revelation itself: (Bold added.) “When the Church through its supreme Magisterium proposes a doctrine ‘for belief as being divinely revealed,’ and as the teaching of Christ, the definitions ‘must be adhered to as far as the deposit of divine Revelation itself.’”14

Finally, and perhap somewhat more surprising, is the assertion that even to those utterances by the Pope which are not given the warrant of infallibility, nonetheless, “the faithful ‘are to adhere to it with religious assent.’”

Use this to show any Catholic person the truth that their Pope usurps the role of Christ. He does not, as Paul, say, “I, not the Lord.” Nor does the church tolerate believers questioning and examining the Scriptures to verify its teachings (Acts 17:10-11). If you would like to receive my study on the doctrines of the Catholic Church, go to www.booksatdbp.com click “Online Store” in menu bar and then select “Store.” On the right column, use the “Search” field to search “Catholicism.” (Don’t include the quotation marks.) I provide in-depth, documented research on the key issues of Catholic heresy in 30 PDF-formatted studies. It is immediately available for download on your device. (Avoids shipping, handling, and saves time.) It’s particularly relevant today with all the Catholic influence that is being given political influence and power in our government. A caveat: I’m not saying Catholics cannot serve in political office, so long as they honor their oath to defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic. I am saying we should not assist the Whore in her attempt to “saddle the beast” (Revelation 17).]

[**See the law here:

Deuteronomy 24:1 ¶ When a man hath taken a wife, and married her, and it come to pass that she find no favour in his eyes, because he hath found some uncleanness in her: then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and send her out of his house.

Deuteronomy 24:2 And when she is departed out of his house, she may go and be another man’s wife.

Deuteronomy 24:3 And if the latter husband hate her, and write her a bill of divorcement, and giveth it in her hand, and sendeth her out of his house; or if the latter husband die, which took her to be his wife;

Deuteronomy 24:4 Her former husband, which sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife, after that she is defiled; for that is abomination before the LORD: and thou shalt not cause the land to sin, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.]

[***On this point, the difference between the Catholic system and ours is clear! The Catholic Church grants the Pope the power to speak his own words with equal authority to Scripture. We do not! We regard the Scripture as the only final authority for the Church.]