The answer
St. Paul's first Letter to the Corinthians, verse 10, is a clear command from the Lord in regards to the Holy Sacrament of Marriage. This commandment has been from the beginning, throughout oral traditions, the Old Testament, and reiterated in the New Testament (although the N.T. had not yet been written). Here, the Apostle Paul stipulates that the vows of Holy Matrimony must be strictly followed as commanded by the Lord Himself. However, in 1 Corinthians 7:12, St. Paul is careful to say that he is exercising his authority as an apostle to issue a new ordinance based on a developing need arising in the forming church where there was no precedence in which to follow suit. We can therefore gain insight regarding the importance of the hierarchy of the church, for St. Paul was regarded as an archbishop, authorized to make these decisions. Likewise, in the same Letter, 1 Corinthians 7:25, St. Paul addresses and instructs the women who did not marry but consecrated themselves to the church. In his speech, St. Paul wanted to ensure that although his instructions were not directly from our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, his apostleship carries the burdens of decision making. In many other circumstances, specific instructions were clearly given to him from our Lord Jesus Christ or from other Holy Scripture. As new situations arose, the church had to address each situation with diligence and prudence by the guidance of the Holy Spirit. St. Paul's speech was without a doubt inspired by the Holy Spirit, as he was known to be vigilant by nature and accurate in all his interactions, writings, and speech. 2 Peter 1:20,21 applies to all of the Holy Scripture, Old and New Testaments, as well as to the comments made by St. Paul in regards to your questions."yet I give judgment as one whom the Lord in His mercy has made trustworthy" (1 Corinthians 7:25).
Answered by His Eminence Metropolitan Youssef (opens in a new tab)