A good question was raised in our 9/13 class regarding a common objection to the teaching on the inspired authority of Scripture. In 1 Corinthians 7:12 Paul makes a distinction between his words and the words of the Lord:
"To the rest I say (I, not the Lord) that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he should not divorce her."
In the notes to the ESV Study Bible there is this explanation:
"Paul knows the oral tradition of Jesus' sayings on divorce that were later written down in the Gospels (see note on vv. 10–11), but he is not aware that Jesus ever spoke specifically to a situation in which one spouse becomes a Christian and the other remains unconverted. He carefully distinguishes, therefore, between the written words of Jesus as recorded in the Gospels and Paul's own understanding of how Jesus' teaching would apply to this new situation. Paul views his admonition here as authoritative and inspired, not merely as human wisdom (v. 40; cf. 14:37–38). "
So though it seems that Paul did not know of any earthly record that Jesus specifically spoke on this subject, Paul still views his judgements as having the same authority as the actual words of Jesus, as also noted clearly in verse 25 of 1 Corinthians 7: "but I give my judgement as one who by the Lord's mercy is trustworthy". So Paul is not saying here “I really have no idea what Jesus thinks about this issue, but I'll take a shot at it for what its worth.”
Refer also to John 14:26 and 16:13, where Jesus makes the promise of the Holy Spirit's future work in bringing all of his sayings to the disciples remembrance and in continuing to guide them into all of the truth.
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