The Apostle Paul never married. He considered celibacy the preferable state, but he also said to remain unmarried was a gift. 1 Corinthians 7:7 (NIV), “I wish that all of you were as I am. But each of you has your own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that.”
He continued to write about marriage and celibacy in 1 Corinthians 7:26-28, 32-33, 35 (NIV), “Because of the present crisis, I think that it is good for a man to remain as he is. Are you pledged to a woman? Do not seek to be released. Are you free from such a commitment? Do not look for a wife. But if you do marry, you have not sinned… But those who marry will face many troubles in this life, and I want to spare you this. …I would like you to be free from concern. An unmarried man is concerned about the Lord's affairs–how he can please the Lord. But a married man is concerned about the affairs of this world–how he can please his wife–and his interests are divided…I am saying this for your own good, not to restrict you, but that you may live in a right way in undivided devotion to the Lord.”
This is very practical. Married couples do and should care about pleasing their spouses. Additionally, all marriages have times of stress. Paul wrote if you don’t marry, you will be spared from these experiences. An unmarried person can focus his mind and energies serving God. The more we can devote our lives to the service of our wonderful Father in heaven, the more blessed we are. This is true for the married and unmarried.
However, most adults desire the intimate relationship of husband and wife. Life is hard, and it is a blessing to have a Christian spouse to bear life’s burdens together. Paul acknowledged this in 1Corinthians 7:8-9 (NIV), “Now to the unmarried and the widows I say: It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I do. But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.”
Unfortunately, some churches require celibacy to serve in roles of leadership (priesthood). This is a doctrine of demons. 1 Timothy 4:1-3 (NKJV), “Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, forbidding to marry…” As Paul wrote to the Corinthians, it is better not to marry. However, no one should force another to remain celibate. That is a very personal decision between himself (or herself) and the Lord.
