Question 26: Why are your pastors allowed to marry when
priests and nuns are not?
Answer: Again, we go to the Bible
for our answer to this question. The
following examples from the Bible indicate that church leaders are allowed
(even encouraged) to marry:
- Peter (the first
Catholic Pope) and most of the other Apostles of the early church were
married men. In the following
passage the Apostle Paul admits that he was an exception to the rule in
not having a wife – “Have we not power to eat and drink? Have we not power to lead about a
sister, a wife, as well as other apostles, and as the brethren of the
Lord, and Cephas (Peter)?” (I Corinthians 9:5)
- God’s standards for
church leaders call for marriage, not celibacy! “This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a
good work. A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of
one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to
teach; 3Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy
lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous; 4One that
ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all
gravity (I Timothy 3:1-4)
- Marriage is an area of personal freedom before
God. In I
Corinthians 7, the Apostle Paul gave instructions about marriage among
Christians. He left the final
decision to the individual rather than dictating absolutes in this
area. Some indeed are called to
remain unmarried all their lives while others are not so called. It is strictly an area of personal
freedom and calling, not something to be dictated by church laws.
- Any teaching which forbids marriage is
demonically inspired. I Timothy
4:1-3 tells us the following: “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that
in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to
seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; 2Speaking lies in
hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; 3Forbidding
to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created
to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.”
- To forbid marriage is
to endanger believers of falling into immorality. I Corinthians 7:2-5 tells
us: “Nevertheless, to avoid
fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her
own husband. 3Let the husband render
unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the
husband. 4The wife hath not power of her own body, but the
husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but
the wife. 5Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with
consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and
come together again, that Satan tempt you not for
your incontinency.”
God’s Word is very
clear on this issue. While he may call
some pastors to not ever be married, this is by far the rare exception.