[CobaltBlue]

The verses in Matthew about M'HAIMNA should be read in the context of the entire passage.

A Pharisee asks Jesus whether it is legal to divorce?

Jesus says no, not unless the wife has been unfaithful. Because God created man and woman to be one flesh and bond together, and what God has bonded, no man should separate.

Then the disciples say, well, in that case, it's better to never marry.

Clearly, the disciples were saying that sticking to one woman is hard to do, so better to fool around than be bound to only one woman through matrimony.

They were not talking about celibacy.

Christ, in response, talks about M'HAIMNA, which is an Aramaic word which can mean eunuch, or it can mean believer, faithful.

[HarleyD]

"Clearly, the disciples were saying that sticking to one woman is hard to do, so better to fool around than be bound to only one woman through matrimony."

While this discord leads from a discussion on divorce, the disciples weren't saying it would be better to "fool around". They were astonished that Jesus would not be sympathetic to divorcing for "any reason"

Matt 18:3 "Some Pharisees came to Jesus testing Him and asking, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason at all?"

The disciples are especially astonished at Jesus' answer since Moses permitted it and He seems to contradict what Moses said.

He said to them, "Because of your hardness of heart Moses permitted you to divorce you wives; but from the beginning it has not been this way.

Jesus said it is because of man's failings that we fail in many areas-marriage included. As you probably are aware, not divorcing is supported in other scriptures. (I Co 7:12)

For the disciples, as with many of us, this answer is clearly a problem and the disciples come to a natural conclusion, that it is better not to marry than to make a marriage vow to a spouse and God and break it. Jesus knew that he would not be able to keep a vow to a spouse and would not dishonor God by breaking it.