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To: Former Fetus

Aren’t you familiar with Paul’s words on the matter (his words, my emphases):

“Now to the UNMARRIED and to widows, I say: it is a good thing for them to REMAIN AS THEY ARE, AS I DO...” (1 Corinthians 7:8)


18 posted on 12/11/2008 7:46:39 AM PST by DogwoodSouth
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To: DogwoodSouth

Obviously Paul’s wife was not with him in his missionary jorneys. We don’t know if she was alive, maybe she chose to stay behind, perhaps was not a believer (never converted from Judaism)... What I think Paul is saying here is that, without his wife, he’s abstaining from sexual relations and he recommends those unmarried or widowed to do the same. But I don’t see where he’s suggesting that he was not married.


27 posted on 12/11/2008 8:16:58 AM PST by Former Fetus
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To: DogwoodSouth

But he ALSO said, “ Now the overseer (bishop, elder) must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, ...” 1 Timothy 3:2. It goes on to say that his children must respect him, etc, for if a man does not know how to control his family, how can he rule the church.

No where does it say that a man, in order to serve the church in any capacity, MUST be celebate. It does say that if he can remain celebate it is a good thing, but there is no requirement in the Bible that decrees this.


31 posted on 12/11/2008 9:55:42 AM PST by irishtenor (Check out my blog at http://boompa53.blogspot.com/)
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