The early Christians did not look upon sex and marriage the same way as Jews or pagans or 21st century Americans. Virginity was always more highly regarded than marriage in the Church and by the 4th century a celibate clergy became the ideal although the rule operated differently in East and West. It became one of those things that distinguished clergy from laity. Thus at the Reformation its abandonment was intended to break down the line between clergy and laity.
You know why, don't you? Because they believed Christ was coming again, very soon. Paul's writings reflect that, intensely.
You're correct -- the Bible as a whole does not prohibit celibacy in clergy, though by taking 1 Timothy 3 out of context one could actually make the case that celibacy is prohibited....by the 4th century a celibate clergy became the ideal ...What the Bible does do by allowing married clergy though is to prohibit the church from requiring clergy to be celibate. What is permitted should not be permitted.
Not coincidentally, that also happened to the time when Gnosticism was making its greatest inroads and very nearly took over the church. The ideal of a celibate clergy arose because most Gnostic heresies taught that sex was a part of the material world, as opposed to the world of light, and was therefore bad. Most Gnostic sects required their clergy -- and sometimes their members -- to be celibate.These sorts of heresies happen often. Some liberal Protestant churches today support abortion because the surrounding society does. Hopefully in 100 years abortion will be viewed in the same light as slavery is today.