It is generally agreed that the apostle Paul was an unmarried man for
the duration of his ministry. Not only does Acts omit any mention of
Paul having a wife, but also Paul’s own letters seem to indicate the
same. Nevertheless, there is some disagreement over whether or not Paul
had been married at an earlier point in his life. In this post, I will
argue that Paul was in fact a widower at the time of his writing. I’ll
make the case in seven points:
1. Paul puts himself in the category of being “unmarried” in 1 Corinthians 7:8.
1 Corinthians 7:8 “I say to the unmarried and to widows that it is good for them if they remain even as I.”
A few things are clear from this verse. First, Paul addresses a group
of persons who are unmarried at the time of his writing—the “unmarried”
and “widows.” Second, he instructs them to remain in their unmarried
state if at all possible.
Third, he sets himself forth as the exemplar
of remaining unmarried. The phrase “even as I am,” therefore,
communicates in no uncertain terms that Paul himself was unmarried at
the time of his writing. Keep Reading...
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