In this video, Brian Anthony Bowen reveals Scriptures the Church never talks about which prove that Jesus taught that LGBT people are born this way...and that prove the Apostle Paul ordained Gay Marriage...IN THE BIBLE!
This changes EVERYTHING!
More info: http://BrianBowenMinistries.com
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Jesus said to them, Not all men can accept this saying, but it is for those to whom the capacity to receive it has been given.
For there are eunuchs who have been born incapable of marriage; and there are eunuchs who have been made so by men; and there are eunuchs who have made themselves incapable of marriage for the sake of the kingdom of heaven.
Let him who is able to accept this accept it. Matthew 19:11-12
Since Jesus prefaces this teaching with the phrase, "not all men can accept this saying, but it is for those to whom the capacity to receive it has been given" and ends it by saying "let him who is able to accept this accept it," it can seem to imply that if a person does *not* accept this teaching of Jesus that they are free to ignore it. But recognizing that Jesus also said eunuchs are "for the sake of the kingdom of heaven," we understand He still intends for the overall message to be one for the Christian Church as a whole, and is not given solely to eunuchs to whom it applies. In other words, when Jesus says the message is "for those to whom the capacity to receive has been given," He is saying that if a person accepts they are a eunuch, they should indeed accept it. But the overarching theme of the message is still given by Jesus, and therefore is given to the entire Body of Christ, or it wouldn't be in the Bible.
We further recognize that Jesus said this to His Disciples within the context of His teaching on heterosexual marriage and divorce. When we examine the message closely, we see first and foremost that the Pharisees were trying to test Jesus:
We further recognize that Jesus said this to His Disciples within the context of His teaching on heterosexual marriage and divorce. When we examine the message closely, we see first and foremost that the Pharisees were trying to test Jesus:
And Pharisees came to Him and put Him to the test by asking, Is it lawful and right to dismiss and repudiate and divorce one’s wife for any and every cause?
He replied, Have you never read that He Who made them from the beginning made them male and female,
And said, For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and shall be united firmly (joined inseparably) to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh?
So they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man put asunder (separate). Matthew 19:3-6
Many Christians believe this is what God said to Adam and Eve about heterosexual marriage in the Garden of Eden. In actuality, we see Jesus quote two different portions of Scripture from Genesis 1:27 and Genesis 2:22-24. When we examine those passages, we find that in Genesis 1:27 Moses is not quoting what God said, but instead is narrating the fact that God created man male and female:
So God created man in His own image, in the image and likeness of God He created him; male and female He created them. Genesis 1:27
In Genesis 2:22-24 we find that while indeed God "joined together" Adam and Eve, it was Adam who ordained heterosexual marriage (not God):
And the rib or part of his side which the Lord God had taken from the man He built up and made into a woman, and He brought her to the man.
Then Adam said, This [creature] is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of a man.
Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and shall become united and cleave to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. Genesis 2:22-24
View on Eunuch Flow Chart:
(Click on link to enlarge chart)
This reveals Jesus indeed recognized God had created man both male and female in the beginning, but by including His teaching on eunuchs in the same teaching, He also brings our attention to the fact that Abel was the first eunuch (in that he never married) Genesis 4:1-17. It's one reason Hebrews 11:4 says Abel is still speaking to us today:
[Prompted, actuated] by faith Abel brought God a better and more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, because of which it was testified of him that he was righteous [that he was upright and in right standing with God], and God bore witness by accepting and acknowledging his gifts. And though he died, yet [through the incident] he is still speaking.
It's likewise important to recognize that with His teaching on born eunuchs, Jesus definitively declared that born eunuchs are indeed a natural part of God's original intent for mankind, or eunuchs would not be naturally born so from their mother's womb--and naturally sired by their father's seed--as a natural result of heterosexual couplings. This must mean then that born eunuchs are not a birth defect (or some other result of the fall of man), but rather are the result of the original genetic DNA with which God created Adam and Eve in the beginning, and (according to Jesus), did so for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. While Jesus referred to eunuchs by quoting Isaiah 56:7 when clearing the temple of the money changers, we see Him now do so once again while teaching on marriage, divorce, and adultery.
(Click on link to enlarge chart)
Proceeding further now into Matthew 19, we find the Pharisees then asked Jesus:
They said to Him, Why then did Moses command [us] to give a certificate of divorce and thus to dismiss and repudiate a wife?
He said to them, Because of the hardness (stubbornness and perversity) of your hearts Moses permitted you to dismiss and repudiate and divorce your wives; but from the beginning it has not been so [ordained].
I say to you: whoever dismisses (repudiates, divorces) his wife, except for unchastity, and marries another commits adultery, and he who marries a divorced woman commits adultery. Matthew 19:7-9
We see Jesus confirm that in the beginning heterosexual marriage was indeed ordained by Adam to be between one man and one woman for life. We further see Moses had been granting certificates of divorce for married men who would divorce their own wives and marry the divorced wife of another married man, and thereby "technically" avoid the penalty for adultery assigned by the Law of Moses which reads:
We see Jesus confirm that in the beginning heterosexual marriage was indeed ordained by Adam to be between one man and one woman for life. We further see Moses had been granting certificates of divorce for married men who would divorce their own wives and marry the divorced wife of another married man, and thereby "technically" avoid the penalty for adultery assigned by the Law of Moses which reads:
The man who commits adultery with another’s wife, even his neighbor’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death. Leviticus 20:10
Jesus clarified that this practice was an act of adultery, even if it was "technically" legal under the Law of Moses.
Jesus clarified that this practice was an act of adultery, even if it was "technically" legal under the Law of Moses.
While the Pharisees did not ask Jesus upon what authority He was closing this "legal loophole," it is a legitimate question for Christians to ask. The answer comes to us from the prophet Malachi where God says:
And this you do with double guilt; you cover the altar of the Lord with tears [shed by your unoffending wives, divorced by you that you might take heathen wives], and with [your own] weeping and crying out because the Lord does not regard your offering any more or accept it with favor at your hand.
In verifying these are the same widows Paul refers to in 1 Corinthians 7:8-9, we see the term "widows" in the Greek language is χήραις and is defined in Strong's Concordance #5503 as "akin to χέρσος," meaning "sterile or barren women," but can also mean "a city stripped of inhabitants and riches" such as in Revelation 18:7. In the context of 1 Corinthians 7:8-9, it does not mean "a woman whose husband has passed away" as we most often apply the word "widow" today. Paul verifies this by further addressing such women separately later on in 1 Corinthians 7:39-40. It's also important to recognize Paul does not address any people who were married prior to his letter arriving in Corinth until 1 Corinthians 7:10. This means the term "widow" in 1 Corinthians 7:8-9 further indicates women who are likewise unmarried.
Just as Jesus referred us back to Isaiah 56 when discussing eunuchs in Matthew 19:11-12 and Mark 11:17, so too does the Apostle Paul when discussing born eunuchs ("unmarried people") in 1 Corinthians 7:8-9. We will discover that by further including "widows," Paul also aims to refer us back to Isaiah 54 where God verifies once again this is a reference to unmarried women and declares Himself to be their Husband, saying:
1 Sing, O barren one, you who did not bear; break forth into singing and cry aloud, you who did not travail with child! For the [spiritual] children of the desolate one will be more than the children of the married wife, says the Lord.
2 Enlarge the place of your tent, and let the curtains of your habitations be stretched out; spare not; lengthen your cords and strengthen your stakes,
3 For you will spread abroad to the right hand and to the left; and your offspring will possess the nations and make the desolate cities to be inhabited.
4 Fear not, for you shall not be ashamed; neither be confounded and depressed, for you shall not be put to shame. For you shall forget the shame of your youth, and you shall not [seriously] remember the reproach of your widowhood any more.
5 For your Maker is your Husband—the Lord of hosts is His name—and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; the God of the whole earth He is called.
Herein Paul creates a literary interpretative tool known as an "inter textual echo," which means a New Testament writer will reflect a portion of Scripture from the Old Testament. Paul's intention here is not a coincidence. Revealed throughout these passages is a message orchestrated by God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and the Apostle Paul that is "given to those to whom the capacity to receive it has been given," which ties the Messianic prophecies of Jesus (Isaiah 53) directly to widows (Isaiah 54), and to eunuchs (Isaiah 56)...for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven (Isaiah 55).
Put more plainly, the Apostle Paul provides the moral and Scriptural basis for Christian LGBT people to enter into single gender matrimony, but only in governing civil jurisdictions wherein it is recognized and permitted by law:
Moving now into 1 Corinthians 7:10-16, Paul goes on to address divorce in more precise terms for Christians than what the Law of Moses allowed Jesus to:
10 But to the married people I give charge—not I but the Lord—that the wife is not to separate from her husband.
11 But if she does [separate from and divorce him], let her remain single or else be reconciled to her husband. And [I charge] the husband [also] that he should not put away or divorce his wife.
12 To the rest I declare—I, not the Lord [for Jesus did not discuss this]—that if any brother has a wife who does not believe [in Christ] and she consents to live with him, he should not leave or divorce her.
13 And if any woman has an unbelieving husband and he consents to live with her, she should not leave or divorce him.
14 For the unbelieving husband is set apart (separated, withdrawn from heathen contamination, and affiliated with the Christian people) by union with his consecrated (set-apart) wife, and the unbelieving wife is set apart and separated through union with her consecrated husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean (unblessed heathen, outside the Christian covenant), but as it is they are prepared for God [pure and clean]
15 But if the unbelieving partner [actually] leaves, let him do so; in such [cases the remaining] brother or sister is not morally bound. But God has called us to peace. 1 Corinthians 7:10-15
While the Apostle Paul recognized that many times people may marry prior to becoming Christians, in cases where an unbelieving spouse leaves, the remaining spouse is not morally bound to their marriage covenant, and is morally free--even as a divorced person--to marry another Christian. In Matthew 19:9, we saw Jesus also specify that if a spouse is unfaithful, the faithful spouse does not sin by divorcing and remarrying. This means that for Christians who divorce for either of these two reasons, it is not a sin for a divorced person to remarry, nor is it a sin for a person to marry a divorced person if their divorce occurred within the context of these circumstances. We conclude by all this then that the only way divorce (or marrying a divorced woman) could be considered an act of adultery is if married people were intentionally divorcing unoffending spouses, in order to marry someone else's unoffending divorced spouse, in order to engage in what would otherwise be considered an act of adultery. But this teaching was never intended to be construed as a blanket prohibition against marrying a person who has been divorced, nor as a blanket prohibition against a divorced person remarrying.
Yet you ask, Why does He reject it? Because the Lord was witness [to the covenant made at your marriage] between you and the wife of your youth, against whom you have dealt treacherously and to whom you were faithless. Yet she is your companion and the wife of your covenant [made by your marriage vows].
It's important to pause here and recognize that Jesus was teaching Jewish people living under the Old Covenant, and not Christians who now live under the New Covenant. While recognizing this distinction, the Apostle Paul is confronted with these same questions in a letter he received from the Christian Church in Corinth. We will see him answer the 1st question in 1 Corinthians 7:1-7, and see him answer the 2nd question in 1 Corinthians 7:8-9 as he addresses two distinctly separate groups of unmarried people:
1 Now as to the matters of which you wrote me. It is well [and by that I mean advantageous, expedient, profitable, and wholesome] for a man not to touch a woman [to cohabit with her] but to remain unmarried.
2 But because of the temptation to impurity and to avoid immorality, let each [man] have his own wife and let each [woman] have her own husband. 1 Corinthians 7:1-2
4 For the wife does not have [exclusive] authority and control over her own body, but the husband [has his rights]; likewise also the husband does not have [exclusive] authority and control over his body, but the wife [has her rights].
5 Do not refuse and deprive and defraud each other [of your due marital rights], except perhaps by mutual consent for a time, so that you may devote yourselves unhindered to prayer. But afterwards resume marital relations, lest Satan tempt you [to sin] through your lack of restraint of sexual desire.
So that answers the 1st question. At first glance, Paul's answer seems to overlook Jesus' teaching that not all men could accept marrying heterosexually, but when we read verses 6-7 we see Paul recognize that Jesus indeed exempted some men (eunuchs) from heterosexual marriage. He first addresses celibate eunuchs saying:
6 But I am saying this more as a matter of permission and concession, not as a command or regulation.
7 I wish that all men were like I myself am [in this matter of self-control]. But each has his own special gift from God, one of this kind and one of another. 1 Corinthians 7:6-7
For the first time since verses 1-2 we see Paul once again address women. We saw Paul had already clarified in verses 6-7 that his teaching "each man" to marry a person of the opposite gender in verses 1-2 was not intended to include every human being, but only those men who were so inclined to engage in relations with women. We further already saw he went on to clarify he did not intend his teaching to be a command or regulation toward celibate eunuchs being forced to marry contrary to their will and gifting. So far, Paul has addressed the same men and women inclined toward heterosexual marriage that Jesus taught on in Matthew 19:3-10, as well as the celibate eunuchs Jesus taught on in Matthew 19:11-12. Which leaves now only the castrated eunuchs, and the born eunuchs for Paul to address.
Paul clearly predicates his ordination of marriage in 1 Corinthians 7:8-9 on "it is better to marry than burn." This means the eunuchs he is addressing here does not apply to castrated eunuchs (who would have had no sexual capacity or desire), but instead is addressing the born eunuchs (some of which must have had both sexual capacity and desire, based on Paul's predication of marriage for them). But a surface reading of 1 Corinthians 7:8-9 seems to then indicate the Apostle Paul is contradicting Jesus' exemption for born eunuchs from heterosexual marriage, and is advising born eunuchs to marry heterosexually after all.
This would make sense if this was due to the variances between Jesus teaching Jews living under the Old Covenant and the Apostle Paul teaching Christians living under the New Covenant. Following that logic, it would be reasonable to conclude that Jesus exempted castrated eunuchs from heterosexual marriage simply because they were barred from the Jewish Congregation in Deuteronomy 23:1, and by extension were barred from the sacrament of heterosexual marriage.
In light of 1 Corinthians 7:7, it would also be reasonable to conclude the Apostle Paul recognized that under the New Covenant, castrated eunuchs could now marry heterosexually if they so chose to. Recognizing Jesus was teaching Jewish people living under the Old Covenant, we see even more clearly why He said, "not all men can accept this saying, but it is for those to whom the capacity to receive it has been given," and with the phrase, "each has his own special gift from God, one of this kind and one of another," we see Paul likewise reflect Jesus' phraseology on the matter of eunuchs. Not only was Jesus specifying His message was directed toward eunuchs, He was also clarifying that this teaching would only apply to Christian eunuchs who would accept "taking firm hold of His New Covenant" in accordance with God's prophecy to eunuchs in Isaiah 56. As Paul responds more fully to Jesus' unanswered questions on born eunuchs, we see indeed Paul also recognized the impact the New Covenant had on eunuchs--and by extension--marriage in general. Paul demonstrates throughout 1 Corinthians 7 that indeed the New Covenant dramatically redefined marriage for a variety of people, while remaining meticulously detailed in his own teaching so as to not contradict anything Jesus had already taught on the matter.
But it's important to note that the Old Covenant only banned castrated eunuchs, or those whom Jesus referred to as "made so by men." There is no mention of celibate eunuchs being banned from the Jewish Congregation anywhere in the Old Covenant, nor is there any prohibition against a celibate person choosing to marry heterosexually. If there was, neither Jesus nor any of His Disciples would have been permitted to enter into the Jewish Congregation. Obviously someone choosing to remain celibate would not marry heterosexually, but Jesus also mentions born eunuchs, and likewise there is no mention of them being banned from the Jewish Congregation under the Old Covenant either.
Since Jesus quoted from Isaiah 56 when clearing the temple of the money changers, He would have known the inclusion of eunuchs in the Christian Congregation would provide them access to all the sacraments, such as marriage. If Jesus was simply stating the obvious regarding eunuchs being barred from heterosexual marriage because of them being barred from the Jewish Congregation under the Law of Moses, there would be no need for Him to define the three separate types of eunuchs He mentions. If this was His intention, no matter which type of eunuch a person was, they would eventually be permitted to marry heterosexually under the New Covenant. If this is all Jesus intended to convey, it would negate the need for Him to have said anything about eunuchs at all. Likewise, if Paul intended to teach that all three types of eunuchs would be permitted to marry under the New Covenant, there would be no need for 1 Corinthians 7:8-9 at all, because every type of eunuch Jesus defines would then be included in Paul's phrase "each man" in 1 Corinthians 7:2, whether they were eunuchs or not. Yet we see Paul take care so as to specifically recognize Jesus' exemption of celibate eunuchs from marriage in 1 Corinthians 7:6-7. But by referring to yet more "unmarried people" in 1 Corinthians 7:8-9, Paul goes on to also recognize the born eunuchs whom Jesus had likewise exempted from heterosexual marriage.
And did not God make [you and your wife] one [flesh]? Did not One make you and preserve your spirit alive? And why [did God make you two] one? Because He sought a godly offspring [from your union]. Therefore take heed to yourselves, and let no one deal treacherously and be faithless to the wife of his youth.
For the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I hate divorce and marital separation and him who covers his garment [his wife] with violence. Therefore keep a watch upon your spirit [that it may be controlled by My Spirit], that you deal not treacherously and faithlessly [with your marriage mate]. Malachi 2:13-16
View on Eunuch Flow Chart:
In response to Jesus' teaching, The disciples said to Him, If the case of a man with his wife is like this, it is neither profitable nor advisable to marry. Matthew 19:10
Realizing the Law of Moses only assigned penalties for adultery (and not for sexual immorality outside of marriage), and realizing that only married people can engage in adultery, we see the Disciples surmise that as Jesus closed this "legal loophole," it would be better to never marry, and instead engage in relations only outside of wedlock.
Jesus never responds to their conclusion, but instead turns His attention away from divorce, and focuses on exemptions from heterosexual marriage:
Jesus said to them, Not all men can accept this saying, but it is for those to whom the capacity to receive it has been given.
Jesus said to them, Not all men can accept this saying, but it is for those to whom the capacity to receive it has been given.
For there are eunuchs who have been born incapable of marriage; and there are eunuchs who have been made so by men; and there are eunuchs who have made themselves incapable of marriage for the sake of the kingdom of heaven.
Let him who is able to accept this accept it. Matthew 19:11-12
Let him who is able to accept this accept it. Matthew 19:11-12
In doing so, Jesus leaves two questions unanswered:
- Is it better to engage in sexual relations without ever marrying in order to avoid the act and penalty of adultery?
- Who are the born eunuchs Jesus exempted from heterosexual marriage, and why did He exempt them?
1 Now as to the matters of which you wrote me. It is well [and by that I mean advantageous, expedient, profitable, and wholesome] for a man not to touch a woman [to cohabit with her] but to remain unmarried.
2 But because of the temptation to impurity and to avoid immorality, let each [man] have his own wife and let each [woman] have her own husband. 1 Corinthians 7:1-2
We see in verse 1 that the people Paul begins speaking of are unmarried, and recognize that indeed some people in the early Church believed Jesus' Disciples were correct in deciding not to marry in order to prevent adultery. Recognizing the sexual immorality the Disciples' approach of not marrying could lead to, Paul specifically says in verse 2 to let each man have his own wife and each woman have her own husband. He goes on to add very specific reasoning for his conclusion:
3 The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights (goodwill, kindness, and what is due her as his wife), and likewise the wife to her husband.
3 The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights (goodwill, kindness, and what is due her as his wife), and likewise the wife to her husband.
5 Do not refuse and deprive and defraud each other [of your due marital rights], except perhaps by mutual consent for a time, so that you may devote yourselves unhindered to prayer. But afterwards resume marital relations, lest Satan tempt you [to sin] through your lack of restraint of sexual desire.
So that answers the 1st question. At first glance, Paul's answer seems to overlook Jesus' teaching that not all men could accept marrying heterosexually, but when we read verses 6-7 we see Paul recognize that Jesus indeed exempted some men (eunuchs) from heterosexual marriage. He first addresses celibate eunuchs saying:
7 I wish that all men were like I myself am [in this matter of self-control]. But each has his own special gift from God, one of this kind and one of another. 1 Corinthians 7:6-7
Here we see the Apostle Paul make the same exemption from heterosexual marriage for one of the three types of eunuchs Jesus mentioned in Matthew 19:12; (those who choose to not marry and remain celibate). Paul clarifies in verses 6-7 that his teaching "each man" and "each woman" to marry in verse 2 is not a command or regulation for every man, but instead is a matter of permission and concession to anyone so choosing to refrain from sexual relations. He further verifies he is speaking here of the celibate eunuchs as he only speaks of men, and does not mention women in verses 6-7, just as Jesus did in Matthew 19:11-12. Paul emphasizes here that his statement on marriage in verses 1-2 are focused on preventing sexual immorality for those who are not gifted with God given celibacy. It's also important to notice that Paul considers celibacy only one gift from God, while recognizing there is yet another God given gift pertaining to marriage as well, and that every man has either one or the other kind of these God given gifts.
In verses 8-9, we will now see Paul recognize Jesus' teaching on marriage in relation to another of the three types of eunuchs Jesus exempted from heterosexual marriage (the born eunuchs) whom Paul refers to as "unmarried people." In doing so, Paul recognizes that if Jesus had specifically exempted eunuchs from heterosexual marriage, they were obviously "unmarried" at the time Paul wrote this letter. But it's important to recognize that in verses 8-9, Paul addresses these "unmarried people" separately and apart from the unmarried people he addressed in verses 1-2, and separately and apart from the celibate eunuchs whom he addressed in verses 6-7, and now says:
8 But to the unmarried people and to the widows, I declare that it is well (good, advantageous, expedient, and wholesome) for them to remain [single] even as I do.
9 But if they have not self-control (restraint of their passions), they should marry. For it is better to marry than to be aflame [with passion and tortured continually with ungratified desire]. 1 Corinthians 7:8-9
View on Eunuch Flow Chart:
(Click on link to enlarge chart)
8 But to the unmarried people and to the widows, I declare that it is well (good, advantageous, expedient, and wholesome) for them to remain [single] even as I do.
9 But if they have not self-control (restraint of their passions), they should marry. For it is better to marry than to be aflame [with passion and tortured continually with ungratified desire]. 1 Corinthians 7:8-9
For the first time since verses 1-2 we see Paul once again address women. We saw Paul had already clarified in verses 6-7 that his teaching "each man" to marry a person of the opposite gender in verses 1-2 was not intended to include every human being, but only those men who were so inclined to engage in relations with women. We further already saw he went on to clarify he did not intend his teaching to be a command or regulation toward celibate eunuchs being forced to marry contrary to their will and gifting. So far, Paul has addressed the same men and women inclined toward heterosexual marriage that Jesus taught on in Matthew 19:3-10, as well as the celibate eunuchs Jesus taught on in Matthew 19:11-12. Which leaves now only the castrated eunuchs, and the born eunuchs for Paul to address.
Paul clearly predicates his ordination of marriage in 1 Corinthians 7:8-9 on "it is better to marry than burn." This means the eunuchs he is addressing here does not apply to castrated eunuchs (who would have had no sexual capacity or desire), but instead is addressing the born eunuchs (some of which must have had both sexual capacity and desire, based on Paul's predication of marriage for them). But a surface reading of 1 Corinthians 7:8-9 seems to then indicate the Apostle Paul is contradicting Jesus' exemption for born eunuchs from heterosexual marriage, and is advising born eunuchs to marry heterosexually after all.
This would make sense if this was due to the variances between Jesus teaching Jews living under the Old Covenant and the Apostle Paul teaching Christians living under the New Covenant. Following that logic, it would be reasonable to conclude that Jesus exempted castrated eunuchs from heterosexual marriage simply because they were barred from the Jewish Congregation in Deuteronomy 23:1, and by extension were barred from the sacrament of heterosexual marriage.
In light of 1 Corinthians 7:7, it would also be reasonable to conclude the Apostle Paul recognized that under the New Covenant, castrated eunuchs could now marry heterosexually if they so chose to. Recognizing Jesus was teaching Jewish people living under the Old Covenant, we see even more clearly why He said, "not all men can accept this saying, but it is for those to whom the capacity to receive it has been given," and with the phrase, "each has his own special gift from God, one of this kind and one of another," we see Paul likewise reflect Jesus' phraseology on the matter of eunuchs. Not only was Jesus specifying His message was directed toward eunuchs, He was also clarifying that this teaching would only apply to Christian eunuchs who would accept "taking firm hold of His New Covenant" in accordance with God's prophecy to eunuchs in Isaiah 56. As Paul responds more fully to Jesus' unanswered questions on born eunuchs, we see indeed Paul also recognized the impact the New Covenant had on eunuchs--and by extension--marriage in general. Paul demonstrates throughout 1 Corinthians 7 that indeed the New Covenant dramatically redefined marriage for a variety of people, while remaining meticulously detailed in his own teaching so as to not contradict anything Jesus had already taught on the matter.
But it's important to note that the Old Covenant only banned castrated eunuchs, or those whom Jesus referred to as "made so by men." There is no mention of celibate eunuchs being banned from the Jewish Congregation anywhere in the Old Covenant, nor is there any prohibition against a celibate person choosing to marry heterosexually. If there was, neither Jesus nor any of His Disciples would have been permitted to enter into the Jewish Congregation. Obviously someone choosing to remain celibate would not marry heterosexually, but Jesus also mentions born eunuchs, and likewise there is no mention of them being banned from the Jewish Congregation under the Old Covenant either.
Since Jesus quoted from Isaiah 56 when clearing the temple of the money changers, He would have known the inclusion of eunuchs in the Christian Congregation would provide them access to all the sacraments, such as marriage. If Jesus was simply stating the obvious regarding eunuchs being barred from heterosexual marriage because of them being barred from the Jewish Congregation under the Law of Moses, there would be no need for Him to define the three separate types of eunuchs He mentions. If this was His intention, no matter which type of eunuch a person was, they would eventually be permitted to marry heterosexually under the New Covenant. If this is all Jesus intended to convey, it would negate the need for Him to have said anything about eunuchs at all. Likewise, if Paul intended to teach that all three types of eunuchs would be permitted to marry under the New Covenant, there would be no need for 1 Corinthians 7:8-9 at all, because every type of eunuch Jesus defines would then be included in Paul's phrase "each man" in 1 Corinthians 7:2, whether they were eunuchs or not. Yet we see Paul take care so as to specifically recognize Jesus' exemption of celibate eunuchs from marriage in 1 Corinthians 7:6-7. But by referring to yet more "unmarried people" in 1 Corinthians 7:8-9, Paul goes on to also recognize the born eunuchs whom Jesus had likewise exempted from heterosexual marriage.
View on Eunuch Flow Chart:
(Click on link to enlarge chart)
Further, if all Jesus and Paul were telling us in Matthew 19:11-12 and 1 Corinthians 7:8-9 was that eunuch men who had once been barred from the Jewish Congregation would be permitted to marry heterosexually under the New Covenant, the Apostle Paul would not have gone on to include the term "widows," because Jesus never mentioned any female eunuchs in Matthew 19:11-12, but instead specifically says "not all men can accept this saying..." and "let him who can accept this accept it." This exacting phraseology is reflected by Paul when he says, "each has his own special gift from God, one of this kind, and one of another." This phraseology likewise reflects Jesus defining three separate types of eunuchs from heterosexual marriage. We saw Paul already recognize celibate eunuchs as having one kind of gift from God. Paul goes on to explain in 1 Corinthians 7:32-34 that this gift is given to some men (and women) in order to focus more on the things of God (i.e. ministry). In studying the basis of Paul's teaching in 1 Corinthians 7:8-9 we will see him recognize that born eunuchs and widows are men (and women) who are given another kind of special gift from God.
Just as Jesus' teaching on eunuchs in Matthew 19:12 reflects God's prophecy to eunuchs in Isaiah 56, Paul likewise draws our attention to the fact that in Isaiah 56:5, God refers to all eunuchs as "sons" and "daughters," indicating that indeed *some* eunuchs are female. Going back from Isaiah 56 just 2 chapters, we see in Isaiah 54:1-4 that indeed God refers to barren, childless, or otherwise husbandless women as a widowhood, and declares He Himself would be such women's Husband in Isaiah 54:5. This is why Paul included the term widows in 1 Corinthians 7:8-9. By virtue of these revelations, we see two or three witnesses from Scripture testify the "unmarried people and widows" Paul references in 1 Corinthians 7:8-9 are the same born eunuchs Jesus exempted from heterosexual marriage in Matthew 19:11-12, (and the same widows God refers to in Isaiah 54:1-5), and that both these "born eunuchs" and "widows" are part of the same eunuchs God refers to as "sons" and "daughters" in Isaiah 56:5. Paul directs both the born eunuchs and widows to marry if they are not gifted with celibacy, saying "it is better to marry than be tortured with ungratified desire."
Just as Jesus' teaching on eunuchs in Matthew 19:12 reflects God's prophecy to eunuchs in Isaiah 56, Paul likewise draws our attention to the fact that in Isaiah 56:5, God refers to all eunuchs as "sons" and "daughters," indicating that indeed *some* eunuchs are female. Going back from Isaiah 56 just 2 chapters, we see in Isaiah 54:1-4 that indeed God refers to barren, childless, or otherwise husbandless women as a widowhood, and declares He Himself would be such women's Husband in Isaiah 54:5. This is why Paul included the term widows in 1 Corinthians 7:8-9. By virtue of these revelations, we see two or three witnesses from Scripture testify the "unmarried people and widows" Paul references in 1 Corinthians 7:8-9 are the same born eunuchs Jesus exempted from heterosexual marriage in Matthew 19:11-12, (and the same widows God refers to in Isaiah 54:1-5), and that both these "born eunuchs" and "widows" are part of the same eunuchs God refers to as "sons" and "daughters" in Isaiah 56:5. Paul directs both the born eunuchs and widows to marry if they are not gifted with celibacy, saying "it is better to marry than be tortured with ungratified desire."
In verifying these are the same widows Paul refers to in 1 Corinthians 7:8-9, we see the term "widows" in the Greek language is χήραις and is defined in Strong's Concordance #5503 as "akin to χέρσος," meaning "sterile or barren women," but can also mean "a city stripped of inhabitants and riches" such as in Revelation 18:7. In the context of 1 Corinthians 7:8-9, it does not mean "a woman whose husband has passed away" as we most often apply the word "widow" today. Paul verifies this by further addressing such women separately later on in 1 Corinthians 7:39-40. It's also important to recognize Paul does not address any people who were married prior to his letter arriving in Corinth until 1 Corinthians 7:10. This means the term "widow" in 1 Corinthians 7:8-9 further indicates women who are likewise unmarried.
Just as Jesus referred us back to Isaiah 56 when discussing eunuchs in Matthew 19:11-12 and Mark 11:17, so too does the Apostle Paul when discussing born eunuchs ("unmarried people") in 1 Corinthians 7:8-9. We will discover that by further including "widows," Paul also aims to refer us back to Isaiah 54 where God verifies once again this is a reference to unmarried women and declares Himself to be their Husband, saying:
1 Sing, O barren one, you who did not bear; break forth into singing and cry aloud, you who did not travail with child! For the [spiritual] children of the desolate one will be more than the children of the married wife, says the Lord.
2 Enlarge the place of your tent, and let the curtains of your habitations be stretched out; spare not; lengthen your cords and strengthen your stakes,
3 For you will spread abroad to the right hand and to the left; and your offspring will possess the nations and make the desolate cities to be inhabited.
4 Fear not, for you shall not be ashamed; neither be confounded and depressed, for you shall not be put to shame. For you shall forget the shame of your youth, and you shall not [seriously] remember the reproach of your widowhood any more.
5 For your Maker is your Husband—the Lord of hosts is His name—and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; the God of the whole earth He is called.
View on Eunuch Flow Chart:
(Click on link to enlarge chart)
We conclude then, that by using the terms "unmarried people" and "widows" in 1 Corinthians 7:8-9, Paul aims to direct our attention to Isaiah 54 (widows) and Isaiah 56 (eunuchs). In "Born Eunuch, Reborn Unique" we determined that Jesus likewise directs our attention to Isaiah 56 on two separate occasions: once (indirectly) when clearing the temple in Mark 11:17 when He quotes Isaiah 56:7, and again (directly) when He mentions eunuchs in the context of (but in contrast to) men who entered into heterosexual marriage in Matthew 19:11-12. Likewise, we learned the Holy Spirit directs us to Isaiah 53, 54, 55, and 56 in the account of the baptism of the Ethiopian Eunuch in Acts 8:25-40, where Philip reads to the Ethiopian Eunuch beginning in Isaiah 53 and progresses all the way through to Isaiah 56 where the eunuch then interrupts to ask, "then what is to hinder my being baptized?" On the journey through Isaiah 53-56, we come across Isaiah 54. As we progress further into Paul's letter to the Church in 1 Corinthians 7, we will see him verify this by directing our attention also to Isaiah 55 (right smack dab in the middle of Isaiah 54 and 56.
I mean, brethren, the appointed time has been winding down and it has grown very short. From now on, let even those who have wives be as if they had none 1 Corinthians 7:29
(which reflects Isaiah 56:1)
Thus says the Lord: Keep justice, do and use righteousness (conformity to the will of God which brings salvation), for My salvation is soon to come and My righteousness (My rightness and justice) to be revealed.
and...
And those who weep and mourn as though they were not weeping and mourning, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they did not possess anything, 1 Corinthians 7:31
(which reflects Isaiah 55:1):
Wait and listen, everyone who is thirsty! Come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Yes, come, buy [priceless, spiritual] wine and milk without money and without price [simply for the self-surrender that accepts the blessing].
Thus says the Lord: Keep justice, do and use righteousness (conformity to the will of God which brings salvation), for My salvation is soon to come and My righteousness (My rightness and justice) to be revealed.
and...
And those who weep and mourn as though they were not weeping and mourning, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they did not possess anything, 1 Corinthians 7:31
(which reflects Isaiah 55:1):
Wait and listen, everyone who is thirsty! Come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Yes, come, buy [priceless, spiritual] wine and milk without money and without price [simply for the self-surrender that accepts the blessing].
It is a message that is given simultaneously to eunuchs and widows individually, as well as to the Body of Christ corporately. It is at once natural and spiritual. It mirrors the same mystery of Jesus and His Bride as is reflected in a marriage between a man and a woman, as revealed by Paul in Ephesians 5:28-32. Just as naturally as the union between a man and woman gives birth to born eunuchs (Isaiah 56, Matthew 19:11-12), so too does the union between Jesus and His Bride give birth to spiritual children (Isaiah 54). As God promises to be Husband to widows (Isaiah 54), He also assigns eunuchs (Isaiah 56) to care for and prepare His Bride (the Church) for the Marriage Supper of the Lamb (Ephesians 21-27), (just as eunuchs cared for and prepared Queen Esther to meet her Bridegroom, the King (Esther 2:9-18), after which a great feast was prepared). The spiritual aspects of Paul's teaching on marriage will be further unpacked and examined separately.
Returning our focus to the natural aspect of marriage, what we see in 1 Corinthians 7:8-9 is the Apostle Paul ordaining marriage for eunuchs and widows separately and apart from the heterosexual couples he addressed in 1 Corinthians 7:1-2. If these eunuchs and widows were heterosexual unmarried men and women, they would have been included under the terms "each man" and "each woman" in Paul's reaffirmation of heterosexual marriage in 1 Corinthians 7:1-2, and there would be no need for him to include 1 Corinthians 7:8-9 at all. As Paul distinguishes these unmarried men and women separately and apart from the unmarried men and women in 1 Corinthians 7:1-2, we see yet another distinction in the reasons he gives for each of these two groups of unmarried people to marry. The reason he gives the 1st group of men and women in 1 Corinthians 7:1-5 is to "avoid sexual immorality" (1 Corinthians 7:2). The reason he gives the 2nd group of men and women is to "avoid sexual repression," or as the Amplified translation says, "being aflame [with passion and tortured continually with ungratified desire]," or as the King James Version puts it: "it is better to marry than to burn." (1 Corinthians 7:9)
While it would be reasonable to conclude that Paul was telling the 2nd group of people it is best to get married heterosexually and engage in sexual relations if celibacy was not their calling in 1 Corinthians 7:8-9, and was telling the 1st group of unmarried people in 1 Corinthians 7:1-2 that it is best to get married heterosexually instead of engaging in sexual immorality out of wed lock, it would fail to explain why Jesus mentioned born eunuchs or why the Apostle Paul included widows in the 2nd group of unmarried people. It would also fail to explain why both Jesus and Paul make these distinctions in direct contrast to (and within the context of) their teachings on heterosexual marriage. It would also then say that the Apostle Paul contradicted Jesus' teaching that exempted born eunuchs from heterosexual marriage, or that the Apostle Paul ignored Jesus' teaching on eunuchs altogether. Finally, it would say that throughout the entirety of the New Testament, Jesus' words on the matter are never brought up again in the context of the Christian Church, eunuchs, or marriage, and the 2 questions raised by His teaching in Matthew 19 would go unanswered for all eternity. That does not compute.
Neither of those options reflect the wisdom of God, the prophetic dynamic of His Word, or the Apostle Paul's meticulous language and phraseology when detailing when he was teaching based on his own opinion and when he was teaching based on Jesus' teaching, as he progresses through the remainder of 1 Corinthians 7. Such a position would likewise fail to return our attention back to the Isaiah 54 and Isaiah 56 prophecies, and create a situation wherein a prophecy of God Himself is rendered null and void, and never applicable to anyone. Such a position would directly contradict God Himself Who prefaces His eunuch prophecy by saying:
So shall My word be that goes forth out of My mouth: it shall not return to Me void [without producing any effect, useless], but it shall accomplish that which I please and purpose, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. Isaiah 55:11
A more considered approach reveals the Apostle Paul included the word "widows" in his ordination of marriage for non-heterosexual unmarried people so as to include women specifically, because Jesus only discussed men in Matthew 19:11-12. If Paul intended to include women in his use of the term "unmarried people" he would not have further used the word "widows." Paul therefore reflects that just as God created heterosexuals both male and female, so too He created non-heterosexuals both male and female as well. Not only then do we see the Apostle Paul ordain marriage for non-heterosexual men (born eunuchs), and marriage for non-heterosexual women (widows) in 1 Corinthians 7:8-9, he confirms these men and women have indeed received a "gift from God of another kind."
Most importantly, Paul masterfully does so without ever contradicting the Law of Moses, or any teaching of Jesus, or God's prophecy to widows and eunuchs in Isaiah 54-56, and without ever issuing a Church teaching without authority from the Word of God. For Paul to teach that born eunuchs with sexual capacity should marry heterosexually would contradict Jesus' teaching that exempted them from heterosexual marriage in Matthew 19:11-12, and for Paul to teach that widows with sexual capacity should marry heterosexually would contradict God's declaration that He Himself would be their Husband in Isaiah 54:5.
View on Eunuch Flow Chart:
(Click on link to enlarge chart)
"Let every person be loyally subject to the governing (civil) authorities. For there is no authority except from God [by His permission, His sanction], and those that exist do so by God’s appointment." Romans 13:1
This directive must be balanced with those who lead a church:
"Obey your spiritual leaders and submit to them [continually recognizing their authority over you], for they are constantly keeping watch over your souls and guarding your spiritual welfare, as men who will have to render an account [of their trust]. [Do your part to] let them do this with gladness and not with sighing and groaning, for that would not be profitable to you [either]. Hebrews 13:17
While these two authorities (civil and spiritual) may disagree with each other from time to time, this does not mean that Christians cannot change laws in jurisdictions that currently forbid single gender marriage. In fact, had the Apostle Paul not relied on his own civil rights as a Roman citizen, much of the New Testament would have never been written! (See various Scriptures)
This directive must be balanced with those who lead a church:
"Obey your spiritual leaders and submit to them [continually recognizing their authority over you], for they are constantly keeping watch over your souls and guarding your spiritual welfare, as men who will have to render an account [of their trust]. [Do your part to] let them do this with gladness and not with sighing and groaning, for that would not be profitable to you [either]. Hebrews 13:17
While these two authorities (civil and spiritual) may disagree with each other from time to time, this does not mean that Christians cannot change laws in jurisdictions that currently forbid single gender marriage. In fact, had the Apostle Paul not relied on his own civil rights as a Roman citizen, much of the New Testament would have never been written! (See various Scriptures)
Moving now into 1 Corinthians 7:10-16, Paul goes on to address divorce in more precise terms for Christians than what the Law of Moses allowed Jesus to:
10 But to the married people I give charge—not I but the Lord—that the wife is not to separate from her husband.
11 But if she does [separate from and divorce him], let her remain single or else be reconciled to her husband. And [I charge] the husband [also] that he should not put away or divorce his wife.
12 To the rest I declare—I, not the Lord [for Jesus did not discuss this]—that if any brother has a wife who does not believe [in Christ] and she consents to live with him, he should not leave or divorce her.
13 And if any woman has an unbelieving husband and he consents to live with her, she should not leave or divorce him.
14 For the unbelieving husband is set apart (separated, withdrawn from heathen contamination, and affiliated with the Christian people) by union with his consecrated (set-apart) wife, and the unbelieving wife is set apart and separated through union with her consecrated husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean (unblessed heathen, outside the Christian covenant), but as it is they are prepared for God [pure and clean]
15 But if the unbelieving partner [actually] leaves, let him do so; in such [cases the remaining] brother or sister is not morally bound. But God has called us to peace. 1 Corinthians 7:10-15
While the Apostle Paul recognized that many times people may marry prior to becoming Christians, in cases where an unbelieving spouse leaves, the remaining spouse is not morally bound to their marriage covenant, and is morally free--even as a divorced person--to marry another Christian. In Matthew 19:9, we saw Jesus also specify that if a spouse is unfaithful, the faithful spouse does not sin by divorcing and remarrying. This means that for Christians who divorce for either of these two reasons, it is not a sin for a divorced person to remarry, nor is it a sin for a person to marry a divorced person if their divorce occurred within the context of these circumstances. We conclude by all this then that the only way divorce (or marrying a divorced woman) could be considered an act of adultery is if married people were intentionally divorcing unoffending spouses, in order to marry someone else's unoffending divorced spouse, in order to engage in what would otherwise be considered an act of adultery. But this teaching was never intended to be construed as a blanket prohibition against marrying a person who has been divorced, nor as a blanket prohibition against a divorced person remarrying.
Throughout the remainder of 1 Corinthians 7, the Apostle Paul continues to radically redefine traditional marriage and other social and cultural norms.
In 1 Corinthians 7:17 Paul declares his teachings on marriage are applicable to ALL Christian Churches, and not just the Church in Corinth, while never commanding any Church to perform wedding ceremonies for anyone.
In 1 Corinthians 7:20, and 1 Corinthians 7:24, Paul rejects so called "reparative therapy" for born eunuchs. (After all, if all born eunuchs became "ex-born eunuchs," there would be nobody left to fulfill Isaiah 56, which would render Jesus' teaching on born eunuchs of no effect, and a prophecy from God Himself as null and void).
In 1 Corinthians 7:18-19, Paul rejects the outward sign of Covenant through circumcision.
In 1 Corinthians 7:21-23 Paul rejects slavery. He encourages those already enslaved to obey their masters, but to avail themselves of any opportunity to gain their freedom.
In 1 Corinthians 7:25-28, Paul gives yet more women (aside from the widows of 1 Corinthians 7:8-9) the right to decide for themselves whether or not to marry, even as he specifies he received no command from Jesus on the matter. (With no command from the Lord on the matter, Paul was free to act on his authority as an apostle, provided it did not contradict any teaching of Jesus).
In 1 Corinthians 7:32-35, Paul gives each person the right to decide for themselves whether to marry or remain single, providing the basis for Churches to choose for themselves whether to employ single or married people in various ministry positions, depending on the ministerial duties to be fulfilled.
In 1 Corinthians 7:36-38, Paul gives each father the right to decide for himself whether or not to give his daughter's hand in marriage (even if she was no longer a virgin). Paul also gives each person the right to determine of their own free will whether or not to remain unmarried.
And finally, in 1 Corinthians 7:39-40 Paul gives yet more women the right to decide for themselves whether or not to remarry after the death of a spouse, and concludes his teaching on marriage by saying, "and also I think I have the Spirit of God."
In an example of what many people may consider an exercise in "radical social change," or a grand experiment in "social engineering," (as well as "a decisive victory in the culture wars"), the Apostle Paul provides each Christian (whether male or female, single or divorced, heterosexual or non-heterosexual) an unprecedented use of their own individual conscience on matters pertaining to marriage, by taking the decision out of the hands of religious leaders, and placing it where it rightfully belongs: under the Authority of the Believer!
But the [Holy] Spirit distinctly and expressly declares that in latter times some will turn away from the faith, giving attention to deluding and seducing spirits and doctrines that demons teach,
Through the hypocrisy and pretensions of liars whose consciences are seared (cauterized),
Who forbid people to marry... 1 Timothy 4:1-3
In conclusion, we see Scripture permits each Christian to exercise their God given individual conscience and choose to not support single gender marriage based on Jesus teaching "let him who can accept this accept it" in Matthew 19:11-12. Clearly, in cases where a Christian is not aware of Jesus' teaching in Matthew 19, or the Apostle Paul's teaching in 1 Corinthians 7, it is not reasonable to expect them to accept single gender marriage without first studying these teachings for themselves.
Further, we see Scripture cautions against each Christian from outright forbidding people to enter into single gender marriage based on the Holy Spirit's warning in 1 Timothy 4:1-3, which declares such a position as a doctrine that demons teach, and is indicative of a person bearing the name of Christian as having "fallen away from the faith."
Finally, we see indeed single gender marriage is not a sin, based on the Apostle Paul's ordination of it in 1 Corinthians 7:8-9.
To summarize even more concisely:
In 1 Corinthians 7:17 Paul declares his teachings on marriage are applicable to ALL Christian Churches, and not just the Church in Corinth, while never commanding any Church to perform wedding ceremonies for anyone.
In 1 Corinthians 7:20, and 1 Corinthians 7:24, Paul rejects so called "reparative therapy" for born eunuchs. (After all, if all born eunuchs became "ex-born eunuchs," there would be nobody left to fulfill Isaiah 56, which would render Jesus' teaching on born eunuchs of no effect, and a prophecy from God Himself as null and void).
In 1 Corinthians 7:18-19, Paul rejects the outward sign of Covenant through circumcision.
In 1 Corinthians 7:21-23 Paul rejects slavery. He encourages those already enslaved to obey their masters, but to avail themselves of any opportunity to gain their freedom.
In 1 Corinthians 7:25-28, Paul gives yet more women (aside from the widows of 1 Corinthians 7:8-9) the right to decide for themselves whether or not to marry, even as he specifies he received no command from Jesus on the matter. (With no command from the Lord on the matter, Paul was free to act on his authority as an apostle, provided it did not contradict any teaching of Jesus).
In 1 Corinthians 7:32-35, Paul gives each person the right to decide for themselves whether to marry or remain single, providing the basis for Churches to choose for themselves whether to employ single or married people in various ministry positions, depending on the ministerial duties to be fulfilled.
In 1 Corinthians 7:36-38, Paul gives each father the right to decide for himself whether or not to give his daughter's hand in marriage (even if she was no longer a virgin). Paul also gives each person the right to determine of their own free will whether or not to remain unmarried.
And finally, in 1 Corinthians 7:39-40 Paul gives yet more women the right to decide for themselves whether or not to remarry after the death of a spouse, and concludes his teaching on marriage by saying, "and also I think I have the Spirit of God."
In an example of what many people may consider an exercise in "radical social change," or a grand experiment in "social engineering," (as well as "a decisive victory in the culture wars"), the Apostle Paul provides each Christian (whether male or female, single or divorced, heterosexual or non-heterosexual) an unprecedented use of their own individual conscience on matters pertaining to marriage, by taking the decision out of the hands of religious leaders, and placing it where it rightfully belongs: under the Authority of the Believer!
But the [Holy] Spirit distinctly and expressly declares that in latter times some will turn away from the faith, giving attention to deluding and seducing spirits and doctrines that demons teach,
Through the hypocrisy and pretensions of liars whose consciences are seared (cauterized),
Who forbid people to marry... 1 Timothy 4:1-3
In conclusion, we see Scripture permits each Christian to exercise their God given individual conscience and choose to not support single gender marriage based on Jesus teaching "let him who can accept this accept it" in Matthew 19:11-12. Clearly, in cases where a Christian is not aware of Jesus' teaching in Matthew 19, or the Apostle Paul's teaching in 1 Corinthians 7, it is not reasonable to expect them to accept single gender marriage without first studying these teachings for themselves.
Further, we see Scripture cautions against each Christian from outright forbidding people to enter into single gender marriage based on the Holy Spirit's warning in 1 Timothy 4:1-3, which declares such a position as a doctrine that demons teach, and is indicative of a person bearing the name of Christian as having "fallen away from the faith."
Finally, we see indeed single gender marriage is not a sin, based on the Apostle Paul's ordination of it in 1 Corinthians 7:8-9.
To summarize even more concisely:
- Scripture shows it is permissible for Christians to not support single gender marriage. (Matthew 19:11-12)
- Scripture shows it is not permissible for Christians to forbid single gender marriage. (1 Timothy 4:1-3)
- Scripture shows Christians that single gender marriage is not a sin. (1 Corinthians 7:8-9)
That shows Scripture giving each Christian plenty of room to exercise their own conscience, come to their own conclusions, and make decisions on their own marriages, but while remaining in compliance with the civil laws governing marriages in the jurisdictions in which each Christian resides, and wherein individual congregations are located.
It's also important to note:
It's also important to note:
- While Jesus indeed exempts eunuchs from heterosexual marriage, He never forbids a eunuch to marry heterosexually if their conscience dictates, and if they are honest with their prospective opposite gender spouse in order to give them full use of their own conscience as well.
- While the Apostle Paul indeed ordains single gender marriage, he never commands eunuchs or widows to enter into single gender marriages, and likewise never forbids them to marry heterosexually if their conscience dictates, if they are honest with their prospective opposite gender spouse in order to give them full use of their own conscience as well.
- At no time do Jesus nor the Apostle Paul base their teachings about marriage on children, but only on companionship.
- At no time do Jesus nor Apostle Paul ever command any church to perform any wedding for any couple for any reason, while at the same time making it clear that their teachings on marriage itself are applicable to every congregation.
- Just because the Apostle Paul ordains single gender marriage, it is not a basis for civil marriage laws, because it only applies to Christians. That is not to say that this information cannot indeed be shared with Christian law makers as a means to inform their own conscience on the matter from a legal standpoint.
Now that we have examined the natural aspects of marriage, in the next Eunuch Faith post we will turn our attention to the supernatural aspects of marriage, especially in light of the eunuch prophecies in Isaiah 56, beginning with why the Holy Spirit declares in 1 Timothy 4:1-3 that forbidding people to marry is a doctrine demons teach, and why deluding and seducing spirits would use the issue to cause Christians to fall away from the faith. We will also consider why when Jesus spoke of the catching away of the Church He said,
"I tell you, in that night there will be two men in one bed; one will be taken and the other will be left." Luke 17:34
"I tell you, in that night there will be two men in one bed; one will be taken and the other will be left." Luke 17:34
View on Eunuch Flow Chart:
(Click to enlarge chart)
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