Why Did Christ Not Marry?

The Good News, February 1984

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I Peter 2:21 says, “Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps.” If Jesus were not teaching celibacy by His example, why didn’t He marry?

In Matthew 19:4-6, Jesus confirmed the sanctity of marriage in the eyes of God by quoting from the creation account (Gen. 1:27, 2:24). He further sanctified marriage in verses 8 and 9, by strictly teaching against divorce.

But Jesus had valid reasons for not marrying. The harsh physical circumstances surrounding His ministry, prophesied in Isaiah 53, would have prevented Him from being the parent and husband He would have wanted to be to set us an example. And Jesus knew He would die an early, agonizing death that would have left His young wife a widow.

It would have been easier for Jesus to go off, get married and live a “normal” life, forsaking His mission on earth. But His desire to do the will of His Father (Matt. 26:39) made Him willing to forsake physical marriage, a “good thing” (Prov. 18:22), for a better thing. And so He said:

“All cannot accept this saying, but only those to whom it has been given: for there are eunuchs who were born thus from their mother’s womb, and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven’s sake. He who is able to accept it, let him accept it” (Matt. 19:11-12).

Did God Allow Polygamy In Ancient Times?

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Though the Bible does show numerous examples of polygamy, there are is never an example of God condoning this type of relationships. From the beginning, marriage was designed as a union between one man and one woman. The first command of marriage is found in Genesis 2:24:

“Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.” The sanctity of marriage is protected by the Seventh Commandment (Exod. 20:14).

Notice that the scripture above says, his “wife” [singular]. God specifically forbade the kings to practice polygamy, saying, “Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away” (Deut. 17:17).

Still, the Old Testament gives many examples of kings marrying multiple wives; in rank defiance of God’s law, which resulted in punishment incurred for this sin. One specific example is that of King David, though he later repented of this sin and put away his wives and his concubines, except one (II Sam. 20:3). These women lived in widowhood for the rest of their days.

Looking to the NT, we find in I Timothy 3:2, that one of the qualifications for a minister is that he be the husband of one wife. A polygamist can’t even serve as a deacon in God’s Church (v. 12). Why is this point so important? Because your Bible states that the marriage relationship is a type of the relationship between Jesus Christ and the Church. He will marry only one Church:

“Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife [singular] hath made herself ready” (Rev. 19:7).

Christ will marry only one wife, and seeing the multiple examples of Biblical instruction, we can easily deduce that polygamy is a sin in God’s eyes. It was never condoned in Old Testament times, and it is not condoned today.