Was Saint Paul Married?
The Apostle Paul: Bachelor, Widower, or Divorcé? When we think of the Apostle Paul, we typically picture the ultimate bachelor of the Bible. He is the man who wrote, "It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman" (1 Corinthians 7:1) and expressed a wish that everyone could be single like him. For centuries, the church has viewed Paul as the model of celibacy—a man so consumed by his mission that he had no time or desire for family life. But is that the whole story? There is a compelling historical case to be made that Paul, the most influential theologian in history, may have actually been a married man. While the New Testament clearly depicts him as single during his missionary journeys, several clues suggest that this singleness was a result of loss, not lack of experience. To understand Paul’s marital status, we have to look at his life before the Damascus Road. He wasn't just a generic Jewish man; he was a rising star in the religious est...