We cannot be absolutely sure that Paul never married, but at the time of his writing the different epistles, it seems highly unlikely that he was married. Let’s read 1 Corinthians 7:7-8, “For I would that all men were even as I myself. But every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner, and another after that. I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I.” Paul is speaking in this chapter about marriage and divorce. He is obviously not married here for he says in verse 7, “I would that all men were even as I myself.” In verse 8, he addresses the unmarried and widows, encouraging them to be single like he was.

Paul was certainly not anti-marriage for he writes in 1 Corinthians 7:26-28, “I suppose therefore that this is good for the PRESENT DISTRESS, I say, that it is good for a man so to be. Art thou bound unto a wife? seek not to be loosed. Art thou loosed from a wife? seek not a wife. But and if thou marry, thou hast not sinned; and if a virgin marry, she hath not sinned. Nevertheless such shall have trouble in the flesh: but I spare you.” The ‘present distress’ Paul mentioned was in reference to the frequency of persecution going on at that time of the church’s development.

Some have said that Paul must have been married at one time because he was a member of the Sanhedrin, who were the supreme council and tribunal of the Jews. There are two problems with this view.

*   There is nothing in the Bible or in historical records to indicate a member of the Sanhedrin were required to be married.

*   There is nothing in the Bible to indicate that Paul was a member of the Sanhedrin.

Paul had the right to have a wife as he stated in 1 Corinthians 9:5, “Have we not power to lead about a sister, a wife, as well as other apostles, and as the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas?” He had the right to marry, but we do not read anything in the Bible to indicate that he ever married. (307.2)