Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

corpus-paul - paul's married status

corpus-paul AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Corpus-Paul

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: David Garland <David_Garland AT baylor.edu>
  • To: Corpus Paulinum <corpus-paul AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: paul's married status
  • Date: 25 Oct 00 14:18:49 -0500


Grady Snyder wrote
Show me that agamos in 1 Cor. 7:11 does not refer to a person who once was
married. Then show me that agamois in v. 8 is not the masculine counterpart
of cherais. Then show me that Paul did not ask the widowers and widows not
remain as he -- a widower.
Response:
The adjective agamos is certainly used in 7:11 to refer to a wife who has
separated from her husband; she is to remain de-married. In 7:34, it refers
to an unmarried woman distinguished from the parthenos (never married). But
in 7:32 it is used to refer to the unmarried man who is able to concentrate
on pleasing the lord. This reference cannot be limited only to the
previously married.

To be sure, agamos was employed for widower (LSJ 5),and reading 7:8 as
"widowers and widows" would fit the other directives in the chapter that
address both men and women (7:2, 3, 4, 10-11, 12-13, 16, 27-28, 33-34), but
expceptions appear in 7:36-38 and 39-40. It would also mean that in 7:2-16
Paul addresses those who are presently married or who have been married. The
Shepherd of Hermas (Mand. 4.4.1-4) addresses the question whether it is sin
for a Christian to remarry after death of a spouse. Possibly, Paul turns his
attention to this issue in 7:8-9.

While this view has much to commend it, agamos has a broad semantic range and
may also be used for "bachelors" (LSJ 5). Since Paul applies it to both males
and females, it probably refers to the general category of unmarried.
Why then are widows singled out? He does so again in 7:39-40. Perhaps he
regarded them especially useful to the church's ministry (cf. 1 Tim 5:3-16).
Perhaps, as Schrage thinks (1995: 94), there were more widows than widowers
and they faced more serious economic problems by remaning single.

All in all, this text does not seem to offer any conclusive evidence (see the
debated in the 20's between Fascher and Jeremias) about whether Paul had been
married or not.



David E. Garland
Professor of Christian Scriptures
George W. Truett Theological Seminary
Baylor University
PO Box 97126
Waco, TX 76798-7126
(254) 710-3755
fax: (254) 710-3753





  • paul's married status, David Garland, 10/25/2000

Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page