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Continuing our discuss from part three, the point I wish to make by sharing all of the previous Scriptures, is that when the Lord spoke of men becoming eunuchs for the sake of the Kingdom of God, I tend to believe that He may primarily have been referring to men who chose to forsake sexual pleasures with women, and thus marriage, BEFORE they actually became joined to a wife, and NOT afterwards. There is obviously a big difference in timing here, and this understanding seems to be more in line with the rest of the Scriptures, and does not contradict them. Now whether Jesus was actually referring to a man physically becoming a eunuch through the process of castration, or whether the Lord was merely implying spiritual castration -- or celibacy -- through abstention from a sexual relationship with a woman, I honestly cannot say.

Thayer's Greek English Lexicon states that the Koine Greek word used here -- "eunouchos" -- can apply to both. As both Jesus and the Apostle Paul tell us, the primary reason why certain men choose to become eunuchs -- or celibates -- is so that they won't become distracted by their sexual desire towards women, which might ultimately result in marriage, and lead to the responsibility of raising children, etc. In this way -- that is, by remaining single -- they are better able to dedicate themselves to the Lord's service with a lot fewer worldly distractions. In Paul's first Epistle to the Corinthians, he makes this point quite clear when he writes the following. Please notice Paul's reference to "trouble in the flesh" and "without distraction":

"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 . . . But I would have you without carefulness. He that is unmarried careth for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord: But he that is married careth for the things that are of the world, how he may please his wife. There is difference also between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit: but she that is married careth for the things of the world, how she may please her husband. And this I speak for your own profit; not that I may cast a snare upon you, but for that which is comely, and that ye may attend upon the Lord without distraction."


In short, it can be difficult to seek first the Kingdom of God -- as the Lord commanded us to do in the Sermon on the Mount -- when we have family responsibilities which take up our time and our attention, and which drain us of much of our strength. This, of course, includes sexually satisfying our spouse, as well as our own flesh. In this regard, I suppose that I can be considered a spiritual eunuch, being as since about three decades ago, I too determined that I could no longer afford to have a sexual relationship in my life. In fact, except for one very brief relationship -- which ultimately proved to be a serious mistake on my part -- I have refrained from having any personal relationship with a woman since 1992. I have remained a total celibate.

In my mind, time is too short, and I still have a lot which I would like to accomplish for the Lord before I am taken out of this life. I am no longer a spring chicken, and I am probably living the final quarter of my life. As such, every day counts, and so I strive to keep His Word, and His Work, as the primary focus in my life. Regarding the brevity of our human existence, I am reminded of the following verses:

"Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest."


"The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away."


"Man is like to vanity: his days are as a shadow that passeth away."


"The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the LORD bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever."


"But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?"


"Then Jesus said unto them, My time is not yet come: but your time is alway ready."


"Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away."


"Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you."


In a sense, as I told a dear friend some time ago, you might say that I have also taken the vow of a Nazarite since this online ministry began. The Apostle Paul may have had the vow of a Nazarite in mind when he wrote the previous lines, the reason being that this vow can apply to both men and women who dedicate themselves solely to the Lord's service. For a better understanding regarding what the vow of a Nazarite is, please consider reading Numbers chapter six in the Old Testament.

While some of you may be a bit surprised to discover this particular aspect regarding my personal life, the decision to keep myself from women for the remainder of my life is nevertheless a disciplinary choice which I have freely made in order to further the Kingdom of God. Of course, celibacy is definitely not for all men, and not all men can exercise such self-control. The Apostles Peter and Paul both spoke of this self-control of one's emotions and sexual drive -- or libido -- in the following verses. Here it is referred to as "temperance":

"And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible."


"For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre; But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate;"


"And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;"


In the previous group of verses, the words "temperate" and "temperance" are derived from three related Koine Greek words. The first of these is the word "egkrateuomai". Pronounced eng-krat-yoo'-om-ahee, Thayer's Greek English Lexicon defines this word as follows:

----- Begin Quote -----

1) to be self-controlled, continent
  1a) to exhibit self-government, conduct, one's self temperately
  1b) in a figure drawn from athletes, who in preparing themselves for the games abstained from unwholesome food, wine, and sexual indulgence

----- End Quote -----

The second word used in the Koine Greek manuscripts, is the word "egkrates". Pronounced eng-krat-ace', its meaning is very similar to the previous word. Notice again the mention of sexual continence:

----- Begin Quote -----

1) strong, robust
2) having power over, possessed of (a thing)
3) mastering, controlling, curbing, restraining
  3a) controlling one's self, temperate, continent

----- End Quote -----

The final word used in the original Koine Greek texts, is the word "egkrateia". Pronounced eng-krat'-i-ah, we again see that this word refers to the control of one's emotions, particularly one's sensual -- or sexual -- passions and appetite:

----- Begin Quote -----

1) self-control (the virtue of one who masters his desires and passions, esp. his sensual appetites)

----- End Quote -----

It is interesting to note Paul's reference to sports in the previous verse taken from his letter to the Corinthians. In particular, with Paul's use of the phrase "every man that striveth for the mastery", he is referring to how athletes must abstain from sex and unhealthy foods in order to build up their physical strength, and thus win the race, which Paul refers to as "a corruptible crown". In the two verses which follow 1 Corinthians 9:25, Paul then informs us how he too is running a spiritual race; and as such, he must also exercise bodily and emotional control, in order that he might win the race, and obtain the incorruptible Crown of Life, and not be ashamed. Consider these verses:

"I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway."


The Apostle Paul apparently made the very same decision to become a eunuch, if not physically, at least in a spiritual sense. That is to say, he chose celibacy. In addition to the aforementioned verses, in his in-depth dissertation regarding marriage and sexual relationships -- which is found only two chapters before the previous verses -- Paul also penned the following lines:

"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. But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn."


It is obvious that these three chapters -- 1 Corinthians 7-9 -- are one continual thought in which Paul expounds upon the correct sexual behavior which should exist in the Christian family, and within the Christian Church as well. In fact, it is because of the serious sexual problem which occurred at Corinth -- which Paul discusses in chapter five -- that he was motivated to write this Epistle to begin with.

From reading the previous verses, it becomes rather apparent that the Apostle Paul is saying that he wasn't a married man. Now whether he was a widower or a single person since birth, I honestly cannot say. However, from the time that Paul began to serve the Lord, it is evident that he was a self-imposed eunuch, or celibate. Surely this made his work for the Lord easier as he travelled throughout Asia and southern Europe.

Let me mention here that there are some misguided folks today who have interpreted Paul's marital status -- and a few other things which he wrote in his Epistles -- as meaning that he was a woman-hater. This is the furthest thing from the truth; and personally, I find such an accusation quite ludicrous. In this chapter, as well as in all of his other writings, Paul speaks with equal respect towards both men and women. However, at the same time, he does make it clear that ultimately, God has placed the man over the woman with regards to spiritual matters and decision-making. The husband is the head of the family, just as Christ is the head of the Church. Consider the following group of verses which make this point clear:

"But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God . . . For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man. Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man."


Sadly, some religious organizations today, such as certain Catholic institutions, have gone to the extreme with taking the vow of a eunuch. That is to say, a vow of chastity. They have placed their clerics under the heavy weight of the law, just like the Jewish Scribes and Pharisees of old, and it has resulted in some very serious problems within the Catholic Church. This includes well-known and well-documented cases of homosexuality, lesbianism, and pedophilia. The Apostle Paul apparently foresaw these times, because in his first Epistle to Timothy, he wrote the following lines. Notice his explicit mention of "forbidding to marry":

"Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth."


Allow me to point out to you that Paul is writing to the Christian brethren in Rome. Thus, when he talks about some departing from the faith, he is referring to those people who depart from the Christian faith, yet who still claim to be a part of the same. With that in mind, it is obvious that he is associating "forbidding to marry" with "departing from the faith", "seducing spirits" and "doctrines of devils". In short, Paul is saying that the doctrines of "forbidding to marry", and "abstaining from meats", is not of God. They are false doctrines inspired by Satan himself.

Surely, these verses expose some of the wayward ideas which are espoused by Roman Catholic theology, and a false church which erroneously claims to be the "mother church", and the "one true religion", as I am often told by Roman Catholics. Please refer to some of the articles which are listed at the end of this series for additional information concerning the lies and deceptions of the Roman Catholic Church.

I believe that part of the problem is that some of these men and women who decide to become priests, monks, nuns and the like, do so at an early age before they have really thought out their decision thoroughly through prayer and a study of God's Word. Perhaps some of them even feel forced to make such a decision due to the pressure and expectations placed upon them by their families, or by other people within the Catholic world, such as their spiritual elders. Instead of counting the cost, as Jesus advises us to do in Luke chapter fourteen, they make a hasty decision to accept a vow which they later realize they are no longer able to keep.

Sadly, by then, for some of them it is too late. They are already trapped within the Roman Catholic system. So rather than break their vow of chastity so that they can fulfill the sexual desires of their bodies through a wholesome and legitimate relationship with a person of the opposite sex, they choose instead to not risk disappointing their family and peers, and embarrassing themselves as well. But because their bodies still have those same sexual desires which need to be met, they begin to secretly engage in unhealthy sexual practices, as has been amply exposed by the mainstream media in recent years.

As you may know, the Apostle Paul said that it is better to marry than to burn -- 1 Corinthians 7:9 -- which I understand to be a metaphor for burning with unfulfilled sexual desire. Yet ironically, just as Paul exposed the sexual sins of Rome in the first chapter of his Epistle to the Romans, today, the Roman Catholic Church -- which is based in the Vatican in the city of Rome -- is plagued by the very same sins. Consider the following two verses which clearly describe the sins of Rome, the Roman Catholic Church, and our modern, liberal world:

"For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet."


Allow me to reiterate the fact that making the important decision to become a eunuch for the sake of the Kingdom of God, BEFORE one enters a marriage relationship, seems to be what is being implied by our Lord's Words, as well as by the Apostle Paul. Once a certain person has entered a marriage relationship, and as long as they remain in that state, it does not seem Scripturally-sound to me to suddenly declare oneself a eunuch, and forego all sexual pleasure with his or her spouse. Again, the Apostle Paul was very clear regarding this matter when he wrote the following wise counsel:

"Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman. Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband. Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband. The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife. Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency."


What exactly is the Apostle Paul referring to when he writes "render . . . due benevolence", and "defraud ye not"? Quite simply, it is my understanding that he is referring to being kind to each other by meeting each other's sexual needs, and not denying each other what is one's sexual right through the bond of marriage. That is the gist of these five verses. Paul is saying that rather than burn with sexual lust, and become involved in fornication, it is better to marry. Once two people are married, they should do their best to meet each other's sexual expectations unselfishly.

Paul goes on to say that the only time when a man and a wife should withhold themselves from each other, is when it is by mutual consent. Even then, it should only be for a very good reason, and for a set time period; such as to give oneself to prayer and fasting. I will expand on this thought a bit, and suggest that such sexual abstention may also include when a woman is undergoing her menstruation; or perhaps when both parties are extremely busy for the Lord; or perhaps when one party is very sick; or maybe when your spouse is extremely tired. To refrain from intercourse at such times is an act of unselfish love, in my view.

However, when your partner is constantly saying "Oh, honey, not tonight. I'm too tired", watch out! Paul clearly writes that there must be a time when a married couple re-engages in sexual union at a mutually-agreed-upon time. Otherwise, you are asking for trouble! A married person can only go so long without sex. They become used to having it; and if you refuse to meet their needs because of your own selfishness, then as the Apostle Paul writes above, Satan will come along and tempt them to look for someone else who may be more than happy to meet their sexual needs. More specifically, Paul says "that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency."

Sadly, I have heard of this happening in many relationships, including in Christian relationships. So, if you do not want to lose your husband or wife to another man, or to another woman, you better be wise and do as the Lord commands you to do, by keeping your spouse sexually satisfied! If you happen to find yourself in that kind of a situation, you will have no one to blame but yourself! What your spouse is doing is obviously wrong, but it could have been avoided if you had been more cooperative in the bedroom!

This leads us to our next point. In his letter to me, my friend stated that in trying to justify his decision to have a vasectomy, the only thing in the Scriptures which he could think of which might validate his choice, was where we are told in his words "that if a man can go without a wife, then it is good to do so". Being as he was unable to provide me with a Scriptural reference, I can only assume that he may be referring to some of the verses I shared with you earlier. If that is the case, then it is obvious to me that he has misunderstood what the Apostle means. In this same chapter, Paul also writes the following:

"Art thou bound unto a wife? seek not to be loosed. Art thou loosed from a wife? seek not a wife."


In other words, what the Apostle Paul is saying is that in whatever state you happen to find yourself, whether you are married, or divorced -- that is to say, "loosed from a wife" -- remain in that state, and serve the Lord to the best of your ability. Although he wasn't specifically referring to his marital status, in his Epistle to the Philippians, Paul also offers a similar statement which demonstrates that we must accept all things as coming from the Lord, and to be happy in whatever state we find ourselves. In that letter he wrote as follows:

"Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content."


As we have now seen, once a person is married, they have an obligation before the Lord to meet their partner's sexual needs. When Paul talks about going without a wife -- as my friend put it -- he's NOT talking about getting married, and then not fulfilling one's sexual obligations. Furthermore, there is no indication that Paul is talking about getting castrated -- or having a vasectomy performed upon oneself -- after they are already married.

In other words, Paul is talking about NOT getting married to begin with. He is talking about becoming a eunuch for the Kingdom of God -- as he apparently was -- and never marrying to begin with. He is NOT talking about getting married, and then resorting to divorce, sexual abstention, or an operation to make one sterile, in order to back out of responsibilities to which one has already committed oneself through marriage. Now, it is possible that my friend might be a little confused by the following verses:

"But this I say, brethren, the time is short: it remaineth, that both they that have wives be as though they had none; And they that weep, as though they wept not; and they that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not; and they that buy, as though they possessed not; And they that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passeth away."


As we saw earlier in this series, it is right after these verses, that Paul informs his readers that being married can serve as a distraction from doing the Lord's Work. Why so? Because when one is married, he or she must also attend to the needs of their spouse. Let me share those verses with you again:

". . . Nevertheless such shall have trouble in the flesh: but I spare you . . . But I would have you without carefulness. He that is unmarried careth for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord: But he that is married careth for the things that are of the world, how he may please his wife."


Taken in their proper context then, what Paul really appears to be saying in 1 Corinthians 7:29-31 above, is that because they believed that the day of the Lord's Return was soon at hand, he was admonishing the brethren to remain busy in the Lord's service, realizing that their marital status, -- and their earthly status in general -- would soon change. In other words, he was telling them to keep their priorities straight. Regardless of their personal status, and their status in the world, remain focused on doing the Lord's Work.

So again, for the sake of emphasis, let me reiterate that for a man to go without a wife does not mean that a man gets married, and then abstains from sex with his wife. It means that he goes without a wife by never getting married to begin with. To do otherwise would go against everything we have thus seen regarding "they twain shall become one flesh".

Please go to part five for the conclusion of this series.

⇒ Go To The Next Part . . .

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