If a Minister of the 5 Fold Ministry Can Marry a Widow, the Widow Is Not a Virgin, So Is That Not Breaking the Rule?
1) Direct Answer
No. A minister may marry a widow, and that does not break any New Testament rule.
2) Scriptural Explanation
- The Bible says a widow is free to remarry: “She is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 7:39; see also Romans 7:2–3). Death ends the first covenant; she is loosed.
- The qualifications for ministers are clear: “husband of one wife,” blameless, temperate, etc. (1 Timothy 3:1–2; Titus 1:6). It does not say, “must marry a virgin.”
- Under the Law, only the high priest was required to marry a virgin (Leviticus 21:13–14). Ordinary priests were not forbidden to marry a widow. And we are not under the Levitical requirement; Christ is our High Priest (Hebrews 7).
- Paul even instructs that younger widows should marry (1 Timothy 5:14). If widows are to marry “in the Lord,” we have no Bible right to forbid a godly minister from being that husband.
3) Simple Clarifying Logic
- Virginity is not a New Testament qualification for a minister’s wife. Faithfulness and “only in the Lord” are the requirements.
- A widow is not an adulteress; her previous bond is ended by death. So marrying her does not make the minister a breaker of Scripture.
- Now notice: Where does the New Testament say a minister must marry a virgin? It doesn’t. But it does say a widow may remarry in the Lord.
4) Reinforcing Statement
It’s not three rules and traditions—it’s the Word. A widow who is in Christ is free to marry, and a true minister who is “the husband of one wife” may lawfully marry her without violating Scripture. The only clear prohibition is marrying a divorced woman while her first husband lives (Luke 16:18), not marrying a widow.
To get the full context and background as well as proper understanding, you MUST read the following answers also:
https://truebibleteachingsai.org/answers/in-the-new-testament-is-there-a-requirement-that-a-minister-of-the-5-f-11636dc
https://truebibleteachingsai.org/answers/in-the-new-testament-is-there-a-requirement-that-a-minister-of-the-5-f-a71db34
https://truebibleteachingsai.org/answers/if-a-minister-should-marry-a-virgin-then-what-was-the-blood-of-jesus-s-1d59d71
https://truebibleteachingsai.org/answers/if-a-minister-of-the-5-fold-ministry-can-marry-a-widow-the-widow-is-no-e5ccd10
https://truebibleteachingsai.org/answers/is-it-true-that-the-widow-of-a-minister-can-only-remarry-a-minister-9af3c0d
https://truebibleteachingsai.org/answers/in-one-of-your-replies-you-said-a-minister-should-marry-a-virgin-in-an-bdc33ea
Ask a Follow-up Question
What did the Laodicean Church Age (our age) Angel (- messenger) Say about this?
Ranked passages from the local William Branham sermon and Church Age Book database. Relevance is relative, not a statement of doctrinal certainty.
Investments
63-1116B §100
Now you might be a fine, loyal member of a church. And that, oh, how I appreciate that, certainly. You just continue right on in your church. That's right. Because, the sleeping virgins is coming up now, you see that. And remember, Jesus said, when the sleeping virgin ... the one that tried to live a good life within theirself, they was a virgin, but they didn't have any oil. Oil symbolizes the Spirit. That's why we anoint in oil. The oil symbolizes the Spirit. They were good people, fine people, members of fine Me...
Church Ages, part 9: The ten virgins, and the 144,000
60-1211M §116
Oh, don't you see that's why Paul said a woman should never preach the gospel? She was in the... She was the one that was deceived. "I suffer not a woman to teach, or to usurp any authority, but to be in silence," see. For Adam was first formed, and then Eve; and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived, and being in the transgression. Said notwithstanding, now, she's not lost. She shall be saved in childbearing if she's got a husband, and so forth; she continues on in faith and sobriety, and all holiness...
The ministry of Christ
53-0607A §28
Now notice! I can see Mary coming home with a (was an oriental type) with water on her head, coming from the virgin springs, going up along the street, going on the street. She cut up through the alleyway, maybe where she lived, maybe a little shack over on the side. Very poor, living with her widowed mother. And on the road up on this Monday (wash day), she was walking along, but she was a virgin. No matter how mean the city was, she was a virgin; she trusted God. And all of a sudden a great light appears before h...
From that time
60-0302 §33
..., she believed in God. But one day on her way to the well to get some water, she met God; and from that time, the world has hailed her, "Blessed art thou among women." Why? Not because she was a virgin. Thousands of virgins, millions. We still have virgins, but we could only have one Mary. She could point her finger from that time, from that time! from that trip to the well. O God, take us tonight to the wells of water. If you're here, not a believer, that we can say, "From that time at Madison Square Garden in Pho...
Questions and Answers, Part 2
64-0823E §100
And of... And little lady, if you promised to marry that boy, you're obligated to do it. If you marry another after that obligation, you will---from now on anyhow---you'll be living in adultery. And notice, the same thing to a boy promising to marry a woman... Don't you make your vow to anybody 'less you mean to stick with it. Remember, there's the Bible for it. Joseph promised to marry Mary. And God said that that was... Read the Old Testament laws on that. See? The Old Testament law, if you promised to marry a wo...