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.
The Mark of the Beast
54-0513 §51
Don't tell me, my Catholic friends! How you say you don't believe in but one marriage; the Catholic church speaks by one marriage. If you ain't got no money, that's all right. But let me tell you, right here in my own people: A young woman sitting right here, a mother sitting here, and a dad too; and another woman here with this little boy. The girl married a Protestant boy; they separated and went out. So then, the first thing you know, the girl was going to marry a Catholic boy; and she had to go out and pay a lo...
Proving His Word
64-0816 §75
Notice, He caused a virgin to conceive, to prove his Word. Isaiah 9:6, and we find out that, "Unto us a son is born, a child is given." Now, we find out that He had said that a virgin should conceive. And God caused a virgin to conceive what? To prove his Word. Now listen just a few minutes, we'll be closing. He caused a virgin to conceive, to prove his Word. That was absolutely... It stumped all scientists. [Gap in the audio] ... to go.
Ministry explained
50-0711 §11
At the woman at the well, when Jesus was speaking with her, He said, "Go, get your husband." She said, "I have none." Said, "You've said right, for you had five, and the one you have now is not your husband." She said, "I perceive that You're a prophet. And we know Messiah cometh, and so forth." And she went into the city and told the men of the city, "Come, see a man Who told me the--the everything that I did. Is not this the very Christ?"
The Spoken Word is the original seed
62-0318 §240
Did Christ belong to a denomination? Did Jehovah? Neither does His bride! She's part of Him. She needs no dogma; she won't have any. She will be absolutely virgin. How?---by the Word. Amen. She will punctuate every word God says with an "Amen. Amen. Oh, 'be it unto me according to thy Word.' Amen." Oh, my! There you are. Punctuate God's Word. Have a virgin womb. What will she come out of?---a virgin womb, the Word. What did Jesus come out of?---a virgin womb, see.
The conflict between God and Satan
62-0531 §73
Fire is the confirmation of the light coming from the Word. They will fill... The smart virgin, the wise virgin, had oil in her lamp, and she trimmed her lamp and lit it. Now what is it? Now God is the Word, the oil is the Spirit, and the fire is the gospel light on that oil. God said so, see. That's the vessel. All right. The oil is in the vessel, and the fire burning it shows that it's reflecting the light of what the Word said, see. That's the reflection. Now, that wise virgin could do that; but that other, fool...