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.
Church Ages, part 2: The Patmos Vision
60-1204E §3
Now there's another question here that was given me last evening: "Brother Branham, are the five foolish virgins of Matthew 25 counted as the Gentile remnant? I understand that the five foolish virgins were saved, but have to go through the great tribulation period. Is this correct? If so, what will be their final destination? Could they be the sheep which are divided from the goats in Matthew 25:2 ? Pretty good theologian, according to what... I think it too, that they are the remnant. The sleeping virgin is the r...
Marriage and Divorce
65-0221M §75
Now, let us, in view of these vindicated truths of God, search a little further, if you want to. All right. Now, this may hurt just a little bit till we get down to the bottom of it. I'm just going to show you the truth of it. There is no minister that can marry a widow. Did you know that? You want to read that? All right, you get in Leviticus 21:7 and Ezekiel 44:22 and it will show you that the priesthood was not to marry a woman that's been touched by man. This type is of the virgin bride of Jesus Christ, because...
Handwriting on the wall
58-0618 §3
...to meet Him. And five were still virgins, but were foolish virgins that didn't keep oil in their lamps. And though they were virgins, just the same as the others, they were not permitted to the wedding supper. So far be it from any people here tonight to be included, so they would be excluded from the presence of the Lord ... included in that group of the virgins with no oil in their lamps. Billy keeps telling me that many people are asking him about prayer cards, to be praying for the sick. Why, I suppose in each...
India trip report
57-0126B §19
...he said, "Now, what could your Jesus do for me any more than he?" "Why," he said, "our Jesus raised from the dead, and your prophet is in the grave." He said, "That's the difference." "Why," he said, "did He raise from the grave?" He said, "I'd like to see you prove it." "Oh," he said, "Why, the tomb's empty." Said, "Oh, in India, we got thousands of those." Which they have. That's right, they claim. Virgin births? Oh, my, my. You could stack piles of literature that high on virgin births and so forth. And there i...
Marriage and Divorce
65-0221M §85
Notice, he can put away His wife any time He wants to, but she can't put Him away. He can make me---He can throw me in the dust any time He takes a notion to, but oh, brother, I better not try to throw Him there; I'm finished. Solomon could marry any woman that wasn't married. He could marry any woman he wanted to. A priest could marry only a woman that was a virgin. Solomon, like David, he married... What was her name? Abigail, which was... A man called a fool, he had a nice wife, and he died. And Abigail was marr...