In the New Testament, Is There a Requirement That a Minister of the 5 Fold Ministry Must Marry a Virgin?
1) Direct answer
No verse in the New Testament states in so many words that a fivefold minister “must marry a virgin.” But the Bible does set a holy line: a minister must be the husband of one wife, blameless, and he is not to take a divorced woman. By the Scriptural pattern of the priesthood, the clean, safe order for a minister is to take a wife in her virginity.
2) Scriptural explanation
- The fivefold ministry: “He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers” (Ephesians 4:11).
- Ministerial qualifications: “A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife… ruling his own house well” (1 Timothy 3:2–5; Titus 1:6–9).
- Our Lord’s marriage line: “Whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery” (Luke 16:18; see also Matthew 5:32; 19:9).
- The holiness pattern (type) for those who handle holy things: “He shall take a wife in her virginity… A widow, or a divorced woman, or profane, or an harlot, these shall he not take” (Leviticus 21:13–14).
- The church as a virgin to Christ: “I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 5:25–27).
3) Simple clarifying logic
- Now notice, the New Testament lists the qualifications for ministers and binds them to one wife, a clean testimony, and a well-ordered home. The Lord also forbids marrying a divorced woman.
- The Old Testament shows God’s mind about those who minister in holy things: the priest was to take a wife in her virginity. While that verse is in the Law, it reveals God’s pattern of holiness, and the New Testament minister stands as an example to the flock and a bearer of the Word. You see, if Christ’s Bride is to be a chaste virgin to the Word, the minister who represents that Word should keep that same clean line in his own home.
- Therefore, while the New Testament doesn’t phrase it as a direct command, the revealed order is: a minister should marry a virgin, and he must not marry a divorced woman, and he must be the husband of one wife, ruling his house well.
4) Reinforcing statement
This isn’t legalism; it’s guarding the ministry’s purity. If a man is already married when God calls him, “as the Lord hath called every one, so let him walk” (1 Corinthians 7:17). But for those yet to marry, the Scriptural pattern is clear: keep the line clean—one wife, not divorced, and, by the holiness pattern, a virgin.
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 waters of separation
55-0606 §4
...I wish to read from the 5th chapter, a verse or two, and the 25th and 26th verses. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of the water by the word, "The washing of the water by the Word." The subject is: The Waters Of Separation. Going back into the Old Testament, where our brother just read the Scripture lesson tonight, to teach a little bit from the Word, the Lord willing. Now, tomorrow... The Old Testament:...
He swore by Himself
54-1212 §18
That's how I believe in divine healing so strongly, because that in the Old Testament, divine healing was then. And we have something much better. If the Old Testament produced divine healing under that little thing, and only thing the New Testament is is something way more, and far better, what has the New Testament got in divine healing? Oh, it's got much more, see. For, the New Testament is "better things," says Paul here in the Hebrews. The Old Testament produced... Oh, it was all right. Like if I'm walking out...
An Exposition Of The Seven Church Ages
CAB 2:E-27
If you want to get a beautiful picture of the lamp, read about it in Zechariah 4:1-6, "And the angel that talked with me came again, and waked me, as a man that is wakened out of his sleep. And said unto me, What seest thou? And I said, I have looked, and behold a candlestick all of gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, and his seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes to the seven lamps, which are upon the top thereof. And two olive trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon the left side ther...
An Exposition Of The Seven Church Ages
CAB 4:E-91
But in the New Testament it is not so. Our dying Lamb is the Son of God Who gave His blood a ransom for many. By faith we walk up and place our hands upon that Lamb--we see Him with the bloody wounds, the lacerated back, the cruel thorns tearing His brow--we feel His pain and hear Him cry, "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?" And what happened? The life that left that broken blood cell came back upon the repentant one. The life that was in Him came back upon us. We go back with no more desire to sin, and we...
I am the Resurrection and the Life
52-0810A §30
Someone said, not long ago, said, "Brother Branham, you're mistaken about that Man that talks to you." Said, "That was the Lord. I said, "It was an Angel." He said, "I am sent from the presence of God." He wasn't the Lord. He was an Angel. "Oh," said, "that's all mistaken." Said, "Brother Branham, God in old times, in the Bible, spoke," said, "there was Daniel and all of them. Yeah, they were--had Angels and so forth, like that, but not New Testament doctrine." And this man was a man, said, "We speak where the Bibl...