{"id":13343,"date":"2017-09-13T18:15:57","date_gmt":"2017-09-13T22:15:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/?p=13343"},"modified":"2020-09-09T11:08:05","modified_gmt":"2020-09-09T15:08:05","slug":"forbidding-marriage-consecrated-virginity-catholic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/2017\/09\/forbidding-marriage-consecrated-virginity-catholic.html","title":{"rendered":"Forbidding Marriage? Consecrated Virginity & the Catholic “Both \/ And”"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>
\n

\"FrancisJesus\"<\/p>\n

1 Timothy 4:1-4<\/strong> (RSV) Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by giving heed to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, [2] through the pretensions of liars whose consciences are seared, [3] who forbid marriage and enjoin abstinence from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. [4] For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The Catholic Church doesn\u2019t \u201cforbid marriage\u201d for anyone called by God to it, but is simply recognizing those who are already called by God to celibacy<\/em> (1 Corinthians 7) as the class of people it wants for priests<\/em>, because of their \u201cundivided devotion to the Lord,\u201d as Paul states (1 Cor 7:32-35).<\/p>\n

To play in the NBA one usually has to be at least 6 feet tall. That\u2019s not the NBA \u201cforbidding\u201d people to be short. It\u2019s simply what is required to play in the NBA. To be in the military one has to be healthy, etc.<\/p>\n

1 Corinthians 7:7-8, 17, 24, 38<\/strong> I wish that all were as I myself am. But each has his own special gift from God, one of one kind and one of another. [8] To the unmarried and the widows I say that it is well for them to remain single as I do. . . . [17] Only, let every one lead the life which the Lord has assigned to him, and in which God has called him. This is my rule in all the churches. . . . [24] So, brethren, in whatever state each was called, there let him remain with God. . . . [38] So that he who marries his betrothed does well; and he who refrains from marriage will do better.<\/p>\n

Matthew 19:11-12<\/strong> . . . Not all men can receive this saying, but only those to whom it is given. [12] For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. He who is able to receive this, let him receive it.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The 1 Timothy 4 passage refers to the Gnostics and other similar groups, who forbade marriage as evil because they thought that all matter<\/em> (including sexuality in marriage) was evil<\/em>. Paul notes that food and marriage are \u201cgood\u201d (1 Tim 4:4) because they were created by God. Catholics teach that marriage is a sacrament, and therefore gives grace.<\/p>\n

This is not just \u201cCatholic\u201d interpretation of these verses. The Protestant Eerdmans Bible Commentary<\/em>\u00a0(aka New Bible Commentary<\/a><\/em>) concurs, referring to \u201cGnostic and dualistic views that matter is evil and not created by God\u201d (p. 1173) . Gordon D. Fee <\/a>(p. 99) states that \u201cIn Corinth this kind of view about the End was apparently linked to Hellenistic dualism, which believed matter to be corrupt, or evil, and only spirit to be good.\u201d John R. W. Stott <\/a>(pp. 112-113) observes:<\/p>\n

[S]ome teachers . . . have argued that sex and hunger are themselves unclean appetites, that the body itself is a nasty encumbrance (if not actually evil) . . . this Jewish aberration [he had cited the Essenes] came to be mingled with the dualism of Greek philosophy, and especially with incipient Gnosticism, which regarded matter as evil and despised the material creation. . . . we do not forget that according to Jesus and Paul some people are called to remain single . . . but these are special cases. The point is that celibacy and vegetarianism are not God\u2019s general will for everybody . . .<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

A\u00edda Besan\u00e7on Spencer<\/a> (pp. 105-106) mentions the Essenes, the cult of Artemis, the Gnostics, and the Montanists as examples of what St. Paul was condemning in 1 Timothy 4. N. T. Wright<\/a> (p. 44) notes that \u201cPaul could see that some would end up saying that sex itself is simply bad, so that ideally all people should be celibate.\u201d\u00a0R. Kent Hughes and\u00a0Bryan Chapell <\/a>(p. 107) refer in this context to the Essenes, and state that \u201cthe Greek culture of Ephesus had the seeds of second-century, gnostic dualism that regarded the human body and its functions as evil and taught that the godly must live above the physical.\u201d<\/p>\n

Thus, we see what Paul very likely had in mind, according to the seeming consensus of Protestant New Testament commentary. It was not<\/em> the Catholic requirement for its priests (in the Latin rite) to be celibate, for the purpose of more focused concentration on serving God and their flocks (his teaching in 1 Corinthians 7), because consecrated virginity is not the same as the false notion that sex itself, or matter, are evil.<\/p>\n

This is a classic instance of how the Catholic Church takes all<\/em>\u00a0of Scripture seriously; it doesn\u2019t neglect certain portions because they may happen to be difficult, unpopular, or unfashionable. Consecrated virginity or celibacy is expressly sanctioned by Jesus (Matthew 19) and Paul (1 Corinthians 7). All of the disciples, most or all of the early apostles and Jesus Himself were celibate (Peter apparently agreed with his wife to live a celibate life), and we are commanded to imitate Jesus and Paul.<\/p>\n

So why is it a controversy at all? We are simply applying those parts of Scripture, and celebrating a consecrated, sacrificial life, just like the one that St. Paul, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and many others lived. Why is that frowned upon? We get attacked for upholding celibacy and we get attacked for advocating sacramental, indissoluble marriage and having many children. We like married couples having lots of children, yet we get attacked for supposedly being \u201canti-sex.\u201d When criticisms are irrational and self-contradictory to this ludicrous extent, one knows that something is awry in the accusers<\/em>, not the accused.<\/p>\n

The fact is that our outlook is precisely, comprehensively biblical<\/em>: marriage is a sacrament and a celibate priesthood is also<\/em>\u00a0a sacrament (the characteristically biblical and Catholic \u201cboth \/ and\u201d outlook). We don\u2019t have to get legalistic and puritanical and be unbalanced; we rejoice in the pleasures of life, including physical pleasures, within proper moral boundaries. But we also embrace those who want to fully devote themselves to God by remaining unmarried, by vocation.<\/p>\n

The fact that some give up good things in order to serve the Lord more wholeheartedly (1 Corinthians 7:32-35) does not mean that the good things cease<\/em>\u00a0to be good things<\/em> (either in fact or in Catholic opinion). We\u2019re not saying that priests, monks, and nuns are giving up a \u201cbad thing.\u201d They are good<\/em>; that\u2019s what it means to \u201csacrifice\u201d in the first place! This comes straight from explicit teaching in St. Paul and also our Lord. It is really Spirituality 0101 or Bible 0101, yet for some odd reason so many Christians fail to grasp these elementary matters.<\/p>\n

Why is there any controversy at all about it? Clearly, fads, fashions, and traditions of men have gotten mixed in with the plain revelation that is there for all to see. All Catholics are\u00a0doing is abiding by the biblical (and particularly, the Pauline) model.<\/p>\n

Photo credit:\u00a0<\/strong>Saint Francis embracing Christ on the Cross <\/i>(c. 1669), by\u00a0Bartolom\u00e9 Esteban Murillo\u00a0(1617-1682)<\/span> [public domain \/ Wikimedia Commons<\/a>]<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

1 Timothy 4:1-4 (RSV) Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by giving heed to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, [2] through the pretensions of liars whose consciences are seared, [3] who forbid marriage and enjoin abstinence from foods which God created to be received with […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2331,"featured_media":13346,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[131,123],"tags":[4328,593,1778,4327,4325,1379,4326,4335,4336,596,377,1777,2544,1384],"class_list":["post-13343","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-church-ecclesiology","category-sexuality-and-gender-issues","tag-callings-from-god","tag-catholic-priests","tag-celibacy-of-priests","tag-chastity","tag-clerical-celibacy","tag-consecrated-virginity","tag-evangelical-counsels","tag-forbidding-marriage","tag-gnosticism","tag-ordination","tag-priesthood","tag-priestly-celibacy","tag-sacrament-of-matrimony","tag-virginity"],"yoast_head":"\nForbidding Marriage? 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Formerly a campus missionary, as a Protestant, Dave was received into the Catholic Church in February 1991, by the late, well-known catechist and theologian, Fr. John A. Hardon, S. J. Dave\u2019s articles have appeared in many influential Catholic periodicals, including \"This Rock\" (now called \"Catholic Answers Magazine\"), \"Envoy Magazine\" (Patrick Madrid), \"The Catholic Answer,\" \"The Coming Home Journal,\" \"Gilbert Magazine\" (American Chesterton Society), and \"The Latin Mass.\" He also writes a featured column for every issue of \"The Michigan Catholic\": published by the archdiocese of Detroit, and was editor for most of the apologetics tracts published by the St. Paul Street Evangelization apostolate. Dave\u2019s apologetics and writing apostolate was the subject of a feature article in the May 2002 issue of \"Envoy Magazine.\" He served as the staff moderator at the Internet discussion forum for The Coming Home Network, from 2007-2010. Dave has been interviewed on many nationally syndicated Catholic radio shows, including \"Catholic Answers Live\" (twice), \"Faith and Family Live\" (Steve Wood), \"Kresta in the Afternoon,\" \"Son Rise Morning Show,\" \"Catholic Connection\" (Teresa Tomeo), and \"The Catholics Next Door.\" His large and popular website, \"Biblical Evidence for Catholicism,\" was online from March 1997 to March 2007, and received the 1998 Catholic Website of the Year award from \"Envoy Magazine.\" His blog of the same name (now transferred to Patheos), begun in February 2004, contains more than 1,500 papers, at least 500 debates or dialogues, and over 50 distinct \"index\" web pages. Unsolicited correspondence has indicated many hundreds of conversions (or returns) to the Catholic faith as a result, by God's grace, of these writings. Dave's conversion story was published in the bestselling book \"Surprised by Truth\" (edited by Patrick Madrid; San Diego: Basilica Press, 1994). Sophia Institute Press has published six of his books: \"A Biblical Defense of Catholicism\" (Foreword by Fr. John A. Hardon, S. J., 1996 \/ 2003), \"The Catholic Verses\" (2004), \"The One-Minute Apologist\" (2007), \"Bible Proofs for Catholic Truths\" (2009), \"The Quotable Newman\" (editor: 2012), and \"Proving the Catholic Faith is Biblical\" (2015). He is co-author (with Dr. Paul Thigpen) of the inserts for \"The New Catholic Answer Bible\" (Our Sunday Visitor: 2005), and editor for \"The Wisdom of Mr. Chesterton: The Very Best Quotes, Quips, and Cracks from the Pen of G. K. Chesterton\" (Saint Benedict Press \/ TAN Books: 2009). \"100 Biblical Arguments Against Sola Scriptura\" was published by Catholic Answers in May 2012. His \"Quotable Wesley\" compilation was published by (Protestant \/ Wesleyan publisher) Beacon Hill Press in April 2014. Several of his 49 books are bestsellers in their field. Dave maintains a popular personal Facebook page, a Facebook author page, and has a Twitter account as well. He offers almost all of his books in e-book form on his own Biblical Catholicism site (http:\/\/biblicalcatholicism.com\/), at a permanent deep discount: only $2.99 for ePub, mobi, and AZW, and $1.99 for PDF. His writing has been enthusiastically endorsed or recommended by many leading Catholic apologists, authors, and priests, including Dr. Scott Hahn, Fr. Peter M. J. Stravinskas, Marcus Grodi, Patrick Madrid, Steve Ray, Tim Staples, Devin Rose, Mike Aquilina, Al Kresta, Karl Keating, Fr. Dwight Longenecker, Brandon Vogt, Marcellino D'Ambrosio, and Fr. John A. Hardon, S. J. Dave has been happily married to his wife Judy since October 1984. They have three sons and a daughter, and reside in southeast Michigan (metro Detroit).","sameAs":["https:\/\/biblicalcatholicism.com\/","https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/dave.armstrong.798","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@LuxVeritatisApologetics"],"url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/author\/davearmstrong"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13343","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2331"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13343"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13343\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13346"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13343"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13343"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13343"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}