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.
An Exposition Of The Seven Church Ages
CAB 9:E-69
...ll yard goods and sewing machines. You don't have to buy what's in the stores and then use that as an excuse. This is a deadly serious matter that I am going into. Have you not read in Scripture that when a man looks on a woman and lusts after her in his heart, he has already committed adultery with her in his heart? And suppose you dressed in such a way as to cause that? That makes you his partner in sin, even though you would be absolutely unaware of it, being a true virgin with no such desires. Yet God holds you...
And knoweth it not
65-0815 §21
This businessman that was healed right here in the church not long ago, he said, now ... his wife said, "Brother Branham, that always puzzled me." I said, "Why, sister, how would that puzzle you?" She said, "Well, here is a woman judge." I said, "That's politics, not the church. That has nothing to do with the church." Paul said, "Let it be under obedience as also saith the law." And the law can't put a woman up to be a priest, can't put it up... You never seen a woman high priest; you never seen a woman a priest--...
Church Ages, part 9: The ten virgins, and the 144,000
60-1211M §92
The same thing with the sleeping virgin, and the wise virgin. They were both sanctified people. But this one had oil, and this one did not have oil. So they said, "We're as good as you are. [There's none of us good, as far as that's concerned] Why, you're a bunch of holy rollers." Well, okay, that's all right. There's none of us good. We all sin and come short of the glory of God. But the only way you'll ever know it is not by joining church, not by trying to live good, but by receiving Christ. It ain't what I live...
Questions and Answers
54-0515 §112
Didn't Jesus teach that ten virgins went out to meet the bridegroom, and five of them...? All of them were virgins, pure, holy. And these went to sleep and didn't get the Holy Ghost; and these got the Holy Ghost and had oil in their lamp. And when the bridegroom come, the voice come, shouting, they said, "Oh, let us go. And give us some of your oil." He said, "Go to them and buy (pray up), get it now." But they couldn't. And while they was gone, the virgins went into the wedding supper. And they were cast into oute...
Seals 9: Questions and Answers on the Seals
63-0324M §46
...e the Bible said we're bound to them as long as they live. So, as far as being any scripture, that's what was asked here: "Is there scripture, see. Is there any scripture?" Not as I can find, see. Not as I can find, because Paul said that the married couple, if the companion is dead, then they're free to marry whomsoever they will in the Lord. But until then... But watch. You take it, "Until death we part." That's it. You've done took an oath over that, you see. So I don't think there is. Now, if you found some and...