If a Minister Should Marry a Virgin, Then What Was the Blood of Jesus Shed For? What Happened to "old Things Are Passed Away"?
1) Direct answer
The Blood of Jesus was shed to cleanse sin and make a new creature on the inside; it did not rewrite history or cancel God’s order for marriage and ministerial qualifications. So the counsel that a minister take a virgin does not deny the power of the Blood; it upholds the scriptural pattern and the testimony of the office.
2) Scriptural explanation
- The Bible says we are “new creatures” in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). That is the inner man made new. Yet the apostles still laid down outward order for life and for the ministry (1 Timothy 3:2,7; Titus 1:6-7).
- God set a higher pattern for those who handle holy things. Under the law the priest was to “take a wife in her virginity” (Leviticus 21:13-14). The ministry in the New Testament must be “blameless” and “of good report” (1 Timothy 3:2,7). The type is carried forward: the overseer’s home life must speak clean, unquestionable testimony.
- The minister types Christ, and the church is presented “as a chaste virgin to Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 5:25-27). The marriage of the minister is meant to reflect that gospel picture.
- Forgiveness does not erase earthly facts. David was forgiven, yet consequences remained (2 Samuel 12:13-14). The woman taken in adultery was forgiven—“go, and sin no more”—yet her past was still a past (John 8:11). The woman at the well met grace, but the five husbands she had were still history (John 4:17-18).
- God’s order in marriage stands (Matthew 19:4-6; Mark 10:9; 1 Corinthians 7). Being saved doesn’t undo previous covenants, nor does it change the body; it changes the heart.
3) Simple clarifying logic
- Now notice: if “old things passed away” meant every earthly condition is erased, then a thief could get saved and the stolen goods would magically return; a scar would vanish the moment you believe. But you see, salvation cleanses the soul and reconciles you to God, while natural consequences and divine order still remain to guide our walk.
- The Blood does not make a body a virgin again; it makes a heart pure and a conscience clean. God forgets the sin, but the world can still remember the history. That is why the minister, who must be “blameless” and “of good report,” is held to a higher visible standard.
- This is not condemnation of any sister who has a past. In Christ she is clean and beloved. But the office has a testimony to guard. Also, if a man is already married when God calls him, he is to “abide in the calling wherein he was called” and live the Word where he stands (1 Corinthians 7:20,24). The counsel about a minister taking a virgin speaks to the choice before marriage and the example of the office.
4) Reinforcing statement
The Blood of Jesus brings full forgiveness and a new life; and that very grace leads us to honor God’s order. Forgiveness cleans the heart; order guards the testimony. That’s the balance of the Word.
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.
Faith once delivered to the saints
57-0610 §40
...ist is a new creature. And when old things is passed away, and the world has went out of us, and we become new creatures in Christ, our whole affections is on things above. Then we look to Christ. We look not at the things of the world. Here, it's this simple. There's the picture of Mrs. Cadle on one side. There's the picture of her son on the other side. When you're looking this way, you're thinking of Mrs. Cadle. When you're looking on the other side, you're thinking of the picture on this side, you're thinking o...
The Good Shepherd of the sheep
57-0308 §38
...that you couldn't afford to try to make heaven without Him. Someone said the other day, kind of in a little quiz, said, "Brother Branham, do you mean to tell me you believe if a man is really a child of God, that he really can know that he is a child of God?" I said, "Absolutely. When your spirit bears record with His Word and His Spirit, you're sons and daughters of God. When your experience comes into God's Bible, and you've met every requirement, and God has proved to you, and all the world has passed away, and...
What think ye of Christ?
57-0303E §14
Now, that knocks every foundation out from under Christianity. He was either the Son of God, virgin born, or His blood was no more than my blood or your blood. Sex had nothing to do with it. Almighty God overshadowed the virgin Mary, and she brought forth the Son, Christ Jesus, by the great immaculate conception, by the power of the Holy Spirit to form a blood cell in the womb of a girl who knew no man. And through that holy unadulterated blood, my faith rests solemnly upon that tonight, and nothing else, for my fo...
Questions and Answers, Part 3
64-0830M §134
...You know what I mean when I say that? I don't mean to be sacrilegious. I don't mean to say ours; I don't mean to say this church; I mean to say every believer. Abraham, he was looking for a promised son, that was promised him. Is that right? And the church is looking for a promised Son. The bride (is that right?), the bride is looking for the promised Son. Before the promised son could come to Sarah and Abraham, their bodies had to be changed. Is that right? She was too old to have a baby. She had no milk veins in...
The Communion
57-0418 §8
And, in the taking of the communion, was the difference between life and death. Those who were on the inside, under the shed blood, took the communion. No one could take the communion outside being under the shed blood. The blood of the lamb was shed first, and then was put on the lintel and the door-post. The lintel is the cross timber. And on the door-post. And then the lamb was roasted, and was eaten with bitter herbs. And they girded themselves. After the blood was shed, and they had passed under the shed blood...