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CELIBACY OF THE PRIESTHOOD
Mark 1:29-30; I Timothy 3:1-2, 4-5
(June 26, 2022, SUN a.m.- MBC baesa) Introduction:
The Bible does not teach that there are to be “priests” in the New Covenant established by Christ in the New Testament.
The Bible addresses in some sense, the celibacy of church leaders, but not celibacy of priests.
Celibacy of the Priesthood was decreed by Pope Gregory VII in 1079 A.D. Pope Gregory VII issued a decree requiring all priests to be celibate and he expected his bishops to enforce it.
Catholics say Peter was the first Pope.
They say Peter was the first of the twelve Apostles. And these twelve Apostles were the starting of a human organization that was handed down, becoming they say the Roman Church. In that sense they say that Peter was the first Pope.
The Leaders of the Church who don't have wife because of adapting this teaching have two reasons: Two things they say important for being servant of God: Should preachers or priests Marry? I- PETER'S STATUS What would you think about a Catholic Pope that was married?
A few decades later Pope Gregory VII issued a decree against clerical marriages in 1079 A.D. The Church was a thousand years old before it definitively took a stand in favor of celibacy in the twelfth century at the Second Lateran Council held in 1139, when a rule was approved forbidding priests to marry. Did popes ever marry?
How many popes have been married?
There have been at least four Popes who were legally married before taking Holy Orders: St Hormisdas (514 523), Adrian II (867 – 872), John XVII (1003) and Clement IV (1265–68) – though Hormisdas was already a widower by the time of his election.
Was Peter married? Peter who was claimed officially by the catholic as the first pope was married?
Simon Peter was married. His mother-in-law lived with them.
Mark 1:29-30”And forthwith, when they were come out of the synagogue, they entered into the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 30 But Simon's wife's mother lay sick of a fever, and anon they tell him of her.”
She was sick and Jesus healed her.
Matthew 8:14-15“And when Jesus was come into Peter's house, he saw his wife's mother laid, and sick of a fever. 15 And he touched her hand, and the fever left her: and she arose, and ministered unto them”.
Paul lists his rights as a Minister because many are questioning him for being an Apostle, hence he included and mentioned in verse 5 about having a power or free to marry.
I Corinthians 9:1-5 “Am I am not an apostle? am I not free? have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? are not ye my work in the Lord? 2 If I be not an apostle unto others, yet doubtless I am to you: for the seal of mine apostleship are ye in the Lord. 3 Mine answer to them that do examine me is this, 4 Have we not power to eat and to drink? 5 Have we not power to lead about a sister, a wife, as well as other apostles, and as the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas?”
II- PREACHERS STANDARD Presbyter a Greek word meaning elder (Bishop and Presbyter it is convertible being used)
Here are some Bible standards for Bishops: A. Qualities of a Bishop (represents a Greek word "OVERSEER") 1. Should have but one wife at a time I Timothy 3:2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;”
In his Pastoral epistles, the Apostle Paul seems to assume that elders, bishops, overseers, and deacons will be married (1 Timothy 3:1-13 and Titus 1:6-9)
In I Corinthians 7, regarding the celibacy of church leaders, Paul teaches that “An unmarried man is concerned about the Lord’s affairs how he can please the Lord. But a married man is concerned about the affairs of this world how he can please his wife and his interests are divided” (1 Corinthians 7:32-34 “But I would have you without carefulness. He that is unmarried careth for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord: 33 But he that is married careth for the things that are of the world, how he may please his wife. 34 There is difference also between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit: but she that is married careth for the things of the world, how she may please her husband.”).
In some instances, Celibacy has a positive or impact or profitable on ministry. Of course, a church leader can better focus on serving others when he was free from responsibilities for his family and spouse. Jesus had mentioned that there are some becoming eunuchs for God’s kingdom (Matthew 19:12 “For there are some eunuchs, which were so born from their mother's womb: and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men: and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it.”).
Celibacy is definitely allowed for church leaders and celibacy is encouraged to a certain degree. However, we cannot ever find in the Bible about the requirements of celibacy for those who serves in church leadership.
2. Should be married once
I Timothy 3:2,12 “A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach; 12 Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.” (No divorce, not legally separated)
Titus 1:6 “If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly”.
3. Should not have children with another woman Titus 1:6 “If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly”.
I Timothy 3:4 “One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity;”
4. Should make his children obey him respectfully
He managed his own family well and His Children obey him with proper respect.
I Timothy 3:4-5, 12“One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; 5 (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God? 12 Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.”)
Titus 1:6 “If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly”.
While all the Scriptures about the four qualities of a bishop that we mentioned above are not a requirement for church leaders to be married, they most definitely present an allowance for church leaders to be married. It is therefore anti-biblical for any church to require celibacy of its leaders.
B. Catholic Bible Note: "Priestly Celibacy as a law is of later ecclesiastical institution" (means institution of the Church founded later so it is a human tradition not a Biblical doctrine) The tradition of clerical continence developed into a practice of clerical celibacy (ordaining only unmarried men) from the 11th century onward among Latin Church Catholics and became a formal part of canon law in 1917.
Why, then, does the Roman Catholic Church (and a few other Christian denominations) require celibacy of priests /church leaders? The celibacy of priests has an interesting history. The first official church statements requiring celibacy appeared at the Councils of Elvira (A.D. 306) and Carthage (A.D. 390), although clerical celibacy, to a lesser degree, definitely predated these councils. Ultimately, though, celibacy became the official requirement of the Roman Catholic Church due to the practice of nepotism (the practice among those with power or influence of favoring relatives or friends, especially by giving them jobs). Church leaders were giving their children positions in the church, despite a lack of any qualifications or training. Further, church leaders were giving church property to their descendants. As a result, the Roman Catholic Church mandated celibacy in order to keep its priests from having familial attachments which made nepotism attractive.
The Roman Catholic requirement of celibacy is a sad example of the Church taking something that the Bible encourages and transforming it into a requirement in order to protect its own interests. Sadder still is the damage that has been done as a result of the Roman Catholic Church’s anti-biblical requirement. Men whom God has not gifted or called to be celibate (1 Corinthians 7:7) are being required to be celibate, and the result is tremendous failures in the areas of adultery, fornication, and the sexual abuse of children.
III- PROOFS OFTHESCRIPTURES 1. Celibacy was disobeyed by the Catholic first Pope
The Apostle Peter was claimed by the Roman Catholic to be the first Pope.
Matthew 8:14-15”And when Jesus was come into Peter's house, he saw his wife's mother laid, and sick of a fever. 15 And he touched her hand, and the fever left her: and she arose, and ministered unto them.”
2. Celibacy is a devil's doctrine.
I Timothy 4:1-3 “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; 2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; 3 Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.”
3. Celibacy was not commanded by God.
Adam and Eve was commanded to multiply and replenish the earth
Genesis 1:28 “And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.”
Noah and his sons was commanded to multiply and replenish the earth
Genesis 9:1 “And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.”
4. Old Testament priests did not institute celibacy.
a. Aaron the Priest have a son named Eleazar Numbers 16:37 “Speak unto Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, that he take up the censers out of the burning, and scatter thou the fire yonder; for they are hallowed.”
b. Aaron permitted by God to serve in the Priesthood office with his sons Numbers 18:1, 7-9 “And the Lord said unto Aaron, Thou and thy sons and thy father's house with thee shall bear the iniquity of the sanctuary: and thou and thy sons with thee shall bear the iniquity of your priesthood. 7 Therefore thou and thy sons with thee shall keep your priest's office for everything of the altar, and within the vail; and ye shall serve: I have given your priest's office unto you as a service of gift: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death. 8 And the Lord spake unto Aaron, Behold, I also have given thee the charge of mine heave offerings of all the hallowed things of the children of Israel; unto thee have I given them by reason of the anointing, and to thy sons, by an ordinance for ever. 9 This shall be thine of the most holy things, reserved from the fire: every oblation of their's, every meat offering of their's, and every sin offering of their's, and every trespass offering of their's which they shall render unto me, shall be most holy for thee and for thy sons.”
c. Aaron the Priest is not condemned by God for having sons and daughters Numbers 18:11 “And this is thine; the heave offering of their gift, with all the wave offerings of the children of Israel: I have given them unto thee, and to thy sons and to thy daughters with thee, by a statute for ever: every one that is clean in thy house shall eat of it.”
d. Eli the Priest has sons I Samuel 2:11, 12 “And Elkanah went to Ramah to his house. And the child did minister unto the Lord before Eli the priest. 12 Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial; they knew not the Lord.”
The Bible encourages but does not demand celibacy of priests / church leaders. In fact, Paul recognizes that most church leaders will be married.
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