Why are evangelical pastors allowed to marry?
In the RC church, celibacy of priests was not decreed until 1709, by Pope Gregory VII – until then, it was normal for priests to marry. Compulsory celibacy is not found in the Bible, on the contrary, it is clear that God’s ministers could, and did, marry – eg.Peter (Mark 1.30). See also 2 Timothy 3.2,4-5 and 1 Corinthians 9.5. This was also the case in the Old Testament (Leviticus 21.4,7; Esdra 10.18-19) even for the High Priest (Leviticus 21.13). A pastor, or Christian leader, can find help and comfort in sharing the demands of the ministry with his wife, and can better understand and counsel others in their relationships and families.
