EUNUCHS:
THE "EUNUCH FOR THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN'S SAKE"

" His disciples say unto him, If the case of the man be so with [his] wife, it is not good to marry.
But he said unto them, All [men] cannot receive this saying, save [they] to whom it is given. 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]. " (Matthew 19:10-12).

MAN IS NOT REQUIRED TO MARRY


If from the beginning man was expected to get married and replenish the earth with children (Genesis 3:16,17), it is no longer required under the New Testament. When Jesus explained that man could not divorce his wife for any and every cause, his disciples said to Him, "If the case of the man be so with [his] wife, it is not good to marry" (Matthew 19:10).

" But he said unto them, All [men] cannot receive this saying, save [they] to whom it is given. 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]" (Matthew 19:11-12).

Jesus gives three categories of men who will not marry. He uses the term "eunuch"; i.e., Greek eunouchos^{Strong's G2135}, that is used basically for a "castrated person". Some eunuchs are (1) born naturally emasculated; (2) some are manually castrated in order to serve as eunuchs historically in harems; (3) the last category is a person who voluntarily abstains from marriage (Thayer).

Jesus is careful to point out that this last category is voluntary by one who "is able." He has the ability to abstain from sexual relationships. The apostle Paul identifies himself as having that ability and his voluntarily abstaining from marriage (1 Corinthians 7:7,8).

" For I would that all men were even as I myself. But every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner, and another after that. I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I" (1 Corinthians 7:7,8). Paul had the authority to marry just as Peter and some others had done. "Do we not have the right to take along a believing wife, as do the other apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas?" (1 Corinthians 9:5). But as Paul had explained in chapter 7, his was a gift to abstain. Not every one had that ability as he emphasizes. Jesus also emphasized saying, "He that is able to receive [it], let him receive [it]."

The Roman historian Eusebius said that the scholar Origen (third century AD)ⁱ had himself castrated (literally); if he did, some say that later he regretted it when he learned that Jesus statement had been figurative. (In other words, all that Origen did was make himself the second type of eunuch; i.e. he became a eunuch made by men.) Unfortunately, some brethren also misinterpret and/or misapply Jesus' statement and use it to forbid marriage among members of their congregation. The apostle explains that to do this is to teach a doctrine of the devil: "doctrines of devil... Forbidding to marry" (1 Timothy 4:1-3). Jesus said, "All [men] cannot receive this saying, save [they] to whom it is given. ... He that is able to receive [it], let him receive [it]."

"Save they to whom it is given" ( αλλ' οις δεδοτα). A. T. Robinson says that this a "Greek idiom, dative case of relation and perfect passive indicative." [dative case is similar to the English indirect object that uses “to”; e.g., "threw the ball to James."/perfect passive is action completed at a specific point of time in the past with results continuing into the present. In certain contexts the results can be permanent. This is certainly true in this context when Jesus is talking about innate ability.

A Biblical illustration for the perfect passive is 1 Peter 1:4 where it states that our hope is reserved in heaven. This is a confirmation that Jesus has definitely prepared a place for us (John 14:1ff). ⁱⁱ Our reservation is assured whether we arrive in heaven tomorrow or years from now.

This Greek idiom for the third eunuch is specifying the ability or gift that permits a person to abstain from sexual needs. It is given by Jesus in verse 11 and repeated at the close of verse 12. "It is a voluntary renunciation of marriage for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. 'Jesus recognizes the severity of the demand as going beyond the capacity of all but a select number.' It was a direct appeal to the spiritual intelligence of the disciples not to misconceive his meaning as certainly the monastic orders have done."ⁱⁱⁱ

The ability to abstain from sex and marriage is God-given and not something required for salvation. This is a good principle to follow: if you do not care for sex, you should not commit yourself to marriage. This is a purpose for marriage (1 Corinthians 7:1) and one should not fraudulently promise a man or woman marriage if unable to perform marriage duties (1 Thessalonians 4:6; Mark 10:19; Exodus 21:10). Defrauding, according to Jesus in Mark 10:19 is breaking one of the original ten commandments.

Paul confirmed Jesus' statement in his first epistle to the Corinthians, chapter 7. So this solution given by Jesus is not a punishment for divorcees as interpreted by some but is available to ones who voluntarily do not want to burden themselves with a spouse or family in their service to Jesus. "But and if thou marry, thou hast not sinned; and if a virgin marry, she hath not sinned. Nevertheless such shall have trouble in the flesh: but I spare you [that, ESV]" (1 Corinthians 7:28). This ability was an advantage to a Christian during what Paul defines as "present distress."


Gaylon West

"Throw Out the Lifeline"