The Biblical Perspective on Singleness

Lone Single on the Beach

One of the great phenomena of our day is the singles explosion. The need for satisfying relationships among singles, have spawned and mushroomed new enterprises to cater to the lonely singles. Examples of these enterprises are singles bars, singles cruises; singles clubs, singles encounter and adventure trips. Their aim is perhaps laudable: to arrest the singles explosion and decimate the singles’population; that singles just might meet that special someone, their soul-mate. Or they are just simply mate markets, or are they “meat markets?”  (Pun intended). 

Years ago the government of Singapore alarmed by the escalating number of singles (especially among the professionals) remaining unmarried, sponsored free cruises every weekend for all singles in the hope that somehow the singles may meet that special someone they would like and to marry eventually.  

Single persons are constantly left right and center pressured to get married by relatives, and their close friends, even their church brethren. The mass media constantly target and bombards the singles specie with advertisements cajoling to marry. Some people even church people regard them as second class citizen and something wrong or moronic about them. Singlehood is looked down with stigma – it’s kind of social disgrace to be unmarried.  Stigma the dictionary defines it as a mark of disgrace or infamy; a stain or reproach, as on one's reputation.
 

I read from a blog posted in the internet by a certain lady named Martha, she had post a question: “Why are unpopped kernels of popcorn referred to as “old maids”? A certain R. Berg had post a reply to this question, he answered: “Literally, an old maid is a woman who remains unmarried beyond the usual age, and the term has historically implied some traits besides mere singlehood, such as being fussy, reclusive, and eccentric. Unpopped kernels similarly refuse to join in the dance of life, to bloom into fulfillment as their aerated selves, to follow the path taken by the great majority, their livelier companions. This interpretation will offend those who balk at its pro-marriage bias. I can't help that. The phrase ‘old maid’ has the same bias.”

True the single person most especially single women have been the object of derision, “put downs” and ridicule. I remember a story in Tagalog perhaps a fictitious story at that. Nevertheless the story goes on to show the descriptive the plight of the unmarried Filipina: Kung ang isang babae daw bata pa at kasibulan niya ang pag-paypay sa abaniko niya banayad at mabagal; pagdating daw ang edad niya sa 25 anyos at walang pa rin asawa ang pag-paypay sa abaniko niya mas mabilis na; pagsumapit daw ng 30 or 35 anyos at wala pa rin asawa, ang pagpaypay niya sa abaniko sobrang mabilis na at sabay bigkas “naiwan na ako” kaya “anyone” na lang. 

I have good news for you singles. There is no need for you to be stigmatized for choosing the life of singlehood. God through the apostle Paul penned the most encouraging words for you singles who chose to remain singles throughout your life. 

Let’s turn to I Corinthians 7 and notice what God through the apostle Paul says about the state of singleness.