The Bachelor and the Virgin
The Bachelor and the Virgin
Question
A man who is not married—should we call him a bachelor or a virgin? What is the difference between the two terms? Which one more accurately expresses the intended meaning?
Answer
A virgin is a person who has not married, having dedicated his life to the Lord. This applies to him the saying of the holy Apostle Paul: “He who is unmarried cares for the things of the Lord—how he may please the Lord. But he who is married cares about the things of the world—how he may please his wife” (1 Cor. 7:32–33).
Examples of those living in virginity include: Saint John the Apostle, Saint Paul the Apostle, all monks, all those consecrated to service, and all unmarried deacons.
A bachelor, however, is simply an unmarried man in general. He may be unmarried for personal, social, economic, or any other reasons, and he may have no objection to marrying in the future.
His unmarried state may have no connection at all with serving God, loving God, or devoting himself to life with Him.
Thus, we arrive at an important principle:
Every virgin is a bachelor, but not every bachelor is a virgin.
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