--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Unlike the Old Testament, in which…" description: "\"“Unlike the Old Testament, in which singleness was not a good, the New Testament—or, more properly, the coming of Christ—opens up, for the first time i..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/20c/preston-sprinkle-23202_bible_unlike-the-old-testament-in-which-single_1850625.jpg" --- # Unlike the Old Testament, in which singleness was not a… ![“Unlike the Old Testament, in which singleness was not a good, the New Testament—or, more properly, the coming of Christ—opens up, for the first time in redemptive history, the possibility of viewing marriage completely as a freely chosen vocation. It is not necessary in the way that it once was…” quote by Preston Sprinkle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/20c/preston-sprinkle-23202_bible_unlike-the-old-testament-in-which-single_1850625.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/20c/preston-sprinkle-23202_bible_unlike-the-old-testament-in-which-single_1850625.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/20c/preston-sprinkle-23202_bible_unlike-the-old-testament-in-which-single_1850625.jpg) > ““Unlike the Old Testament, in which singleness was not a good, the New Testament—or, more properly, the coming of Christ—opens up, for the first time in redemptive history, the possibility of viewing marriage completely as a freely chosen vocation. It is not necessary in the way that it once was, and singleness is now an equally (or more!) honorable calling. But,”” [Preston Sprinkle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/preston-sprinkle/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The New Testament reframes marriage and singleness as equally honorable, voluntary callings rather than obligations. **In simple terms:** Marriage and singleness are both respected choices. Key Takeaway Choose vocation freely. Themes faith vocation marriage singleness honor Mood thoughtful reflective Type theological inspirational When to use this quote - church counseling - personal discernment - career planning - relationship decisions Key Concepts theology free will calling Questions to Reflect On - How does your tradition view singleness? - What influences your vocational choice? A Different Perspective Some traditions still view marriage as obligatory. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bible/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Marriage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marriage/) [New testament](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-testament/) [Old testament](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/old-testament/) [Singleness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/singleness/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [If there are singles who find the waters of singleness dark and deep, who feel, 'I sink in deep waters; the billows go over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-clarkson/if-there-are-singles-who-find-the-waters-of-singleness-dark-and-deep/) [Margaret Clarkson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-clarkson/) > [“Love and marriage are completely unrelated enterprises. Marriage bears as little resemblance to love as competing in the Olympics does to your afternoon jog.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zinzi-clemmons/love-and-marriage-are-completely-unrelated-enterprises-marriage-bears/) [Zinzi Clemmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zinzi-clemmons/) > [A middle ground might be to fight for same-sex marriage and its benefits and then, once granted, redefine the institution of marriage completely, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelangelo-signorile/a-middle-ground-might-be-to-fight-for-same-sex-marriage-and-its/) Michelangelo Signorile > [“describing singleness as “a rare calling,” which is neither a common position in Christian history (at best we may say that most Protestants in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/preston-sprinkle/describing-singleness-as-a-rare-calling-which-is-neither-a-common/) [Preston Sprinkle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/preston-sprinkle/) > [“Already in the Old Testament, God’s love for Israel had been compared to the marital bond (Isa 62:5; Jer 2–3; Ezek 16; Hos 1–3),…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/preston-sprinkle/already-in-the-old-testament-god-s-love-for-israel-had-been-compared/) [Preston Sprinkle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/preston-sprinkle/) > [“for Christians, not every passage in the Bible is equally prescriptive or determinative for a Christian ethical life. Rather, the Old Testament must be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/preston-sprinkle/for-christians-not-every-passage-in-the-bible-is-equally-prescriptive/) [Preston Sprinkle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/preston-sprinkle/) > [“There’s something really cool about knowing that your destiny is SO big that you’re not meant to share it with anyone. At least not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-hale/there-s-something-really-cool-about-knowing-that-your-destiny-is-so/) [Mandy Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-hale/) > [“You don’t need a significant other to lead a significant life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-hale/you-don-t-need-a-significant-other-to-lead-a-significant-life/) [Mandy Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-hale/) > [“Happily Single is holding out for the best and letting go of the rest. It’s saying “I will and I can” to YOURSELF before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-hale/happily-single-is-holding-out-for-the-best-and-letting-go-of-the-rest/) [Mandy Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-hale/) > [Success demands singleness of purpose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vince-lombardi/success-demands-singleness-of-purpose/) [Vince Lombardi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vince-lombardi/) > [Romance lives by repetition, and repetition converts an appetite into an art. Besides, each time that one loves is the only time one has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/romance-lives-by-repetition-and-repetition-converts-an-appetite-into/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Many divorced or widowed people do with their singleness what they should have done before they married for the first time: live alone, find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harville-hendrix/many-divorced-or-widowed-people-do-with-their-singleness-what-they/) [Harville Hendrix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harville-hendrix/) > [“...something can be a good thing and yet not a necessary thing. It is good for people to be expert at brain surgery. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-lee-austin/something-can-be-a-good-thing-and-yet-not-a-necessary-thing-it-is/) Victor Lee Austin > [“God always shows up for people who seek him.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mylee-bankston/god-always-shows-up-for-people-who-seek-him/) Mylee Bankston > [“The gift of singleness is more a vocation than an empowerment, although to be sure God is faithful in supporting those He calls.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-r-w-stott/the-gift-of-singleness-is-more-a-vocation-than-an-empowerment/) [John R.W. Stott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-r-w-stott/) ## More by Preston Sprinkle > [“Loving your enemy. Doing good things for evil people. Never taking vengeance. Responding to violence with nonviolent love—even if it brings suffering. These are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/preston-sprinkle/loving-your-enemy-doing-good-things-for-evil-people-never-taking/) [Preston Sprinkle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/preston-sprinkle/) > [“for Christians, not every passage in the Bible is equally prescriptive or determinative for a Christian ethical life. Rather, the Old Testament must be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/preston-sprinkle/for-christians-not-every-passage-in-the-bible-is-equally-prescriptive/) [Preston Sprinkle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/preston-sprinkle/) > [“the most visible form of Jesus’s not-of-this-world kingdom is the radical, head-turning love of one’s enemies, even (or especially) when we are suffering at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/preston-sprinkle/the-most-visible-form-of-jesus-s-not-of-this-world-kingdom-is-the/) [Preston Sprinkle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/preston-sprinkle/) > [“describing singleness as “a rare calling,” which is neither a common position in Christian history (at best we may say that most Protestants in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/preston-sprinkle/describing-singleness-as-a-rare-calling-which-is-neither-a-common/) [Preston Sprinkle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/preston-sprinkle/) > [“genuine relationships are always the best place to start as we seek to integrate our ethical views in the daily life of ministry.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/preston-sprinkle/genuine-relationships-are-always-the-best-place-to-start-as-we-seek/) [Preston Sprinkle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/preston-sprinkle/) > [“we cannot imagine existing in our culture without the haven of an erotic partnership because our capacity to belong together in more chaste ways…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/preston-sprinkle/we-cannot-imagine-existing-in-our-culture-without-the-haven-of-an/) [Preston Sprinkle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/preston-sprinkle/) > [“The Incarnate One is truly human as well as truly divine, and so properly spoken of as our friend and brother as well as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/preston-sprinkle/the-incarnate-one-is-truly-human-as-well-as-truly-divine-and-so/) [Preston Sprinkle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/preston-sprinkle/) > [“When we buy into the American narrative that focuses on “flesh-and-blood enemies,” we are spraying the tip of the flames, not the source of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/preston-sprinkle/when-we-buy-into-the-american-narrative-that-focuses-on-flesh-and/) [Preston Sprinkle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/preston-sprinkle/) > [“the New Testament highlights Jesus’s nonviolent response to violence as a pattern to follow more than any other aspect of His ministry.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/preston-sprinkle/the-new-testament-highlights-jesus-s-nonviolent-response-to-violence/) [Preston Sprinkle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/preston-sprinkle/) > [“The New Testament is ubiquitously clear: don’t retaliate with evil for evil; do good to those who hate you; embrace your enemy with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/preston-sprinkle/the-new-testament-is-ubiquitously-clear-don-t-retaliate-with-evil-for/) [Preston Sprinkle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/preston-sprinkle/) > [“Augustine suggests that in the mutual submission and self-surrender of marriage, and in the openness of the marriage relationship to children, with the demands…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/preston-sprinkle/augustine-suggests-that-in-the-mutual-submission-and-self-surrender/) [Preston Sprinkle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/preston-sprinkle/) > [“rather than perceived effectiveness motivates our response to evil.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/preston-sprinkle/rather-than-perceived-effectiveness-motivates-our-response-to-evil/) [Preston Sprinkle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/preston-sprinkle/) > [“Already in the Old Testament, God’s love for Israel had been compared to the marital bond (Isa 62:5; Jer 2–3; Ezek 16; Hos 1–3),…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/preston-sprinkle/already-in-the-old-testament-god-s-love-for-israel-had-been-compared/) [Preston Sprinkle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/preston-sprinkle/) > [“I wonder how many people have been killed, tortured, and in some cases cannibalized, all because certain Christians (mis)applied the book of Joshua to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/preston-sprinkle/i-wonder-how-many-people-have-been-killed-tortured-and-in-some-cases/) [Preston Sprinkle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/preston-sprinkle/) > [“I do not accept that there has been a change in our understanding of marriage, just many and repeated changes in its cultural expressions.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/preston-sprinkle/i-do-not-accept-that-there-has-been-a-change-in-our-understanding-of/) [Preston Sprinkle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/preston-sprinkle/) [Explore all 26 Preston Sprinkle quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/preston-sprinkle/) ## More Bible quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [From Augustine down, theologians have tried to compel people to accept their special interpretation of the Scripture, and the tortures of the inquisition, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matilda-joslyn-gage/from-augustine-down-theologians-have-tried-to-compel-people-to-accept/) [Matilda Joslyn Gage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matilda-joslyn-gage/) > [“God hates Hell. He hates the idea of people going there. He hates it so much that He was willing to take on human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-minton/god-hates-hell-he-hates-the-idea-of-people-going-there-he-hates-it-so/) [Evan Minton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-minton/) > [“The Devil can cite Scripture for his purpose, Sergeant,’ Anthony Payne replied. ‘That is from The Merchant of Venice, but it holds great truth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-arnold/the-devil-can-cite-scripture-for-his-purpose-sergeant-anthony-payne/) Michael Arnold > [When you put your hand on the Bible, you are saying something much stronger than just telling your peers that you're going to tell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-greenwood/when-you-put-your-hand-on-the-bible-you-are-saying-something-much/) [Lee Greenwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-greenwood/) > [“Scripture also teaches that human beings are morally responsible creatures”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-peterson/scripture-also-teaches-that-human-beings-are-morally-responsible/) Robert A. Peterson > [“The wife of a junior officer cooped up in a horrible canvas partition in steerage for five months wrote: "I had enjoyed much peace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-taylor/the-wife-of-a-junior-officer-cooped-up-in-a-horrible-canvas-partition/) Stephen Taylor > [O Word of God incarnate . . . It is the golden casket Where gems of truth are stored; It is the heaven-drawn picture…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walsham-how/o-word-of-god-incarnate-it-is-the-golden-casket-where-gems-of-truth/) Walsham How > [How can I trust that the Bible is reliable?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-horton/how-can-i-trust-that-the-bible-is-reliable/) [Michael Horton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-horton/) > [Every plant which my heavenly father has not planted with be uprooted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesus-christ/every-plant-which-my-heavenly-father-has-not-planted-with-be-uprooted/) [Jesus Christ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesus-christ/) > [Where I come from you're not raised to think on your own. It's not that you're pushed to read the Bible. The Bible is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abel-ferrara/where-i-come-from-you-re-not-raised-to-think-on-your-own-it-s-not/) [Abel Ferrara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abel-ferrara/) > [“I felt like praying or something, when I was in bed, but I couldn't do it. I can't always pray when I feel like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger/i-felt-like-praying-or-something-when-i-was-in-bed-but-i-couldn-t-do/) [J.D. Salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-salinger/) > [What comes to mind when you think of heaven? Heaven is referred to in fifty-four of the Bible's sixty-six books, and the final two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-jeremiah/what-comes-to-mind-when-you-think-of-heaven-heaven-is-referred-to-in/) [David Jeremiah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-jeremiah/) > [“While it is in one sense a result of God’s presence within us, the New Testament also describes a process involved in our “putting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallas-willard/while-it-is-in-one-sense-a-result-of-god-s-presence-within-us-the-new/) [Dallas Willard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallas-willard/) > [The definition of a Church is crystal clear in the New Testament. We see the picture of it. They came together the first day…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-macarthur/the-definition-of-a-church-is-crystal-clear-in-the-new-testament-we/) [John MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-macarthur/) [Browse all 8,465 Bible quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bible/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Unlike the Old Testament, in which singleness was not a good, the New Testament—or, more properly, the coming of Christ—opens up, for the first time in redemptive history, the possibility of viewing marriage completely as a freely chosen vocation. It is not necessary in the way that it once was, and singleness is now an equally (or more!) honorable calling. 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