so that the Gentiles would praise God for being kind to them. It is just as the Scriptures say, “I will tell the nations about you, and I will sing praises to your name.”
I don't know of anything that the Lord said about people who have never been married. But I will tell you what I think. And you can trust me, because the Lord has treated me with kindness.
Timothy, my son, the instructions I am giving you are based on what some prophets once said about you. If you follow these instructions, you will fight like a good soldier.