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Here the apostle instances in another branch of his Christian liberty, and that was marriage; he could have taken a wife, as Peter and other apostles did, had he pleased, and have put the church to further charges in maintaining himself, a wife, and family, as did others, without blame: and he and Barnabas had power to forbear working for their living, and maintaining themselves with their own labour in tent-making; they had power to ask maintenance of the Corinthians, if they pleased. But they considered the low circumstances which the church was in and under at that time, and continued both in a single state, and wrought with their hands to maintain themselves, when they might have expected maintenance from the church. Have we not power to lead about a sister, a wife? that is, to marry, if we saw fit.
Hence learn, 1. The lawfulness of the ministers of the gospel marrying, as well as other men: neither the prophets of the Old Testament, nor the apostles of the New, did abhor the marriage-bed, nor judge themselves too pure for an institution of their Maker. The doctrine forbidding marriage to any, (which the apostle says is honourable in all,) is called a doctrine of devils.
Learn, 2. That no Christians, much less ministers, have power, (that is, any lawful power,) to marry such as are no Christians: their wives must be their sisters in Christ, that is, Christian women, at least by external and visible profession.
3. That husband and wife ought to be undivided companions one to another. Have we not power to lead about a wife? that is, to take her with us in our travels and journeyings from place to place, for our comfort and assistance. Husbands and wives are to be mutual companions, sharers in each other's sorrows, and partakers of one another's comforts.