In the New Covenant, marriage is not an expectation since we don’t make new kingdom members by making babies but rather by sharing the gospel. Jesus affirmed the option of being a eunuch in Matt 19:11-12 when talking about people made eunuchs (castrated by emperors), born eunuchs, (asexual or possibly intersex), or made themselves eunuchs (either through castration or will-powered celibacy) for the Kingdom. Paul was a celibate eunuch and even encouraged being celibate in his letter to the Corinthians when talking about marriage (1 Corinthians 7:8). However he never required it, and even suggested getting married if a person can’t control their sexual desires. He recommends celibacy so that Christians could focus on the work of the Kingdom because single people could focus on the Lord’s work without the distractions of familial obligations (1 Cor 7:8-9).

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