Q. Did the apostle Paul ever have any children?
Paul seems to indicate in his first letter to the Corinthians that he has always been single. Addressing the question of whether a believer should marry, he says, “I wish that all of you were as I am. But each of you has your own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that.” His further comments indicate that what he means here is that he wishes they could all serve God with the advantages of singleness, as he does: “An unmarried man is concerned about the Lord’s affairs—how he can please the Lord. But a married man is concerned about the affairs of this world—how he can please his wife— and his interests are divided.” However, Paul does acknowledge that singleness and marriage are both callings—indeed, “gifts”—to each believer from God, and so “each person should live as a believer in whatever situation the Lord has assigned to them, just as God has called them.“
So if Paul never married, then he never had children. However, it seems that in his case, the promise of Jesus came true that “everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.” Even though Paul never married, and this allowed him to be “concerned about the Lord’s affairs” with undivided attention, in the very course of his work for the Lord he met Timothy, who became his close co-worker, and more than that. In his letters to Timothy, Paul addresses him as “my true son in the faith and as “my dear son.” He also calls Titus, another young co-worker, “my true son in our common faith.” So even though Paul never had children of his own, in the Lord he had at least two dear children who joined him and helped him in his mission.
Thank you very much for the answer to my question. I really appreciate your wisdom, insight as well as your wisdom. I read the Apostle’s Paul’s letters and I admire them very much. May the Lord God almighty be with you all. Thank you once again.shedile.
You wrote,
“So if Paul never married, then he never had children”.
What logic is that?
Paul makes clear in his writings that he was a strictly observant Jews. So he would not have had sexual relations outside of marriage. Thus, since he never married, he did not have children.
Thanks for guidance accordingly in matters of faith .i think he had spiritual sons ,in ministering.
Thanks I understand something important
Philemon 1:10 says:
“I beseech thee for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my bonds:”
begotten means that he is the Father of Onesimus.
Paul is speaking figuratively of Onesimus as his spiritual son.
Paul was once a bad man(Saul). Would if he may have had children before becoming Jesus Apostle
Saul (later Paul) was a bad man because he persecuted believers in Jesus, but he was otherwise a very moral man, as a strict Pharisee. So he would not have had any children outside of marriage even before his conversion to faith in Jesus.