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The term ‘singlehood’ refers to ‘the state of being single and especially unmarried’ (Webster 2020a). In Nigeria, involuntary singlehood has thus become a matter of concern to many people, especially amongst the womenfolk. One major reason for late marriage or non-marriage is the downward turn of the economy over the years, which has rendered most male youths unemployed. Whilst many men marry above the age 30, most often when a lady is 25–27 years of age and is yet to have a steady suitor, it becomes a matter of concern, not only to her but also to her parents and relatives. Women affected in this way go through a life that is largely characterised by a feeling of incompleteness and the desperation to get married. At the end, a large number of them involuntarily remain unmarried. As many of these women are members of the church, singlehood becomes a challenge to the church. The church cannot afford to close its eyes to this problem because it is worth its name only when it shares in the secular problems of its members (Mangayi 2014:135). Unfortunately, the church seems to remain blind to the reality of nonmarried Christians in its fold. It is yet to learn how celibacy ‘can serve as a dynamic, life-giving mode of existence for contemporary followers of Christ’ (Varnell 2016:2). In the Merriam Webster Dictionary (Webster 2020b) and Dictionary.com (2020), celibacy refers to the state of not being married or abstinence from sexual relations and/or marriage usually for religious reasons. According to Barrett (1971), ‘celibacy is the state of voluntarily being unmarried, sexually abstinent, or both, usually for religious reasons’ (cited in Ekpendu 2016:1). It is in this regard that this article envisages that in order to make its witness relevant to the life situation of involuntary Christian singles, the church in Nigeria can respond to the challenge of singlehood through a In Nigeria, the rate of involuntary singlehood among women has since been on the increase. While marriage at about the age of 30–35 is not considered late for men, most often a lady is expected to be married at 25–27 years of age, and when it is not so, the life of the woman concerned is largely characterised by desperation for marriage. The article attempted a reinterpretation of Paul’s perception of celibacy in 1 Corinthians 7 considering the Nigerian Christians’ attitude to involuntary singlehood. In essence, it sought the possibility of accommodating celibacy as an accepted Christian alternative to marriage. Using the descriptive approach, the author gathered and utilised material relevant for the constraints of singlehood in Nigeria as well as the reinterpretation of celibacy in the Nigerian context. The article employed the exegetical method for the study of 1 Corinthians 7 in relation to marriage and celibacy. The article found that Nigerian single women live their lives in desperation for marriage. The situation of Nigerian singles is compounded by the general negative attitude of the church which considers marriage, as against celibacy, to be the normal course for Christians. The work concluded that Paul’s position in 1 Corinthians 7 gives room for a Christian sexuality which values celibacy as of equal status with marriage. The church in Nigeria should develop a sexual theology that accepts sexuality in this way. In this way, marriage and celibacy become complimentary to each other in the pursuit of the church’s mission.

Reinterpreting Paul’s perspective of celibacy in 1 Corinthians 7 in light of singlehood amongst Nigerian Christians