Note 8 at Mt. 19:11: Jesus did acknowledge that marriage is not for everyone. This would correspond to Paul's teaching in 1 Corinthians 7. However, both Paul and Jesus stressed that relatively few people were called to a life of celibacy (see note 9 at Mt. 19:12, p. 327). It has to be a calling. God is the one who looked at a sinless man and said that it was not good for him to be alone (Gen. 2:18). So, marriage is the rule and living single for the sake of the gospel is the exception. Paul, who advocated remaining single if a person was called to do so (1 Cor. 7:24-28), said that it was a "doctrine of devils" to forbid marriage to anyone (1 Tim. 4:1-3).