The Greek word agamos (ἄγαμος) means unmarried or single — one who has no spouse, whether never married, widowed, or divorced. It appears 4 times in the New Testament, all in 1 Corinthians 7, where Paul addresses questions about marriage and singleness in the Corinthian church. The word is a compound of the negative prefix a- and gamos (G1062, marriage).
The word describes a relational status without carrying any inherently positive or negative connotation. Context determines whether singleness is presented as a gift, a challenge, or simply a circumstance to be lived wisely before God.
Paul's discussion of agamos in 1 Corinthians 7 is one of the most nuanced treatments of singleness and marriage in ancient literature. He affirms both states as valid and even gifts: "I wish that all of you were as I am" (single), he writes — not because marriage is bad, but because the single person has an undivided devotion to God (1 Corinthians 7:32-34).
This represents a significant counter-cultural move in the ancient world, where singleness was generally viewed as incomplete or unfortunate. Paul elevates singleness as a calling that enables full devotion to the kingdom. At the same time, he is careful not to make a universal rule: "each person has their own gift from God" (1 Corinthians 7:7). The Christian theology of singleness sees it not as deprivation but as a particular freedom — a sign of the coming age where neither marrying nor giving in marriage occurs (Matthew 22:30).