Were any of Jesus' disciples married?

TL;DR:

Some of Jesus’ disciples were married. Marriage and singleness both offer unique capacities to serve God.

At least some of Jesus’ disciples, like Peter, were married. This suggests that church leaders and workers today are biblically permitted to marry, as evidenced by passages in 1 Timothy and Titus that discuss marital qualifications for elders and deacons. Marriage is seen as a reflection of Christ's relationship with the church and provides mutual support, while singleness allows for a focused dedication to God's kingdom. Regardless of marital status, Christians are called to depend on God and serve Him faithfully.

from the old testament

Jesus’ disciples are only mentioned in the New Testament.

from the new testament

At least some of Jesus' disciples were married. Matthew writes directly about Peter's mother-in-law (Matthew 8:14), and Paul references other disciples being married in 1 Corinthians 9:5 when he says he has a right to marry a believing woman because Peter, Jesus' brothers, and other apostles had married. However, Paul was not married, at least at the time of his writings (1 Corinthians 7:7).

implications for today

Seeing that at least some of the disciples were married, it's fairly simple to conclude that ministers, pastors, missionaries, and other church leaders and workers are allowed by the Bible to be married. The qualifications for elders and deacons include references to their marriages and families (1 Timothy 3:1–13; Titus 1:5–9). These qualifications do not require that church leaders be married, but they demonstrate that they can be.

Christians can serve God in any life situation (1 Corinthians 7:17–24). Marriage is a reflection of Christ's relationship with the church (Ephesians 5:22–33). God instituted marriage in the garden of Eden, and it is a good thing (Genesis 2:24–25). The marriage relationship can provide support, encouragement, and a depth of relationship that allows each person in the marriage, both individually and as a couple, to serve the Lord. At the same time, singleness points to eternity, when "the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready" (Revelation 19:7) (see also Matthew 22:30). In singleness, a person might be more directly focused on God's kingdom (1 Corinthians 7:32–35). Singleness can also provide unique opportunity to rely on God for relational intimacy and offer different ways of demonstrating the reality that believers, together, are the family of God. Both situations, of course, have unique struggles and hardships. No matter our current life situation, we are called to depend on God and faithfully follow Him. We can follow and serve God wholeheartedly, whether we are married or single.

understand

Matthew records an account about Peter’s mother-in-law, revealing that he was married.
Paul references other disciples being married.
At least some of Jesus’ disciples were married.

reflect

How does understanding that some of Jesus’ disciples were married influence your view on the role of marriage in ministry and church leadership today?
How can you depend on God and serve Him faithfully in your life situation, drawing from the strengths and challenges of either marriage or singleness?
Whether married or not, what was important of Jesus’ disciples was that they followed Him. How can we embrace our relationship status and live for the Lord more fully without looking down on either marriage or singleness?

engage

Clerical celibacy—as practiced in the Roman Catholic church—is not recorded in Scripture. Even if Christ was not married, some of his disciples were. God can be glorified and people can live wholeheartedly for Him whether or not they are in full-time vocational ministry and whether they are married or single.
Although the percentage of people getting married continues to decrease, God calls us to have a high view of marriage. How can we keep a high view of marriage and encourage both married and single people to serve the Lord wholeheartedly?
How do you think the biblical examples of both married and single disciples can inform our understanding and approach to balancing personal relationships and ministry in today's church community?