Can a Single Woman be Friends with a Married Man? Part 1

This is, of course, a loaded question! The answer is both yes and no, and depends largely on many factors. If you find yourself in this situation, consider the following:

Inappropriate “friendships”

Let’s start with an easily discerned situation where friendship would NOT be appropriate. If the man initiated this friendship under any deception (for example, flirting and behaving as a single man, when he was married) FLEE!

1 Corinthians 15:33 says: Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.”

Proverbs 22:3 says: The prudent sees danger and hides himself, but the simple go on and suffer for it.

1 Corinthians 5:9-13 says: I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside. “Purge the evil person from among you.”