1. Welcome to Baptist Board, a friendly forum to discuss the Baptist Faith in a friendly surrounding.

    Your voice is missing! You will need to register to get access to all the features that our community has to offer.

    We hope to see you as a part of our community soon and God Bless!

Can A Single ....

Discussion in 'Baptist Theology & Bible Study' started by wpe3bql, Sep 10, 2015.

Top Posters
  1. wpe3bql

    wpe3bql Member

    Joined:
    May 15, 2015
    Messages:
    979
    Likes Received:
    13
    ...... Man Ever Hold Any Kind Of Pastoral Position In A Baptist Church?

    In the thread on Charles Stanley, it was brought up whether or not it is biblical for a single man (i.e., a man who is not married) can ever possibly hold any kind of pastoral position at all in a Baptist church.

    Contrary to what I've heard some Baptists tell me, I believe that it's possible for a single man to hold some kind of pastoral position in a local church.

    Here's why:
    1) The very one who founded true Baptist churches--the Lord Jesus Christ--was a single person while He lived here on earth and founded what I designate as a true Baptist church.

    It seems to me that if the very Founder of true NT Baptist churches was single when He founded them, why do some folks advocate that--at least in their way of reasoning--it borders on some kind of sin for a single person to hold some kind of pastoral position in a local Baptist church?

    2) What about Timothy? In 1 Timothy 4:12-14, the Apostle Paul clearly indicates that his "son in the faith" [1 Tim. 1:2] was ordained as a pastor of the church in Ephesus (the recipient of a letter by the Apostle Paul and by the Apostle John [via the angel who held the lampstand of each church described in Rev. 1-3]).

    If both the Apostle Paul and "the angel" considered the church at Ephesus to be a true NT church that possessed the authority to ordain the single man Timothy as pastor, it would appear that, by extension, the Lord Jesus Christ did too because, while that local church did have some problems, one of them was not the marital status of her pastor--the single man Timothy.

    Then there's the Apostle Paul himself. While some scholars seem to believe that Paul was married, there's really no clear-cut NT statement that comes right out and tells us whether or not He was married.
    If he was married at the tim
     
    #1 wpe3bql, Sep 10, 2015
  2. blessedwife318

    blessedwife318 Well-Known Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Aug 29, 2014
    Messages:
    2,358
    Likes Received:
    445
    Faith:
    Baptist
    I agree that a single man can be a pastor. The husband of one wife could be better translated one women man, and as long as the single pastor was not involved in sexual immorality he would fit the description of being a one women man, saving himself for that one women.
    I said in the other thread that I suspect that some of the desire/tradition of having married pastors comes from breaking away from the RCC where the Priest are forbidden from marrying.
     
    #2 blessedwife318, Sep 10, 2015
  3. Salty

    Salty 20,000 Posts Club
    Administrator

    Joined:
    Apr 8, 2003
    Messages:
    38,982
    Likes Received:
    2,615
    Faith:
    Baptist

    And I agree with your translation.

    If the Apostle Paul meant Divorce - he would have said divorce.

    A divorce ends a marriage - and in Dr. Stanley case - it was his wife who wanted the divorce.

    Let me add, I believe that a single man CAN be a pastor.

    However, polygamy is not permitted for a pastor.
     
    #3 Salty, Sep 10, 2015
  4. Rolfe

    Rolfe Well-Known Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    May 17, 2014
    Messages:
    6,898
    Likes Received:
    638
    Faith:
    Baptist
    My opinion only. I have no problem with a bachelor pastoring, though I think that it might be more difficult.

    (I am not a pastor. Just a layman.)
     
    #4 Rolfe, Sep 11, 2015
  5. Rippon

    Rippon Well-Known Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Dec 12, 2005
    Messages:
    19,715
    Likes Received:
    585
    Faith:
    Baptist
    Charles H. Spurgeon was single for two years after assuming the pastorate.

    In no particular order, the following were never married, yet pastored faithfully for years.

    Henry P. Liddon (1829-1890)
    August Toplady (1740-1778)
    John Berridge (1716-1793)
    James Hervey (1714-1758)
    Charles Simeon (1759-1836)
    Robert Murray McCheyne (1813-1843)
    John Stott (1921-2011)
    William Still --years of ministry 1945-1997.
    Clarence McArtney (1879-1957)

    Of course there have been a number of men in ministries of some sort,
    though not pastoring as such. Men like :
    Jerome (347-420)
    Augustine (354-430)
    Ambrose (340-397)
    Thomas Bradwardine (1290-1349)
    John Wycliffe (1328-1384)
    John Gresham Machen (1881-1937)
     
    #5 Rippon, Sep 11, 2015
  6. SovereignGrace

    SovereignGrace Well-Known Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    May 31, 2015
    Messages:
    5,536
    Likes Received:
    1,026
    Faith:
    Baptist
    Everyone centers in on 'husband of one wife'.

    If his children are brats, they're excluded from pastoring.

    If the lost speak evil of him he is excluded as well.

    If children are not saved, he can not pastor, per Titus 1.

    If he flies off the handle just once, he is not a man who can pastor.

    But people want to clammour about marriage and eschew the other requirements.
     
    #6 SovereignGrace, Sep 11, 2015
  7. Salty

    Salty 20,000 Posts Club
    Administrator

    Joined:
    Apr 8, 2003
    Messages:
    38,982
    Likes Received:
    2,615
    Faith:
    Baptist
    Excellent point

    But we all have heard the old Baptist way:

    If a pastor wants to get rid of his wife, he should have her killed. For that he would be forgiven.

    But to many Divorce appears to be the unpardonable sin.
     
    #7 Salty, Sep 11, 2015
  8. Aaron

    Aaron Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Sep 4, 2000
    Messages:
    20,253
    Likes Received:
    1,381
    Faith:
    Baptist
    I think celibacy to be a very rare gift, and would think it extraordinary that a single man would be qualified to hold office.

    I also think gifts like Timothy's to be as rare, and think it extraordinary that a young man who has yet to raise a family would be qualified to hold office.
     
    #8 Aaron, Sep 12, 2015
(You must log in or sign up to post here.)
Loading...