I cannot find anywhere in the Scripture that say a Pastor is disqualified for divorce. I do find that he is to be the husband of one wife. Paul was not only referring to polygamy, but divorce and then remarrying another woman as well. If Paul did not mean marrying another woman while your (divorced) wife is living then he would have said that the flavor of the day/month/year/decade (fill in as needed) is OK as long as the papers are filed correctly or some other nonsense.
It is not the sin that disqualifies anyone from being an Elder, for God can and does forgive all sins when asked to do so.
These are boundaries or rules that God set up for His Church. It is natural for men to try to change these rules with rules that makes it easier for men, but that does not change the rules that God set. All it does is make men feel better and justify why men do not follow God's word. (After all God knows what He wants for His church).
This was not set up to punish anyone, it was set up as guidelines for God's Church and His followers. I find that those who want to follow God's Word do their best to do so, those who want to follow man's word do so and then spend a lifetime trying to justify it.
Why does divorce of any kind disqualify a pastor?
Discussion in 'General Baptist Discussions' started by John I Morris, May 10, 2014.
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I think it's rather simple, and that people often try and twist this passage to allow for what they want. "Husband of one wife" is pretty self explanatory. Even if it meant "one wife at a time", well, marriage is until death do us part. So if a guy gets a divorce for unbiblical reasons (anything other than infidelity) then he's still married to the woman. If he remarries, then he is now married to two women.
The only exception that I could see, even though I personally disagree with it, is if a man was divorced and remarried before he got saved. Again, I don't personally agree with that, but I think an argument could be made for it.
Single men should not be pastors. A single man isn't the husband of one wife. Outside that, how in the world can a single man help a married couple grow? He doesn't even understand what the issues are, much less know how to overcome them yet. -
You contend, how can a single man know how to counsel a married couple.
Using that same logic - how can a never divorced man counsel a divorce couple -
I am truly thankful for all of the answers. Thank you all, Many different views for many different perspective's. :thumbsup:
Doing well Mark, how are you my brother?
Oh, I am a pre-trib dispensationalist. Hope that we are still friends. :smilewinkgrin:
Blessings! -
Scarlett O. ModeratorModerator
How can a pastor who married when was 18 years old and knows nothing else help the man who is 52 and never married to grow?
How can the happily married pastor help the divorcee' to grow?
How can the married pastor help the widow and widower to deal with the living alone again?
How can the married pastor help the man struggling with the bondage of homosexuality?
I don't believe one's marital status has much to do with one's calling or ability to lead people in spiritual growth. One is either gifted in that area, called by God, or he is not.
A good pastor doesn't have to have the life experiences of every person in his congregation to be a competent pastor. -
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Any time a situation arises where a pastor has no experience, he needs to seek outside help. No problem there. But, since most of a congregation is going to be married, that means that the single "pastor" wouldn't really be pastoring. He'd be preaching, and relying on others to pastor.
All of this is moot, however, in light of "husband of one wife". Opinions aside, that disqualifies a single man from the pastorship. Not from preaching, or missionary work, or being a traveling evangelist. But it does from being a pastor. -
I am not certain how this should be interpreted. I've seen good arguments for multiple interpretations. I think the simplest, and therefore most likely, interpretation is that it is a prohibition against polygamy.
Another question to consider, which I don't believe has been brought up, is does this apply to someone's entire life or only their life since being a Christian? Those who say this disqualifies a divorced man from eldership - is a man who was divorced before becoming a Christian also disqualified?
Here is a good article by Randy Alcorn on this subject. He also touches on the Sapper and Salty are having regarding the possible interpretation that a pastor must be married.
http://www.epm.org/resources/2010/Feb/23/meaning-husband-one-wife-1-timothy-3/
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Scarlett O. ModeratorModerator
And ..
.. it is within the same realm of possibility that she suffered from being widowed, abandoned, divorced wrongly, divorced rightly, or probably a combination of many things.
The Bible is deadly silent on that - except for the fact that Jesus said that Moses "allowed" men to divorce their wives because their hearts were hardened.
We just don't know what her circumstances of having 5 husbands entails. -
Very good Biblical point Ann, thank you! Something else to consider.
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I don't know that the divorce in itself is a disqualifier. There are other things to consider.
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I'm glad you caught that one brother. I had been thinking of it myself. The subject in and of itself is very complicated and there are/were many points of law then that we don't have now, and vice versa. I think polygany and others are listed later on in this discussion... -
I will probably be flogged for writing this, but, I believe that in each church, independently, it is between them and the person that they choose as their leader or group of leaders to be so, whether divorced or not. There are many preachers today or groups of elders in one church who are divorced, yet preach the gospel, live as exemplary of lives as they can and do their best to lead those under their care to live for the Lord. Sometimes in the absence of what one would consider the "ideal" choice, the Lord sends others instead.
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righteousdude2 Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
Spot on!
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Under the Law, men could have as many wives and concubines as he could keep. Not so under the Grace Covenant. This was what Paul was addressing. If one had multiple wives, they were still trying to live under the Law. If the unbeliever departs, let them depart. A Brother or Sister is not in bondage in such cases. If one isn't in bondage, then they're free...
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