Can A Divorced Man Become A Deacon, Pastor Or A Preacher?

[Standing Firm In Christ]

Paul said the one desiring the office of a Bishop "must be" the husband of one wife. 

Notice he did not say "must have been" the husband of one wife.  The pastor must be married.  That is a prerequisite for that sacred office.  The word "must" reveals that it is an imperative.  No working around it.

Now, does this mean that a man called of God to take that sacred position of Bishop must step down from the pastorate should his wife pass before he does?  I believe it does, if only temporary.  Again, the key words "must be" should be emphasized here.

I do not believe it means the man can only have been married once and then must permanently give up the pastorate should his wife pass.  I believe the pastor is free to seek a new wife if his first wife passes.  He is no longer married to that woman he was married to before. 

She is not his wife.  She WAS his wife. 
 

[irishman]

I explained the "must be" is a condition, not a command.  You take it the way you want to, which I believe most people are going to do anyway..

 

The "must be" refers to marriage, which is supposed to be "until death do you part", which is NOT divorce.

 

A condition means that "if" you are, then only one wife but not commanded.  Paul was unmarried, if you remember.

[Standing Firm In Christ]

Paul may have been divorced. He may have been widowed. We are not told.

We do know he had to have been married. Historians record that pharisees had to be married.

Again, must indicates imperative. Be is present tense, so a bishop must currently have a wife.

[The Glory Land]

Paul may have been divorced. He may have been widowed. We are not told.

We do know he had to have been married. Historians record that pharisees had to be married.

Again, must indicates imperative. Be is present tense, so a bishop must currently have a wife.

 

So a biscuit must currently have a wife.

 

 

My wife does make good biscuit.... 

[20JC12]

Interesting. Being a woman who is divorced it makes me wonder if Jesus feels I do not deserve a husband (remarriage/adultery) because I opted to leave. Maybe him putting a gun to my head wasn't a good enough reason to leave the marriage... I should have just let him kill me and the children.

 

Where's the line? and who determines it? The scripture isn't detailed in that area from what I see. It just calls remarriage adultery.

[John81]

Interesting. Being a woman who is divorced it makes me wonder if Jesus feels I do not deserve a husband (remarriage/adultery) because I opted to leave. Maybe him putting a gun to my head wasn't a good enough reason to leave the marriage... I should have just let him kill me and the children.

 

Where's the line? and who determines it? The scripture isn't detailed in that area from what I see. It just calls remarriage adultery.

There is no point to stew over the past. What's been done is done. Whatever sin is in our past, if we have confessed our sin He is faithful and just to forgive us; and that means God has cast it as far as the east from the west.

 

In accord with what Paul stated, forget what is behind and press on towards the high calling in Christ that He has for your life now.

[20JC12]

Ow I don't hold on to the past but that's my reality. There are those who honestly believe that I will rot in hell if I get married again. 

[John81]

Ow I don't hold on to the past but that's my reality. There are those who honestly believe that I will rot in hell if I get married again. 

I wasn't thinking you were stuck in the past, but it's good to know you are not. It's important that we move on in Christ regardless of those who hold to wrongful views. Far too many folks spend have their noses in other peoples business when they should be tending to their own lives.

 

While I know that among some, divorce is viewed almost as the unpardonable sin (it isn't!), but there are also any number of other things some love to point at so they can tell someone else how wrong they are or they can be of no use or they are courting danger in some way.

 

Thankfully, if you marry again we know the Lord won't cast you into hell for that.

[irishman]

Uhh, a little extreme aren't we?  Their sin is no worse than any other, but why try to say it isn't sin when the Bible is clear.

 

Personally, I don't care if someone marries again, I didn't bring the subject up!  I just don't understand why, when its you who stands for Truth, it's ok, but when someone else does, that's taboo.

 

Do what you will, I'm through here.

[JerryNumbers]

Interesting. Being a woman who is divorced it makes me wonder if Jesus feels I do not deserve a husband (remarriage/adultery) because I opted to leave. Maybe him putting a gun to my head wasn't a good enough reason to leave the marriage... I should have just let him kill me and the children.

 

Where's the line? and who determines it? The scripture isn't detailed in that area from what I see. It just calls remarriage adultery.

 

I've a church members whose wife was a loose woman, & he chose not to remarry, he feels that the Bible teaches him unless his wife were to die he is to remain unmarried. He stated it this way, "I messed up, I married an unsaved woman, & she turned out to be bad."

 

Just after they called me to be their pastor he told me this & I had not preached on that. Sometimes I really think many of us lets the ways of the world get in out way, & it prejudices our mind against many of God's ways. One thing for sure, our ways are not His ways, neither our our thoughts.

[wretched]

Ow I don't hold on to the past but that's my reality. There are those who honestly believe that I will rot in hell if I get married again. 

 

No true believer would ever believe this miss so separate yourself from these people right quick and in a hurry.

[John81]

No true believer would ever believe this miss so separate yourself from these people right quick and in a hurry.

Actually there are many true believers who do hold to some very wrong views on some matters. We need to be very careful when it comes to declaring someone isn't a believer.

 

That said, I do agree that if they hold to such a view strongly enough to say someone will "rot in hell" if they remarry (which is contrary to Scripture) then it would be best to separate from such.

[JerryNumbers]

Actually there are many true believers who do hold to some very wrong views on some matters. We need to be very careful when it comes to declaring someone isn't a believer.

 

That said, I do agree that if they hold to such a view strongly enough to say someone will "rot in hell" if they remarry (which is contrary to Scripture) then it would be best to separate from such.

 

Some people do seem to believe that if another person does not believe just like them that its impossible for them to be saved. With that said that is true on one issue, for there's only one, {1}, way to be saved, & its by faith though Jesus, not of self, not of works. All of those that refuses to be saved in that manner, & tries to steal their way into Heaven Jesus will tell them, "I never knew you."

 

Joh 10:1 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.

 

And there's many trying to steal their way into Heaven.

[wretched]

Neither of the last two posts say much of anything gents. The point is this: If anyone claims to be born again but holds a belief that any subsequent sin they commit damns them to hell then they were never born again...Got it?

[John81]

Neither of the last two posts say much of anything gents. The point is this: If anyone claims to be born again but holds a belief that any subsequent sin they commit damns them to hell then they were never born again...Got it?

That's not what's been put forth even though taken to the logical conclusion, such would have to lead there. However, most people (yes, even Christians!) don't examine their beliefs that closely. It's very well possible for a saved person to hold a wrong view in this area.

 

Speaking for myself, there were many things during my early years as a Christian that I had a wrong understanding of but I was a born again Christian.