Can A Pastor Get Remarried If His Wife....

[HappyChristian]

Yes, He does hate it.  And, yes, God can heal a marriage.  But the fact remains that He does allow it under fornication circumstances.  Because hearts are still hard...as I said, it is best to work it out and allow God to heal things.  But hard hearts don't allow God to work...

[Salyan]

The exception clause for divorce doesn't, however , say that remarriage is permitted. For anyone, much less a pastor. I studied this all out a number of years ago. The best answer I could find is that there is nothing said about the state of one that remarries, but the person who marries a divorce person commits adultery. So...

[Salyan]

Oh, and while there is something forbidding a man from remarrying a wife that left and married another man, that sure doesn't apply to her leaving for a woman. (Ick!) Seems to me that reconciliation is very possible in that case.

[Anon]

There are two schools of thought with this in IFB circles.   One is that if the divorce is due to "fornication" that the remaining spouse is free to remarry and remain in the ministry.  The other school of thought is that you should never remarry after divorce....and be a pastor or deacon, anyway.   I know there are good men who believe both, and can back their beliefs up with Scripture.

 

I'm personally on the fence.  Sure, a pastor has to rule his home...but the wife still has a free will.  I do not necessarily think that it is the pastor's fault if the wife decides to leave.  I mean, it likely is partially his fault...but in some cases truly it is a matter of the woman's free will.  However it really doesn't look bad for a guy to remain in the ministry and be divorced.   So I would say it is not the best idea for a man to get remarried and be in the ministry like that.   But really that man has to answer to his church and to God for the ultimate answer.  I do personally think God prefers a divorced person not to get remarried, but practically speaking, most divorced people do remarry.

[Anon]

Yes, He does hate it.  And, yes, God can heal a marriage.  But the fact remains that He does allow it under fornication circumstances.  Because hearts are still hard...as I said, it is best to work it out and allow God to heal things.  But hard hearts don't allow God to work...

 

 

I forgot if your pastor teaches that divorce is okay AND remarriage, or just divorce?  I know that there are passages that say about fornication, but I don't think any of them say remarriage is okay..... although as I mentioned, you'd be hard pressed to actually enforce that these days.

[HappyChristian]

I forgot if your pastor teaches that divorce is okay AND remarriage, or just divorce? I know that there are passages that say about fornication, but I don't think any of them say remarriage is okay..... although as I mentioned, you'd be hard pressed to actually enforce that these days.

He believes that fornication is the only biblical grounds for divorce. And that if there is a divorce, the man is disqualified from pastoring or being a deacon. He also believes that, if the divorce is for fornication, the marriage completely ended and remarriage is permissable. He would be the first to say work things out if at all possible, though.

He knew that he would need to deal with this issue so did an intensive study early on in his ministry and that is how he came by his beliefs. But as he has said: there are good men who believe in no divorce ever and he would not argue the issue with them.

[DaveW]

Well Hosea had the opportunity and didn't - permissible or not we see a God directed EXAMPLE (not solid doctrine but example) of what is BEST in such a situation.

[wretched]

Confusion of Law and Grace is really this issue here folks.

All references quoting what you cannot do in regards to marriage in this thread has either been OT Law or NT reference to the Law including Romans 7 which someone quoted,

 

1 Cor 7:27, 28 is Grace and states that the divorced can remarry without sin. However, it also states very clearly that we would all better serve the Lord without a spouse whether virgin or divorced. The time is short, those that are married should act as if they are not (not be distracted from God's work by wasting time on a spouse). Hard to hear ain't it but it is right there in black and white. You won't hear anyone preach on this though

 

Pastoral qualifications are under Grace, not the Law. Each pastoral qual is preceded by the current tense of the verb, not former. It says be blameless, be sober, be viligant, be the husband of one wife. Not has always been, etc..

[DaveW]

I think you linking vs 27 and vs 28 - incorrectly.
Vs 28 is talking about marriage in general, not specifically in relation to him who is loosed from a wife in vs 27.

The actual context is about putting the Lord first - it is not teaching directly about divorce and remarriage.

I do agree with you - it is quite clearly PREFERABLE for a man loosed from his wife not to seek a wife.

[The Glory Land]

Oh, and while there is something forbidding a man from remarrying a wife that left and married another man, that sure doesn't apply to her leaving for a woman. (Ick!) Seems to me that reconciliation is very possible in that case.

 

 

(Ick!) Be nice, there might be some here...   

[candlelight]

My situation with divorce is very different.  I was married to an abusive drunk for a five years.  I wasn't saved and had no clue what the Bible said at all.  We separated when my son was 2 1/2 years old and divorced when he was 5.  I had 7 years to think about remarrying again.  I intended to be a single mom for the rest of my life.  However, my godly husband came into the picture.  He said he knew we would get married on our first date.  He told me so in the restaurant.  I believe God showed much mercy here, b/c had I stayed in the marriage, I would have died.

 

Anyway, we have been married for over 12 years.  As I stated, my husband does not want a position as pastor or deacon in our IFB church.  He has seen his father (deacon) and mother deal with a lot through the years.  He doesn't want to commit himself to service this way.  I believe the Lord Jesus will direct him in another way.  Thankfully, I was treated with kindness and love in my IFB church, whereas the RCC treated me like used goods.  It surely makes a difference when the saved treated me well and didn't look down on me b/c of my divorce.

[AVBibleBeliever]

My situation with divorce is very different.  I was married to an abusive drunk for a five years.  I wasn't saved and had no clue what the Bible said at all.  We separated when my son was 2 1/2 years old and divorced when he was 5.  I had 7 years to think about remarrying again.  I intended to be a single mom for the rest of my life.  However, my godly husband came into the picture.  He said he knew we would get married on our first date.  He told me so in the restaurant.  I believe God showed much mercy here, b/c had I stayed in the marriage, I would have died.

 

Anyway, we have been married for over 12 years.  As I stated, my husband does not want a position as pastor or deacon in our IFB church.  He has seen his father (deacon) and mother deal with a lot through the years.  He doesn't want to commit himself to service this way.  I believe the Lord Jesus will direct him in another way.  Thankfully, I was treated with kindness and love in my IFB church, whereas the RCC treated me like used goods.  It surely makes a difference when the saved treated me well and didn't look down on me b/c of my divorce.

 

Candle, I don't think anyone including God would expect you to stay in a relationship that is abusive. 

[wretched]

Disagree Dave, the context is quite clear. The systemic problem even with IFBs is the attempt to change the Word to meet a incorrect belief rather than rightly dividing it.

We will remain wrong on many topics continuing to do that. But, rarely are those topics all that important including this one.

[DaveW]

I just think you are unnecessarily restricting it to ONLY one loosed.
Quite happy to have an agreed disagreement on it though ;)

[candlelight]

Candle, I don't think anyone including God would expect you to stay in a relationship that is abusive. 

 

Especially, since my life was at stake.  I would have been murdered had I stayed in the marriage.