divorce and pastorship

I've known many GREAT men of God who differ on this, but each agree that a divorced man should not pastor, (being a bishop). Some are more "hard" preachers than most could imagine, unless they knew these men of God. I had a long bout with this dilemma myself until I got so frustrated I made comments like,"All these people dropping off into hell while we argue over double-married preachers!" "If you are sure God's called you to preach then don't let any man keep you from preaching!"

But then I received light on the matter. In the qualifications of a bishop, all the things mentioned are forgivable because they are sins against other men, BUT! the area of divorce is breaking a vow with God- the marriage covenant, this would disqualify the married again preacher with a living wife, divorced then she died applies as well.

The report of the man starting his own church w/250 members is just another evidence of the symptoms of society. People heap to themselves teachers having itching ears because they will not endure sound doctrine. (That would strike some of you right if you considerd what the Bible says about not enduring sound doctrine!)

I realized that all men's lives "preach", they either preach righteousness, or rebellion to that which is right. But we are talking about a "position" in the service of God.
Fulfilling a position has requirements, telling some one about Jesus has the only requirement of telling the truth!

The position of preaching has the intention of moving farther ahead into service: Missionary, evangelist, pastor. If the qualifications for a preacher aren't found in I & II Timothy and Titus, then where are they? Do we hold the deacons to a higher standard than preachers?

For those who want to argue this point, debate is a sin, so read your Bible and reason it out with God. Try telling him how He's wrong, He's always right! You're always wrong until you prove Him right!

In His Holy Service,

Brother Ricky

 

I know that there are many of you who are much wiser than I in these matters....but here I go.
I think it is wonderful that this man and his wife are saved and joined a baptist church.
I see a problem with their joining and not following and accepting the doctrine of the church before making a committment to join that church.
Paul states in Tim.3:2 that a Bishop (pastor) must be blameless and the husband of one wife. Thus he cannot be a pastor of a new testament church.
I am only speaking of a pastor's position- How is he going to lead these 200+ people in the whole doctrine of the church when he isn't following God's law in the requirements of this very important position .
I personally would feel somewhat uneasy with a pastor leading me in the trues of God's word who
openly was not following the word himself.
Is it possible that his desire to pastor clouded what God was telling him? I see the law as one for everyone, if God intended to have exceptions He would have told us.
I pray I have been of some help to you and not added to your burden.
In Christ , Mary Kay

 

This is a topic with which I have wrestled, not because of my personal situation, but because it is a problem for so many.

Some observations:

1. There is a distinction between "preaching" and "pastoring." There are no qualifications given for "preaching," (other than the restrictions against women teaching or having authority over men--1 Tim 2:8-14, 1 Cor 14:34-37. A man who has been divorced could serve as an evangelist, a street preacher, a jail preacher, a Bible Study leader, etc., etc.

2. We are mindlessly precise about this one qualification for bishops/elders/pastors, but not at all concerned about some of the other qualifications, such as:

Titus 1:9 "...holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict. 10 For there are many insubordinate, both idle talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, 11 whose mouths must be stopped,"

I have seen many men ordained to the gospel minsitry who did not have this qualification, and there are many I know in the ministry today who still do not have the qualification after several years in the ministry. Most of us would not even consider ordaining a twice-married man, but will lay hands on an ignorant man.

How about ==>"1 Tim 3:4 one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence 5 (for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?);" and also the Titus passage: Titus 1:6 "...having faithful children not accused of dissipation or insubordination."

Then there is==>"1 Tim 3:6 not a novice, lest being puffed up with pride he fall into the same condemnation as the devil." I have seen men ordained who were perhaps less than a novice!

If we are going to be so persnickity about twice-married men (and we should be), let us not forget the other qualifications.

 

If somebody is Born Again then they have entered a new life. So I can see the point of that person wnating to go fufil a call from God on life.

And there is the thing. Is God calling people that are divorced prior to Salvation? Because if He is then we cannot stand in His way. Yet discerning what somebody else's call is not real easy.

When a Sin is Forgiven is it Forgotten about Yes. God does not read out forgiven sin against you on judgement day.

I have a friend who pastors a Baptist Church. His wife left him for another man. He is now remarried and is still a Pastor. His Church voted 100% that he should return as Pastor with his new wife. I have no problem with him pastoring. He had no part in the Adultery, He was the victim. He is restored to his position in the church, and I think that is o.k.

 

There are too many men pastoring today who are unqualified, but they have desire to please their own desires regardless of God's requirements. At the same time we have too many who are afraid to line up pastoral qualifications with the word of God, but rather just accept anyone who proclaims their call to preach. They may be called to preach s we all are to proclaim the Word of God, but not all are called to the most important position held by man today. As this is a position held in high regard by God, so are the qualifications narrow and exclusive.

 

It has gotten to the point that anything one can reason out for themselves with themselves and with people of like thinking, is acceptable, but what so many fail to realize is the binding covenant of holy matrimony, regardless of being prior to salvation or not.

In the area of a person being divorced prior to salvation, saying he then can be qualified to preach, the same train of thought would include that a person is released from the prior marriage at salvation, making it null and void, yet never having been divorced.

Also, that word "one", as in one wife, means first and only, therefore the marriage covenant still stands whether one is saved or not.

Still, if you can convince the Lord a double-married man is qualified to preach then so be it, but that's not possible due to the qualifications found in the Word of God. We do believe the Bible to be the Word of God don't we?

In His Holy Service,

Brother Ricky

 

First, I do not believe a divorced man is qualified to serve in the role of elder or deacon. He can preach and teach though.

Second, as to the above quote, I totally disagree. The greek literally is rendered, one-woman kind of man. It does not speak to the order of marriage. It speaks to the fact that the elder must be a person who is committed to God's standard in relationships.

 

Funny, I haven't found "one living wife" in the Bible yet.
But I did find several verses which state that God forgets our sins when we become saved. Not some sins, not ones of His choosing, but all your sins before salvation.
If you are married and not saved, is the union really in the eyes of God, since you are not part of His family? If so, why do we need salvation?
If not, then you are not breaking the covenant since you have not made one to begin with.

It's very tiring to see people continue to judge others by their past. Such people never let the alcoholic put his bottle down, never let the drug addict throw away his needle, and never let a divorced man let go of his former wife.
It's very sad.

 

"If as an 'unsaved' person I commit sin that prohibits my entrance into the ministry, God is not bound to change His Word because now I want to serve Him."


So God does not forget one's sins before salvation after one is saved. Isn't that contradicting His word, too?

You can't have it both ways.

 

Jeremiah 31:34
"...Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more."

Hebrews 8:12
"For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more."

Hebrews 10:17
"And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more."

"Remember no more"!
Doesn't that mean that the sins are not brought back to mind? Does not the Word of God state that if a person comes to Him, and is saved, that his sins and iniquites are not remembered any more?
Why suffer the consequences of something that is not even remembered by God?
It is man who keeps bringing someone's past up. God has put it away.
And yes, you stand in judgment of someone when you determine their worth in God's eyes by what they did before they entered into His family.
It's not for you to determine, it's for God to determine.

 

Why are you even mentioning Moses here?

I'm talking about someone who has sinned before salvation. When he is saved, the past sins are FORGOTTEN!!
God forgets them, man should, too.

What is so hard about that?

 

You are absolutely correct Bro. Eaton . He can serve just not pastor. Even though we are forgiven there are still consequences for our actions. Mary Kay