Can a Divorced Man be a Pastor/ Preacher?

[Dr. Bob]

Jesus taught divorce was legal under certain circumstances. Right?

Jesus taught that UNLESS the divorce was legal, the person was to remain unmarried. Right?

Therefore, a pastor MAY be divorced and remarried IF the circumstances were proper.

Two Scriptures that come into this debate:
Matthew 5ff does NOT say a divorced person cannot remarry; only one not biblically divorced. The "exception" clause applies to every part of that verse. Don't you dare wrest the Scripture from its context!

Whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery:
and
whosoever shall marry her that is divorced, saving for the cause of fornication , committeth adultery.

The other passage "one-woman man" has been clearly dealt with. I was a pastor before I was married. Was that a sin? No. Now I am a One woman, not two women or three women (hey, I live in Mormon country and it is really popular)!

One is MORE than enough!

 

[aefting]

Are you saying that it is okay to kill someone and pastor pastors and plant churches but it is not scriptural to pastor a church? That is what Paul did.

I don't know. That's a good question. My first reaction is that Paul held the office of Apostle, an office with different qualifications than that of pastor or deacon. But I'm not sure, I'll have to think about this one a bit.

Andy

 

[rlvaughn]

Originally posted by Molly:
I think divorce is looked upon too leniently today.

Molly, I've seen the divorce/pastor question debated numerous times since I've joined the Baptist Board, with much of the same continuing disagreement. BUT, I believe most of us on both sides can agree that your statement quoted above is a wise one full of potent truth for our day.

 

[Jimmy]

There is a good artical about this subject from a Biblical prospective at bible-truth.org

 

[John Wells]

Originally posted by Molly:
based on the qualifications of above reproach and ruling his household. I think divorce is looked upen too leniently today.

What about a man who is divorced before his repentance and salvation....and then has a desire to preach/pastor? He was married,divorced,then saved later...now is married,is a godly husband and father,and meets all other requirements. Can he pastor?

What do you think?

Molly

That is precisely the point I made in my previous post. To say that all manner of sins committed prior to becoming a new creation in Christ can be forgiven of a pastor except divorce, to repeat myself, creates the "second unpardonable sin!"

The whole point of Paul's passages of 1 Tim 3 and Titus 1:6 forward states that to be a worthy pastor, a man must have a proven record of successful spiritual leadership with his wife and children (if he is married). It makes since that if a man is not a successful spiritual leader with his intimate family, how on earth can he be a successful spiritual leader of a body of believers? If a man is not singularly and totally devoted to his wife, it undermines his entire spiritual authority and leadership abilities.

He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?) (1 Timothy 3:4-5)

the husband of one wife. Lit. in Gr. a “one-woman man.” This says nothing about marriage or divorce (for comments on that, see note on v. 4). The issue is not the elder’s marital status, but his moral and sexual purity. This qualification heads the list, because it is in this area that leaders are most prone to fail. Various interpretations of this qualification have been offered. Some see it as a prohibition against polygamy—an unnecessary injunction since polygamy was not common in Roman society and clearly forbidden by Scripture (Gen 2:24), the teaching of Jesus (Matt. 19:5,6; Mark 10:6–9), and Paul (Eph. 5:31). A polygamist could not even have been a church member, let alone a church leader. Others see this requirement as barring those who remarried after the death of their wives. But, as already noted, the issue is sexual purity, not marital status. Further, the Bible encourages remarriage after widowhood (5:14; 1 Cor. 7:39). Some believe that Paul here excludes divorced men from church leadership. That again ignores the fact that this qualification does not deal with marital status. Nor does the Bible prohibit all remarriage after divorce (see notes on Matt. 5:31,32; 19:9; 1 Cor. 7:15). Finally, some think that this requirement excludes single men from church leadership. But if that were Paul’s intent, he would have disqualified himself (1 Cor. 7:8). A “one-woman man” is one totally devoted to his wife, maintaining singular devotion, affection and sexual purity in both thought and deed. To violate this is to forfeit blamelessness and no longer be “above reproach” MacArthur, J. J. (1997, c1997). The MacArthur Study Bible (electronic ed.) (1 Ti 3:2). Nashville: Word Pub.

 

[Gunther]

Originally posted by John Wells:
[QB] That is precisely the point I made in my previous post. To say that all manner of sins committed prior to becoming a new creation in Christ can be forgiven of a pastor except divorce, to repeat myself, creates the "second unpardonable sin!"

John, I would disagree here with you. Marriage was established by God without regard to a person's salvation. In other words, divorce is sin for everyone, not just believers. Of course divorce can be forgiven. However, if such a fella desired a role within the church, let him have at it, just not in the capacity of an overseer/elder or a deacon. He could be an evangelist, church planter, missionary, etc.

That doesn't make divorce an unpardonable sin; it means God is serious about those in leadership.

 

[John Wells]

Originally posted by Gunther:
just not in the capacity of an overseer/elder or a deacon. He could be an evangelist, church planter, missionary, etc.

That doesn't make divorce an unpardonable sin; it means God is serious about those in leadership.

So where does God's Word state a divorced man cannot be a pastor? Surely you don't cling to "the husband of (but) one wife?" The literal rendering, the Greek, and context do not even hint at that having to do with marital status.

 

[Gunther]

John, I agree with the "one woman kind of man" understanding. That is what I have always believed.

However, a man who is completely devoted to one woman has not been divorced and then remarried. Further, the qualification of blameless would be violated. Finally, the "rules his own household well" clause is violated.

It fails on three grounds.

 

[John Wells]

Not if his divorce was prior to his being born again, subsequent to a significant period of evidence of "putting off the old self" and becoming a new creation.

 

[Gunther]

Originally posted by John Wells:
Not if his divorce was prior to his being born again, subsequent to a significant period of evidence of "putting off the old self" and becoming a new creation.

John, prior to conversion has nothing to do with it. The pastorate is reserved for only a few christians, even though all are forgiven.

 

[John Wells]

Gunther,

I would lean a little more toward believing your position if you could support it biblically. If the Apostle Paul (you and I for that matter) isn't excluded from pastorship due to his preconversion sins (persecuting and overseeing murder), then why this divorce thing that people have drummed up over the vague words of "husand of one wife?"

In Christ,
John

 

[PastorGreg]

John, several have clearly stated that the issue is more with blamelessness and ruling his own house well than with husband of one wife. The position that divorce disqualifies a man from the pastorate does not make divorce an unpardonable sin, it just emphasizes the truth that even forgiven sin still bears consequences.
Dear old Dr. Weeks (whom Dr. Bob has spinning in his grave) taught that at salvation one can become a former alcoholic, a former murderer, etc., but even though the divorce is forgiven, one is still divorced.

 

[John Wells]

PastorGreg,

Yes, and suppose the pastor in question has been doing that for 10-15 years since his divorce and subsequent conversion? These passages of Paul's speak of the condition of a non-recent regenerated man, not a particular error in the distant past.

My question remains unanswered, or maybe it is answered. The disqualification of a divorcee who is regenerated, called by God to the ministry (subjective as that is), and spurned by certain churches/denominations is due to church dogma of the pharisaic variety, and not sound biblical doctrine!

 

[dianetavegia]

John, you have been answered. A preacher/ pastor/ deacon is held to a higher calling and higher moral standards. Blameless. His sin is forgiven but God says they must be held to certain standards which are higher than for a church member.

Maybe it's because a pastor is called upon to help save marriages and counsel in so many areas. If he is unable to control his own home, how can he be trusted to give good advice to other men? Just a rambling thought there... and not scripturally based.

I DO believe a divorced man can evangelize, even as a great speaker... but scripture tells me he cannot pastor a church. Maybe if more wonderful Christian men would speak to his brothers and share what they've learned, other men would not stray or fall into the same 'sin trap'.

Diane

 

[John Wells]

dianetavegia: John, you have been answered.

Sorry to disagee Diane, but responded to and answered are two different things. Answered would be being shown scripturally where I am wrong.

dianetavegia: A preacher/ pastor/ deacon is held to a higher calling and higher moral standards. Blameless. His sin is forgiven but God says they must be held to certain standards which are higher than for a church member.

Agreed, but you take it further than scripture does by saying that prior to regeneration a man cannot have made this one mistake. He can have made all sorts of others, but not this one. That is absurdly rediculous!

dianetavegia: Maybe it's because a pastor is called upon to help save marriages and counsel in so many areas. If he is unable to control his own home, how can he be trusted to give good advice to other men? Just a rambling thought there... and not scripturally based.

I believe I have answered this several times over. We are talking about failings in the distant past, and a proven track record of sound spiritual family leadership after regeneration.

dianetavegia: I DO believe a divorced man can evangelize, even as a great speaker... but scripture tells me he cannot pastor a church. Maybe if more wonderful Christian men would speak to his brothers and share what they've learned, other men would not stray or fall into the same 'sin trap'.

Please tell me, Diane, where scripture tells you that? Where does it say that a man who has, in the distant past, fallen from those higher standards, now having been regenerated and living the example of a regenerated family spiritual leader for many years, is forever disqualified to be a pastor? The Bible doesn't teach this. It is dogma and pharisaic emotionalism! I agree with PastorGreg and others that forgiven sin often carries lifelong consequences, but the Bible does not say that permanent disqualification of pastorship is one of them!

 

[Gunther]

The issue is not about forgiveness. It never has been.

Paul was not a pastor. He never claimed to be. He was a frontier missionary who planted churches. Because of his apostleship, he had authority.

Remember when John the Baptist accused Herod of being an adulterer because he married his brothers wife? Did the marriage laws apply to Herod or was John misguided?

 

[John Wells]

Gunther,

Must we go round and round with bad examples? Herod was a practicing, unrepentant adulterer. You do see the distinction between him and the theoretical pastor we are discussing . . . don't you?

Peruse this for some interesting feedback. Note the responses of notable theologians!
http://www.gospelcenterchurch.org/divorcedpastors.html

and . . .

http://www.baptistlife.com/flick/rethinking.htm

 

[John Wells]

Another point! Those on the other side of this debate from me seem to naturally assume that a "never divorced" pastor is a successful spiritual leader of his family. It is notorious (many jokes attest to this) for pastor's kids to be the most unruly kids in the church There are many previously divorced pastors (12% according to a Barna study) who are better spritual leaders than some of their never divorced counterparts.

The unconditional barring of divorced men as pastors is neither biblical nor practical. It is a pharisaic, dogmatic standard and not a biblical standard. I can think of far worse never divorced pastors to submit my authority to than Charles Stanley, for example!

"Many of the same preachers who scream vehemently against Divorced preachers and deacons hold a Scofield Bible high in the air and wave it backwards and forth. I wonder if they know that Dr. Scofield was divorced and remarried?" - from above linked article!

 

[Gunther]

John, I was only pointing out that marriage laws extend beyond believers.

Of course I see a difference between Herod and the prospective pastor. My point doesn't change. If John the Baptist could apply a law (taken from the Law of Moses) to an unsaved gentile, then it carries over. Remarriage and the like would also be wrong (unless death had occurred in the other spouse).

 

[John Wells]

Gunther,

Compare your statement with Matt. 5:31,32; 19:9; 1 Cor. 7:15 and let God's Word be our guide and judge!