Divorce, Remarriage and Preaching
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Divorce, Remarriage and Preaching Part II
- Thread starter Salty
- Start date
The question is "What does 'one wife" mean.
Some will say only one wife at a time
others will say that what God has joined - no man may put asunder.
This is my thought -
At a divorce - the judge would say something along the line of
"This marriage is dissolved" or other such legal phrase.
If that is the case than you no longer have a wife.
Paul stated that you are to be the husband of one wife.
(so if a woman has a wife - then she has a nother problem)
If Paul meant divorce - why did he not say divorce?
Dont us Baptist go by what the Bible teaches?
Many believe (including myself) that the one wife was referring to polygamy.
Thus, I do not have a problem with a divorced man - in itself as an automatic dis-qualifier.
However, if a man gets divorced one day - it might not be best to accept a church the following day.
A time should pass first.
I met a pastor once who was on his fourth wife - that might be a bit of concerned to me.
There could be other concerns as well.
And on the other hand - there are those who say a man should not be a preacher if he is single......
IF the Lord leads you to preach - do so! and who knows - He may lead you to pastor a church as well!
Some will say only one wife at a time
others will say that what God has joined - no man may put asunder.
This is my thought -
At a divorce - the judge would say something along the line of
"This marriage is dissolved" or other such legal phrase.
If that is the case than you no longer have a wife.
Paul stated that you are to be the husband of one wife.
(so if a woman has a wife - then she has a nother problem)
If Paul meant divorce - why did he not say divorce?
Dont us Baptist go by what the Bible teaches?
Many believe (including myself) that the one wife was referring to polygamy.
Thus, I do not have a problem with a divorced man - in itself as an automatic dis-qualifier.
However, if a man gets divorced one day - it might not be best to accept a church the following day.
A time should pass first.
I met a pastor once who was on his fourth wife - that might be a bit of concerned to me.
There could be other concerns as well.
And on the other hand - there are those who say a man should not be a preacher if he is single......
IF the Lord leads you to preach - do so! and who knows - He may lead you to pastor a church as well!
His stated divorce would fit under "biblical grounds" so would not mean disqualified from being even a Pastor!
I'm old enough to remember when DIVORCE, in Baptist circles, was THE "un-pardonable sin". Seems that the stigma has been replaced with either complacency and/or acceptance today.
Absoutely - remember the old Baptist joke - if a preacher wants to get rid of his wife - he should have her "eliminated"
as a church will forgive you for murder -
But NEVER would forgive a preacher for a divorce.
canadyjd
Well-Known Member
A church I was once part of had a man request an ordination to pastoral ministry. He had been divorced prior to salvation. Both he and his wife had remarried.
We studied the issue as a fellowship for couple of months. There were basically two camps.
The first camp believed since the divorce was prior to salvation, it was forgiven by God. No man can be disqualified based on sin committed prior to salvation.
The second camp believed the issue wasn’t about whether the sin was forgiven, or if it was prior to salvation, or whether the divorce was biblical. The issue is God’s requirements for leadership in His churches.
Since the marriage relationship in some way represents the relationship between Christ and His church (the Bride of Christ) a pastor cannot be divorced because Christ would never divorce His bride. God doesn’t want that image in the leadership of His churches.
peace to you
We studied the issue as a fellowship for couple of months. There were basically two camps.
The first camp believed since the divorce was prior to salvation, it was forgiven by God. No man can be disqualified based on sin committed prior to salvation.
The second camp believed the issue wasn’t about whether the sin was forgiven, or if it was prior to salvation, or whether the divorce was biblical. The issue is God’s requirements for leadership in His churches.
Since the marriage relationship in some way represents the relationship between Christ and His church (the Bride of Christ) a pastor cannot be divorced because Christ would never divorce His bride. God doesn’t want that image in the leadership of His churches.
peace to you
Reformed1689
Well-Known Member
I would also think it would need to look at why the divorce took place. The Bible allows for divorce in certain circumstances.
IF we were to take into account prior deeds and sins, both Moses and paul would have been disqualified for service to God!
canadyjd
Well-Known Member
That is how the church ultimately voted. When God separates us from our sin (as far as East from West) He doesn’t make an exception for the sin of divorce.
peace to you
atpollard
Well-Known Member
1 Timothy 3:1-7 [NKJV]
Titus 1:5-9 [NKJV]
Strange how Paul and God focus on so many things that all point to the CHARACTER of the man, and the 'church' seems to focus only on the WHAT of "divorced" with no interest in why ... or in any of the other things that Paul talked about.
Imagine interviewing the wife of a candidate to ask about his qualifications as a husband and father before considering whether he might be "Pastor" material.
1 This [is] a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of a bishop, he desires a good work. 2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach; 3 not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous; 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?); 6 not a novice, lest being puffed up with pride he fall into the [same] condemnation as the devil. 7 Moreover he must have a good testimony among those who are outside, lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.
Titus 1:5-9 [NKJV]
5 For this reason I left you in Crete, that you should set in order the things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you-- 6 if a man is blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of dissipation or insubordination. 7 For a bishop must be blameless, as a steward of God, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, 8 but hospitable, a lover of what is good, sober-minded, just, holy, self-controlled, 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.
Strange how Paul and God focus on so many things that all point to the CHARACTER of the man, and the 'church' seems to focus only on the WHAT of "divorced" with no interest in why ... or in any of the other things that Paul talked about.
Imagine interviewing the wife of a candidate to ask about his qualifications as a husband and father before considering whether he might be "Pastor" material.
So God should not have chosen Moses or Paul?
His wife and kids might be only ones to give an "honest review"
When we hold to any theological position that holds a persons past and repented sin against them then we have lost our way. Those with biases will often work to dress them up in some sort of distorted theology.
I know personally cases where the Pastor had his wife leave due to her Adultery, and yet they never got called to any church again, so we say God is gracious towards us, and yet treat those hurt by the other spouse to suffer also now!
canadyjd
Well-Known Member
I guess I should have been clearer. All sins are forgiven, even divorce. That didn’t disqualify him, being prior to salvation.
peace to you
Thanks, so that was your church decision in the end?
canadyjd
Well-Known Member
Yes, we voted to ordain him. The divorce prior to salvation did not disqualify him from gospel ministry.
peace to you
How did he work out?