The text is "one woman man," as has been pointed out. Historically, the consensus opinion among conservatives has been that this prohibition was to keep polygamists from holding the office of elder/deacon. Having more than one spouse means a man is distracted from his duties (Paul's 1 Cor 7 argument) and also places him squarely in line with current cultural practice that was never God's intention (Adam & Eve as the model). The fact that this text is used to prohibit qualified men from the eldership or diaconate just because of a divorce is a shame, and is a blight on Bible believers. The character qualifications in 1 Tim 3 and Titus 1 are all in present tense. This precludes the interpretation of "If you've been divorced, you can't pastor or be a deacon."
Scripture gives permissible grounds for divorce, though it condemns the practice of divorce. However, even God commanded divorce (see Ezra 10) for spiritual reasons.
Godly, one-woman men must not be barred from office if they are qualified, even if they've suffered a divorce. A single man can be a one woman kind of man, just as a married man can be, or a divorced man can be. I know some men who have been married for 40 years but aren't one woman men. I know men who have been divorced and remarried and are indeed one woman men.
Ever notice how this requirement is exalted above all others? It's as if as long as a man has never been divorced, he's deacon material. Forget about the way he treats his wife; forget about his business dealings and how that affects his reputation with outsiders; forget about his familial duties. Just as long as he's only been married once, even though he's got a lustful eye, he's better than so-and-so who had a divorce but repented and is now married to a godly woman and whose character and home life are the exact kinds of character and home life we'd want for all our church's families.
Scripture gives permissible grounds for divorce, though it condemns the practice of divorce. However, even God commanded divorce (see Ezra 10) for spiritual reasons.
Godly, one-woman men must not be barred from office if they are qualified, even if they've suffered a divorce. A single man can be a one woman kind of man, just as a married man can be, or a divorced man can be. I know some men who have been married for 40 years but aren't one woman men. I know men who have been divorced and remarried and are indeed one woman men.
Ever notice how this requirement is exalted above all others? It's as if as long as a man has never been divorced, he's deacon material. Forget about the way he treats his wife; forget about his business dealings and how that affects his reputation with outsiders; forget about his familial duties. Just as long as he's only been married once, even though he's got a lustful eye, he's better than so-and-so who had a divorce but repented and is now married to a godly woman and whose character and home life are the exact kinds of character and home life we'd want for all our church's families.