Husband of one Wife

How many other cultures have you seen? And how is that relevant? We are not drawing on culture here, but rather on Scripture. I think most, with me, would say that we don't care what culture says about this. We do care what God has said.

 

I agree Wayne. It really saddens me. I don't think people realize how divorce and the acceptance of divorce is affecting the next generation. Women are as guilty as men! We expect so much of men that we dump them over things that could be overcome and have given our daughters the impression that men are disposable.

God HATES divorce and so do I.

 

Pastor Larry

Really? God speaks to us through His Word. Nor your word, or my word. Not in your culture, nor in my culture.

He wrote in Greek, through the Apostles TO the first century hellenized Roman culture.

I know of no other world culture that accepts adultury and divorce the way we do.

 

I have only been in one of the the countries that have a higher divorce rate than we do ... England.

web page

 

It is relevant, because the first century did not live in our culture. They lived in a culture where divorce was seen as a NEGATIVE. Most foreign cultures see divorce as a NEGATIVE.

On this a Baptist Board, we continually read that divorce is not that "bad".

Not a single country with a divorce rate that is worse than what we have is considered Christian.

Paul clearly said that "Mature men with only one woman." In most cultures around the world, this would immediately be considered "one husband and one wife".

It is only in a culture that has been so devastated by sin and the resulting divorce rate, that you will find this kind of justification of divorce.

I have lived within three cultures (& visited 2 more). The USA is not a culture that I would call exemplary, or Christian.

 

Which is why I questioned the relavance of it. You say that you continually read here that divorce is not that bad. Where did you see that? I haven't seen anyone say that, nor apart from the biblical exceptions of adultery and divorce have I seen anynoe here justify divorce. Don't read more into another's position than they actually say.

Paul did not say "mature men with only one woman" in any place that I know of. In 1 Tim 3, he said "one woman man," referring to his character.

And FTR, I am not saying the US is an exemplary culture. In many ways it is not. I am not sure that it's divorce rate is any higher than other places though I don't know. Nor do I particularly care since, again, it is not about culture, but about the word.

 

No they didn't. Divorce was very common in the society of that time as was fornication and adultery.

Please don't lie. Who here has said that divorce "is not that bad".

Divorce is awful. It is a blight on our society and on the church. But it isn't the unforgiveable sin nor is it more egregious than others sins that God hates. If anyone is downplaying sin it is those who would say that God hates divorce so much that it automatically disqualifies a man for service but He is willing to wink at alot of other stuff.

Sure... but even you haven't shown that it means "one husband and one wife and no divorce" much less establishing that it is limited to issues related to divorce or marriage.

WHO IS JUSTIFYING DIVORCE HERE!!!!!!! NNE!!!

I would contend that you won't ever find a national culture that is "Christian" by any biblical definition.

We are not of this world. We are citizens of a different place.

On the other hand, you can find some very biblical Christians who happened to have a divorce in their past.

 

How Ironic ...

These were at the top of the page ...

divorce add number one

divorce add number two ...

If you really want to go to the divorce site, right click, open in new window. And add the third w back in that I deleted.

I really do not encourage divorce ...

 

Links don't work.

 

Wayne already told you to.....

If you really want to go to the divorce site, right click, open in new window. And add the third w back in that I deleted.

 

I see. If somebody is divorced, does not repent of the divorce, THEN goes on to live in sin and flaunts his/her sinful lifestyle at church... people should just accept it because "divorce is not unforgiveable."

 

The Associated Press 12/30/99 1:31 AM Eastern

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) -- Baptists have the highest divorce rate of any Christian denomination, and are more likely to get a divorce than atheists and agnostics, according to a national survey.

The survey conducted by Barna Research Group in Ventura, Calif., found that 29 percent of all adult Baptists have been through a divorce. Among Christian groups, only those who attend non-denominational Protestant churches were more likely to be divorced, with a 34 percent divorce rate.

http://www.divorcereform.org/mel/rbaptisthigh.html

We should be more accepting of this, they say.

 

Manchester, where has anyone stated the above?

 

Manchester

I just cannnnnot believe that we have gotten to where we are.

The title of the thread comes from the traditional interpretation of Scripture. But, we are told to re-interpret, "Husband of one Wife" to "Husband of any Wife".

I was always taught that we (Baptists) are God's people.

 

Manchester, where has anyone stated the above? </font>[/QUOTE]None had the courage, so I said it for them.

 

Manchester, don't go making stuff up. NO one has argued that, so don't make it up. I don't know of anyone who believes that.

 

Actually, Paul didn't say "husband of one wife." He said "mias gunaikos andro" which literally translation is "one woman man." I have already showed the flaws in the "husband of one wife."

1. It forbids Christ from pastoring his own church, and Paul the greatest missionary from pastoring a church.
2. It forbids a man whose wife dies from pastoring a church.
3. It does not forbid a man that has committed adultery from pastoring, so long as he doesn't divorce his wife.
4. It doesn't capture the character qualifications of the text.

For these reasons, you need to abandon that position, and say what Paul said: The pastor needs to a be a man of great character, blameless in his relationships with women. He needs to be a "one woman man."

 

I've seen that statistic several times, but I think it is very skewed. How many of those 29% Baptists went through a divorce BEFORE they were saved, and how many went through a divorce AFTER they were saved.

Find that out, then it is a truer picture.

 

We had a poll here on divorce and I don't remember the 'stats'. I'll see if I can find it.

 

I bumped the poll and people are voting again. As of right now, 67% of our board members have never been divorced. We have some who have been divorced over and over and over and over and over.