What Does it mean For Elder/Pastor" Rule over own household?"

Well, if you were a student in a seminar, I would encourage you to go and research the Sitz em Leben of the text and how the world, contemporary of Paul, would have understood it.

The compulsion to "manage one's house well" is better clarified in the NET:
He must manage his own household well and keep his children in control without losing his dignity. 1 Tim 3:4

The context of Paul was writing you wouldn't have a hormonal, petulant teenager living in the house.

The emphasis here is about children...prior to teenage years. Also the emphasis isn't on the children, but how they are led. If a Pastor is beating his children, abusing his children, farming out his children for work, exploiting his children, etc he is disqualified.

Also, I would challenge anyone who suggests that this means that a pastor's children have to live in quiet, subject lives of calm and sanity. This is more about the nature of the pastor's leadership than the children's conduct.

The sticky-witcket is that it a) clearly doesn't apply to children who have the home (i.e. college, adulthood, etc) they aren't under his household, b) it doesn't mean a pastor and his family can't have difficulties.

The danger is that we operate from a position of legalism and not grace. The text isn't as straightforward about the children as some believe, it is a statement about the man.

That said, I do have a problem with pastors who leave their household abandoned as they chase after fame or some illusion of power by being on endless speaking circuits and/or having dinners with leaders all the time. I once served under a pastor who completely abandoned his family, leaving his wife to raise the kids, and they all had issues...because of the way the pastor led his home.

 

Who said any of those things you have just said?

 

Ditto his eldest "Gigi" Graham Tchividjian Foreman.

What is it with PKs?

 

:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:


When she meet that qualification, please let me know..

 

I just drank two cups....and they were GOOD!!! Coffee is a good thing!!

 

Awww, come on, guys. You know that's one of the poorer arguments you could be using.

 

Awww, come on, Ann, you're too smart of a lady to stop there...

 

I am one of those pastors who are contemplating stepping down because my daughter and my son (I have 4 kids) are rebelling despite us homeschooling them from young with the goal of nurturing them for the Lord. We used ACE and my oldest have gone for the Lord and my youngest want to be a missionary and is preparing herself for that. the middle 2 still goes to church but their heart is somewhere else. 1 Tim 3:4 is very convicting. I have the men in our church that unless this situation turn around , i will have to resigned cos if I cannot rule my house, I cannot lead God's church. We are taking off as a family to deal with these things and I am planning to give these two children , 19 and 20, the choice to serve but I will require them to be in church on Prayer meetings and Sundays . I have been burdened with this for the last 1 year. any insights would be helpful, all prayers for my situation are both needful and appreciated.