Why does divorce of any kind disqualify a pastor?

[John Toppass]

I cannot find anywhere in the Scripture that say a Pastor is disqualified for divorce. I do find that he is to be the husband of one wife. Paul was not only referring to polygamy, but divorce and then remarrying another woman as well. If Paul did not mean marrying another woman while your (divorced) wife is living then he would have said that the flavor of the day/month/year/decade (fill in as needed) is OK as long as the papers are filed correctly or some other nonsense.

It is not the sin that disqualifies anyone from being an Elder, for God can and does forgive all sins when asked to do so.

These are boundaries or rules that God set up for His Church. It is natural for men to try to change these rules with rules that makes it easier for men, but that does not change the rules that God set. All it does is make men feel better and justify why men do not follow God's word. (After all God knows what He wants for His church).

This was not set up to punish anyone, it was set up as guidelines for God's Church and His followers. I find that those who want to follow God's Word do their best to do so, those who want to follow man's word do so and then spend a lifetime trying to justify it.

 

[Salty]

I cannot find anywhere in the Scripture that say a Pastor is disqualified for divorce. I do find that he is to be the husband of one wife. ...

If Paul (thru the Lord) meant Divorce - why did he not say divorce?

 

[Sapper Woody]

I think it's rather simple, and that people often try and twist this passage to allow for what they want. "Husband of one wife" is pretty self explanatory. Even if it meant "one wife at a time", well, marriage is until death do us part. So if a guy gets a divorce for unbiblical reasons (anything other than infidelity) then he's still married to the woman. If he remarries, then he is now married to two women.

The only exception that I could see, even though I personally disagree with it, is if a man was divorced and remarried before he got saved. Again, I don't personally agree with that, but I think an argument could be made for it.

Single men should not be pastors. A single man isn't the husband of one wife. Outside that, how in the world can a single man help a married couple grow? He doesn't even understand what the issues are, much less know how to overcome them yet.

 

[Salty]

... So if a guy gets a divorce for unbiblical reasons (anything other than infidelity) then he's still married to the woman. If he remarries, then he is now married to two women.

...can a single man help a married couple grow? He doesn't even understand what the issues are, much less know how to overcome them yet.

Sap (since we are good friends - it is okay to call you by your nickname)

You contend, how can a single man know how to counsel a married couple.
Using that same logic - how can a never divorced man counsel a divorce couple

 

[John I Morris]

I am truly thankful for all of the answers. Thank you all, Many different views for many different perspective's. :thumbsup:
Doing well Mark, how are you my brother?
Oh, I am a pre-trib dispensationalist. Hope that we are still friends. :smilewinkgrin:
Blessings!

 

[Scarlett O.]

Single men should not be pastors. ...... how in the world can a single man help a married couple grow? He doesn't even understand what the issues are, much less know how to overcome them yet.

By that same logic -

How can a pastor who married when was 18 years old and knows nothing else help the man who is 52 and never married to grow?

How can the happily married pastor help the divorcee' to grow?

How can the married pastor help the widow and widower to deal with the living alone again?

How can the married pastor help the man struggling with the bondage of homosexuality?

I don't believe one's marital status has much to do with one's calling or ability to lead people in spiritual growth. One is either gifted in that area, called by God, or he is not.

A good pastor doesn't have to have the life experiences of every person in his congregation to be a competent pastor.

 

[Sapper Woody]

Sap (since we are good friends - it is okay to call you by your nickname)

You contend, how can a single man know how to counsel a married couple.
Using that same logic - how can a never divorced man counsel a divorce couple

Salty, I believe that since the divorced person made mistakes (assuming unbiblical divorce), and the married man didn't, the married man can take him under his wing and show him what right is, and how to avoid those mistakes in the future.

 

[Sapper Woody]

By that same logic -

How can a pastor who married when was 18 years old and knows nothing else help the man who is 52 and never married to grow?

How can the happily married pastor help the divorcee' to grow?

How can the married pastor help the widow and widower to deal with the living alone again?

How can the married pastor help the man struggling with the bondage of homosexuality?

I don't believe one's marital status has much to do with one's calling or ability to lead people in spiritual growth. One is either gifted in that area, called by God, or he is not.

A good pastor doesn't have to have the life experiences of every person in his congregation to be a competent pastor.

A lot of those fall under the same answer I just gave Salty. As far as the widow/widower, that's not even a spiritual issue, and he doesn't understand where they're coming from. He should seek help from someone who's been there.

Any time a situation arises where a pastor has no experience, he needs to seek outside help. No problem there. But, since most of a congregation is going to be married, that means that the single "pastor" wouldn't really be pastoring. He'd be preaching, and relying on others to pastor.

All of this is moot, however, in light of "husband of one wife". Opinions aside, that disqualifies a single man from the pastorship. Not from preaching, or missionary work, or being a traveling evangelist. But it does from being a pastor.

 

[RLBosley]

I am not certain how this should be interpreted. I've seen good arguments for multiple interpretations. I think the simplest, and therefore most likely, interpretation is that it is a prohibition against polygamy.

Another question to consider, which I don't believe has been brought up, is does this apply to someone's entire life or only their life since being a Christian? Those who say this disqualifies a divorced man from eldership - is a man who was divorced before becoming a Christian also disqualified?

Here is a good article by Randy Alcorn on this subject. He also touches on the Sapper and Salty are having regarding the possible interpretation that a pastor must be married.

http://www.epm.org/resources/2010/Feb/23/meaning-husband-one-wife-1-timothy-3/

2) He must be married, not single.

This is remotely possible, with an historical precedent, since the Sanhedrin—an elder sort of leadership body—required that its members be married, because a married man would be more merciful in his judgment. (Some have taken Acts 26:10, where Paul speaks of casting his vote against Christians, to indicate that Paul was a Sanhedrin member and therefore married; if so, either his wife died or divorced him when he came to Christ; that’s a supposition, of course.)

That Paul is requiring that all church elders be married seems unlikely, since Paul himself was not married, and actually argues for greater ministry freedom for the unmarried (1 Corinthians 7).

 

[annsni]

I think it's rather simple, and that people often try and twist this passage to allow for what they want. "Husband of one wife" is pretty self explanatory. Even if it meant "one wife at a time", well, marriage is until death do us part. So if a guy gets a divorce for unbiblical reasons (anything other than infidelity) then he's still married to the woman. If he remarries, then he is now married to two women.

But if the woman at the well had 5 husbands but now has no husband, how can the case you state be that he is married to two women? I don't think the woman at the well was a widow - I don't think Jesus would have made as big a deal about her having 5 husbands, now none but having a man. I believe the context shows that she has been married 5 times - but she currently has no husband. So I don't think a divorced person who remarries is now married to two spouses.

 

[Sapper Woody]

But if the woman at the well had 5 husbands but now has no husband, how can the case you state be that he is married to two women? I don't think the woman at the well was a widow - I don't think Jesus would have made as big a deal about her having 5 husbands, now none but having a man. I believe the context shows that she has been married 5 times - but she currently has no husband. So I don't think a divorced person who remarries is now married to two spouses.

We don't know the case behind the woman. It's possible she cheated on all those men and the marriages were ended biblically. If 5 different men divorced the same woman, I think it's safe to point the finger at her.

 

[Scarlett O.]

We don't know the case behind the woman. It's possible she cheated on all those men and the marriages were ended biblically. If 5 different men divorced the same woman, I think it's safe to point the finger at her.

It is within the realm of possibility that the woman at the well was a serial cheater.

And ..

.. it is within the same realm of possibility that she suffered from being widowed, abandoned, divorced wrongly, divorced rightly, or probably a combination of many things.

The Bible is deadly silent on that - except for the fact that Jesus said that Moses "allowed" men to divorce their wives because their hearts were hardened.

We just don't know what her circumstances of having 5 husbands entails.

 

[John I Morris]

Very good Biblical point Ann, thank you! Something else to consider.

 

[webdog]

That's obviously an opinion. Though it may not be ideal, single pastors are very capable of leading a flock. A lot of them don't stay single long after they start their ministry but the fact that they do a fine job before speaks to the idea that single mne can pastor and do it well.

Paul said must...that's not really an opinion. Many women are also capable of leading too, doesn't make it right.

 

[SaggyWoman]

I don't know that the divorce in itself is a disqualifier. There are other things to consider.

 

[AVL1984]

Guess again ...

Mark 10, NASB
11 And He said to them, "Whoever divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her;
12 and if she herself divorces her husband and marries another man, she is committing adultery."​

Nice try, though. Well, not so much.

But to answer your question, "Paul today would write the exact same thing he wrote then."

I'm glad you caught that one brother. I had been thinking of it myself. The subject in and of itself is very complicated and there are/were many points of law then that we don't have now, and vice versa. I think polygany and others are listed later on in this discussion...

 

[AVL1984]

I will probably be flogged for writing this, but, I believe that in each church, independently, it is between them and the person that they choose as their leader or group of leaders to be so, whether divorced or not. There are many preachers today or groups of elders in one church who are divorced, yet preach the gospel, live as exemplary of lives as they can and do their best to lead those under their care to live for the Lord. Sometimes in the absence of what one would consider the "ideal" choice, the Lord sends others instead.

 

[righteousdude2]

Spot on!

I will probably be flogged for writing this, but, I believe that in each church, independently, it is between them and the person that they choose as their leader or group of leaders to be so, whether divorced or not. There are many preachers today or groups of elders in one church who are divorced, yet preach the gospel, live as exemplary of lives as they can and do their best to lead those under their care to live for the Lord. Sometimes in the absence of what one would consider the "ideal" choice, the Lord sends others instead.

:thumbs::thumbs::thumbs:

 

[convicted1]

Under the Law, men could have as many wives and concubines as he could keep. Not so under the Grace Covenant. This was what Paul was addressing. If one had multiple wives, they were still trying to live under the Law. If the unbeliever departs, let them depart. A Brother or Sister is not in bondage in such cases. If one isn't in bondage, then they're free...

 

[thisnumbersdisconnected]

Under the Law, men could have as many wives and concubines as he could keep.

Really? Where is that in The Law? I think you'd better look again. God's intent was for one man and one woman to form a family, with no other parties or entities included. Man himself is who decreed he could defy the Law and have more than that. He couldn't, not legally. He just did, like we often choose to ignore God and do our own will when we think it is justified. Like them and their bending and breaking of the Law, we are neither justified in choosing our will over God's. Sin is sin, no matter which dispensation we're talking about.