False ministers

[Brother J]

Should a divorced and remarried person be a minister of elder, giving the bible mentions being a man of only one wife? What is the biblical basis for or against such a minister?

[john1]

10 hours ago, Brother J said:

Should a divorced and remarried person be a minister of elder, giving the bible mentions being a man of only one wife?

Everyone sins, all humans are false teachers at times, look at these verses in James.

James chapter 3 verse 1,2

3 Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. ² We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check.

[enoob57]

if one takes the strict interpretation of Scripture showing rule of his household as to one of ability then yes...
 

Titus 1:6

6 If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly.
KJV
 

[DeighAnn]

Either the blood of Christ works for the forgiveness of sin or it doesn't.  

So lets say that someone was married.  Then lets say they got a divorce,  like God divorced  Israel.

Then say you repented of that sin, asked forgiveness through the infinite value of the Blood of the Lamb slain for any part you had in it, and  was washed clean.

Then you got married again. 

Are you the husband to one wife?

If you believe in the work of Christ and what was accomplished by HIM,  then  Yes.

or 

You can believe the words of men.  But don't forget what had happened back in the day with all the "laws" put forth by man and not God,  and what Christ did with them.  Be heavily yoked by man or lightly yoked by Christ.   

[BeauJangles]

15 hours ago, Brother J said:

Should a divorced and remarried person be a minister of elder, giving the bible mentions being a man of only one wife? What is the biblical basis for or against such a minister?

That's a very interesting and thought provoking question, Brother-J. This scripture says quite a lot about the high standard of qualifications for those so chosen to lead, or otherwise be an instructor having a gathering of the flock. They are responsible to lead His sheep to safe pastures in which to graze freely, guard against wolves, be faithful, true, above reproach, stand for integrity, and keep the standards of good will and also set the example.

If they fail, then they also stand to be either disproved, or corrected accordingly. Whether or not the marital relationship does not make the long run of survival, some denominations have higher requirements than others. The stringencies do vary depending on the qualifications. Some are more tight on these issues than others. I wouldn't be too quick to judge with extremities of harshness, saying they cannot lead if this occurs. 

Have you ever seen the film, The Apostle? I highly recommend it. Even if you do not believe in this particular type of holiness, still it does say a lot. A minister's marriage fails, he inadvertently commits a serious unintentional crime, then leaves and finds another call or chance to serve the Lord again. Basically, he begins a life anew, starting with an immersion baptism and rededicates Himself to God. It's a good movie all should see. 

4 hours ago, john1 said:

Everyone sins, all humans are false teachers at times, look at these verses in James.

James chapter 3 verse 1,2

3 Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. ² We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check.

1. THE APOSTLE is an affirmative portrait of Christians and evangelism. Robert Duvall is the lead actor, director, producer, and writer for this movie about a preacher coming to terms with his own sins.

   THE APOSTLE | Movieguide | Movie Reviews for Christians

    

   www.movieguide.org/reviews/the-apostle.html

    

   1. The Apostle - Wikipedia

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Apostle
      The Apostle is a 1997 American drama film written and directed by Robert Duvall, who stars in the title role. John Beasley, Farrah Fawcett, Walton Goggins, Billy Bob Thornton, June Carter Cash, Miranda Richardson, and Billy Joe Shaver also appear.

       

      1. The Apostle (1997) - IMDb

         https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118632

         Feb 20, 1998 · Directed by Robert Duvall. With Robert Duvall, Todd Allen, Paul Bagget, Lenore Banks. After his happy life spins out of control, a preacher from Texas changes his name, goes to Louisiana and starts preaching on the radio.

         • 7.2/10

           (13.2K)
         • Content Rating: PG-13

         Director: Robert Duvall

         1. Is Robert Duvall a preacher?

            Robert Duvall gives a tour de force performance as a zealous Pentecostal preacher hiding from his past while resurrecting the spirit of his adopted Louisiana bayou town. It's an all-Duvall show; he wrote it, directed it, produced it and even paid for it.

            The Apostle movie review & film summary (1998) | Roger Ebert

            https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-apostle-1998

            There's a scene early in “The Apostle” where Robert Duvall, as a Pentecostal preacher from Texas, is having a talk with God, who has to do all of the listening. In an upstairs room at his mother's house, the preacher rants and raves at the Almighty, asking for a way to see reason in calamity: His cheating wife is stealing his church from him.

            This is a synopsis and I don't want to give too much away and spoil the plot for anyone who desires to see the film. Robert Duvall, Farrah Fawcett, and June Carter Cash give stunning performances for this one. I personally recommend it. 

[Who me]

17 hours ago, Brother J said:

Should a divorced and remarried person be a minister of elder, giving the bible mentions being a man of only one wife? What is the biblical basis for or against such a minister?

 

When did this happen and who divorced who?

 

If this is recent say within the last ten years then I would not want that man as a minister.

When ever it happened if he divorced her inorder to marry another women the in my opinion he is not fit to be a ministe.

If she divorced him for abuseive behaviour again he is not fit to be a minister.

 

If in the midst of a divorce, then I would want those who councelled both parties to advise the church leaders as to his suitability to be/remain a minister.

[Billiards Ball]

On 9/24/2020 at 8:16 AM, Brother J said:

Should a divorced and remarried person be a minister of elder, giving the bible mentions being a man of only one wife? What is the biblical basis for or against such a minister?

An elder must not be a polygamist. Someone could be divorced and remarried and then an elder (for example, their remarriage occurred before their conversion to Christianity).

[missmuffet]

Question: "What does the husband of one wife phrase in 1 Timothy 3:2 mean? Can a divorced man serve as a pastor, elder, or deacon?"

Answer: There are at least three possible interpretations of the phrase husband of one wife in 1 Timothy 3:2 (ESV). 1) It could simply be saying that a polygamist is not qualified to be an elder, a deacon or a pastor. This is the most literal interpretation of the English rendering of the phrase, but seems somewhat unlikely considering that polygamy was quite rare in the time that Paul was writing. 2) The Greek could literally be translated as “one-woman man.” In other words, a bishop must be absolutely loyal to the woman he is married to. This interpretation acknowledges that the original text focuses not on marital status but on moral purity. 3) The phrase could also be understood to declare that, in order to be an elder/deacon/pastor, a man can only have been married once, other than in the case of a remarried widower; in other words, a pastor cannot be a divorcé.

Interpretations 2 and 3 are the most prevalent today. Interpretation 2 seems to be the strongest, primarily because Scripture allows for divorce in exceptional circumstances (Matthew 19:9; 1 Corinthians 7:12–16). It is also important to differentiate a man who was divorced and remarried before he became a Christian from a man who was divorced and remarried after becoming a Christian. An otherwise qualified man should not be excluded from church leadership because of his actions prior to coming to know the Lord Jesus Christ as his Savior. Although 1 Timothy 3:2 does not necessarily exclude a divorced or remarried man from serving as an elder/deacon/pastor, there are other issues to consider.

The first qualification of an elder/deacon/pastor is to be “above reproach” (1 Timothy 3:2). If the divorce and/or remarriage had no biblical grounds, then the man has damaged his testimony in the church and community; the “above reproach” qualification will exclude him from the pastorate rather than the “husband of one wife” requirement. An elder/deacon/pastor is to be a man whom the church and community can look up to as an example of Christlikeness and godly leadership. If a past divorce and/or remarriage detracts from this ideal, then he should not serve in the position of elder/deacon/pastor. It is important to remember that, even though a man is disqualified from serving as an elder/deacon/pastor, he is still a valuable member of the body of Christ. Every Christian possesses spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12:4–7) and is called to participate in edifying other believers with those gifts (1 Corinthians 12:7). A man who is disqualified from the position of elder/deacon/pastor can still teach, preach, serve, pray, worship, and play an important role in the church.

https://www.gotquestions.org/husband-one-wife.html

Edited September 25, 2020 by missmuffet

[David1701]

On 9/24/2020 at 1:16 PM, Brother J said:

Should a divorced and remarried person be a minister of elder, giving the bible mentions being a man of only one wife? What is the biblical basis for or against such a minister?

Divorce and remarriage is sin.  There was only one exception to that, based on betrothal being legally binding - if one had committed fornication, during a legally binding betrothal (as Jewish betrothal was), then the innocent party could divorce without sinning. Also, in Jewish law, only the man was allowed to divorce; some other countries probably differed. Britain used to have a similar law (i.e. similar to the Jewish legally binding betrothal), in which a man could be taken to court, by his betrothed, if he refused to keep a promise of marriage to her.  It was called "breach of promise of marriage".  Gilbert and Sullivan included it in one their operettas.

Some countries may still have such a law, but I know that Britain does not, so the exception does not apply here.

Living in unrepented of serious sin would bar anyone from being a minister.  Of course repentance would change that, but repentance is not only being sorry for your sin, it is also forsaking it.

Edited September 25, 2020 by David1701
additional info.

[johnthebaptist]

On 9/24/2020 at 5:16 AM, Brother J said:

Should a divorced and remarried person be a minister of elder, giving the bible mentions being a man of only one wife? What is the biblical basis for or against such a minister?

There is a verse that says the only time it is acceptable to divorce your spouse and remarry is when the spouse is guilty of unchaste bahavior (Matthew 19:9). It is unclear to me if that person qualifies to be an ordained minister. My own preference is that divorced people not be ordained ministers unless they divorced their spouse for the reason given above.