Prior Book | Prior Chapter | Prior Verse | Next Verse | Next Chapter | Next Book | Viewing NASB and Amplified 2015 | |
NASB | Matthew 5:32 but I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except for the reason of unchastity, makes her commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Matthew 5:32 but I say to you that whoever divorces his wife, except on grounds of sexual immorality, causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who has been divorced commits adultery. [Deut 24:1-4; Luke 16:18] |
Bible Question:
I have recently been nominated as a deacon in our church after much self-examination and researching and counselling with others I have accepted. The announcement of the nomination has now been presented to the congregation. One member of the church does not feel that I am eligable based on 1 Tim. 3:12 "Deacons must be husbands of only one wife". His opposition comes from the fact that my wife has been previousely married and divorced. His understanding is that based on Mathew 5:32.... and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery. Disqualifies me as an adulterer, therefore I am not the husband of one wife. Our relationship did not break up the previous marriage in fact we did not know each other while she was married before. I myself have not been married prior to this marriage. I became a professing believer after marriage and hold strong to my faith and convictions. QUESTION: Does the text in 1Tim 3:12 mean what it seems to? And that is that I should only have one wife, not more than one. Or is this individual’s assessment accurate. Thank you in advance |
Bible Answer: NASB 1 Timothy 3:12 Deacons must be husbands of only one wife, and good managers of their children and their own households. The Husband of One Wife "Lit. in Greek a "one-woman man." This says nothing about marriage or divorce. The issue is not the elder's marital status, but his moral and sexual purity. This qualification heads the list, because it is in this area that leaders are most prone to fail. "Various interpretations of this qualification have been offered. Some see it as a prohibition against polygamy -- an unnecessary injunction since polygamy was not common in Roman society and clearly forbidden by Scripture (Gen 2:24), the teaching of Jesus (Matt 19:5,6; Mark 10:6-9), and Paul (Eph 5:31). A polygamist could not even have been a church member, let alone a church leader. "Others see this requirement as barring those who remarried after the death of their wives. But, as already noted, the issue is sexual purity, not marital status. Further the Bible encourages remarriage after widowhood (5:14; 1 Cor 7:39). "Some believe that Paul here excludes divorced men from church leadership. That again ignores the fact that this qualification does not deal with marital status. Nor does the Bible prohibit all remarriage after divorce (Matt 5:31,32; 19:9; 1 Cor 7:15). "Finally, some think that this requirement excludes single men from church leadership. But if that were Paul's intent, he would have disqualified himself (1 Cor 7:8). "A 'one-woman man' is one totally devoted to his wife, maintaining singular devotion, affection and sexual purity in both thought and deed. To violate this is to forfeit blamelessness and no longer be 'above reproach' (Titus 1:6,7) Compare Prov 6:32,33" (p. 1864, MacArthur Study Bible, Word, 1997). |