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NASB | 1 Timothy 3:2 An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | 1 Timothy 3:2 Now an overseer must be blameless and beyond reproach, the husband of one wife, self-controlled, sensible, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, |
Subject: A divorced pastor in ministry? |
Bible Note: No? You're going to have to explain how you feel the context supports your assertion. The following exegetes state it amounts to one who is not engaged in sexual immorality (faithful to their wife)- George W. Knight III, John MacArthur, William Barclay, Gordon Clark, R. C. H. Lenski, Spiros Zodhiates, A. C. Hervey, Ralph Earle, See also the following works- New Bible Commentary 21st Century Edition (D. A. Carson Ed.), NASB Study Bible, New Geneva Study Bible (R. C. Sproul Ed.), The New Liguistic and Exegetical Key to the Greek Testament by Rogers and Rogers (cites several scholarly sources). William Mounce cites the following in favoring this understanding- Lyonnett, Trummer, Houlder, Dodd, Fee, Keener, Towner, L. T. Johnson, Saucy, Scott, and Oberlinner. The following believe it forbids polygamy- Justin Martyr, Lock, Robertson, Easton, Simpson, Dibelius-Conzelmann, D. Edmond Hiebert, Grudem, and Caddeo. Others holding this view include John Gill, and J. Vernon McGee. Not only do the best greek scholars reject that this automatically prohibits divorced and remarried men, the whole idea of setting up a separate clergy standard goes against the fundamental protestant doctrine of the priesthood of the believer. There is nothing in this list that isn't for all believers. No believer is excused to be a drunk, and neither are they excused to be sexually immoral. RG |