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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, |
Bible Question: What does this verse (1 Tim. 3:2) mean when it says an elder of the church must be 'the husband of but one wife'? Does it mean that the elder must be married only once (no marriage is allowed even if the wife dies), or that the elder must be married to one wife at a time (polygamy is forbidden), a single person cannot be an elder in the church, or the elder must prove to be faithful to his wife, being a 'one-woman man' ? |
Bible Answer: "It Behoves Therefore" (1 Tim. 3:2) indicates the necessity of the following items. Just as the man in question MUST be above reproach, he MUST be the husband of one wife. Timothy and Titus are charged with appointing Elders and they must be careful not to lay hands on them too quickly, that they not participate in the sins of others (1 Tim 5:22). When the selection process gets to the 'let them be tested' phase, the church must examine what kind of leadership he offers at home: the good shepherd in the home will be a good shepherd for the church family. I know it's not a popular position, but I feel it is the rightest. :) That's my two cents. Good day. |