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NASB | Titus 1:6 namely, if any man is above reproach, the husband of one wife, having children who believe, not accused of dissipation or rebellion. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Titus 1:6 namely, a man of unquestionable integrity, the husband of one wife, having children who believe, not accused of being immoral or rebellious. |
Bible Question: Tit 1:6 An elder must be blameless. He must be the husband of one wife ... etc. Does this mean the husband of only one wife? What if Biblically divorced for justifiable reasons? Does being a Christian before or after divorce make a difference? Does this mean a man wanting to be a preacher cannot remarry after being widowed and still be a preacher? Does this mean that a divorced preacher should be defrocked? |
Bible Answer: Divorce and the Pastor 'Where does it say in God's Word that divorce disqualifies a man from God's service? We're not talking about infidelity here. We're not talking about adultery here. We are talking about two people whose marital difficulties have reached the point where, for one of them at least, staying married is no longer the option. 'I understand Paul's directions to Timothy were that a pastor must be the husband of one wife. But if [one] divorces, and if [he] does not remarry, how has he violated Paul's directives? 'Let's check the record. What does the Bible say about divorce? 'First, through Malachi, God said, "I hate divorce." That's pretty clear. 'Second, Jesus was confronted one day by the Pharisees about the question of divorce and remarriage. Please get that! The context of the passage, Matthew 19:3-9, the reason they continued to question Him, was not to learn whether or not a married couple could divorce. They already knew from God's declaration in Deuteronomy 24, the passage to which Jesus appealed, that they could. The Pharisees wanted to trap Jesus on the question of whether or not divorced couples could, according to Scripture, remarry. 'Jesus said, "God's original plan never included divorce, but because your hearts are hard, he permitted it on the grounds of adultery. If the marriage is dissolved because of adultery, the innocent party may remarry without jeopardy." 'Who initially and originally said a husband and wife should not get a divorce? God. Who initially and originally allowed a husband and wife to get a divorce? God. Is there a contradiction there? Yes, there is, and we need to understand what Jesus said. The contradiction is within us – you and me – not with Almighty God! 'Is divorce wrong? It is, unless Jesus lied. 'Does it disqualify an individual from ever entering Heaven. It does not, unless Jesus lied, because Jesus said, "Whoever comes to me in faith, I will never cast out.' 'But where does Scripture say that if a pastor becomes divorced, it disqualifies him from being a pastor? The disqualification comes from remarriage which contradicts the Bible's directives.' ____________________ DIVORCE AND THE PASTOR by David Sisler (http://davidsisler.com/9-2.htm) |