Prior Book | Prior Chapter | Prior Verse | Next Verse | Next Chapter | Next Book | Viewing NASB and Amplified 2015 | |
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. |
Subject: The husband of only one wife? |
Bible Note: Justme I don't think we can interpret God's word by what seems fair to us. I also don’t think we can poick the best of four nor do I think we should judge what is right or wrong by which has the most powerful testimony. I also don't think limiting a man from serving as a deacon, elder, overseer or pastor is the end of his use to God or his fellow Christians. I believe God established these qualifications for reasons thatI think of that are valid. However whether I can justify their validity or not is not the point. The point is what did God say here. He said a 'one women man.' What is a one woman man? A man that has two women? Has been married to two women? had a lousy first wife and got an excellent second wife? I don't think so I think it means exactly what it says a "one Women man" Is that fair to the poor guys that married a lousy wife who ran off with the local football team. It sure doesn't seem fair to us but then we are not God. Maybe God's view of this guys ability to make life choices is so bad he should never pastor a church but he would make a great Christian conference speaker, Sunday School teachers, chaplain, missionary and evangelist. Let us say this same passage was written in a way that nobody could Wordsmith it, let’s say the passage clearly said no divorced men in any church office. Would you then call that unfair, unjust or even the unforgivable sin? No! You would say divorce is a sin that can be forgiven but carries a consequence that you can’t hold church office. Would we try to condition it by saying whether it mattered if the divorce was before or after salvation? No again we would say the consequence of divorce is you can’t hold a church office. Would we call God unfair? No more than we would call God unfair if someone jumps off a building and prays the sinners prayer on the way down and still dies. We would say it is the consequence of the action. Look at God’s call on man. Is it to glorify man? Is it to give the person a job or something to do? Is it our right? Who decides who God will call, us or God? Why does God put a call on a person? When God calls a person God has a job for the person to do, that will bring glory and honor to God. It is not about that person but rather about what God has for the person to do. God and God alone decides that call and sets down the criteria for that call. We are to follow that criteria to insure we don’t place a person in position that God wouldn’t call him for. This whole thing is about God not us or our qualifications or the lack thereof, it is scripture defining what God calls acceptable criteria for a person to serve him. EdB |