Does 1 Tim. 3:2 mean a man must be married to be a pastor? or that he can’t be divorced? January 27, 2005
Posted by jwilliams2 in Uncategorized.trackback
Paul’s point in 1 Timothy 3:2 is not that a man must be married, but that if he is, then he must meet the requirements of this passage—he must manage his own household well. Literally, the Greek text says, “a one woman man,” i.e., a man who has eyes only for his own wife. He must be a man who is faithful to his own wife. There is no indication that Timothy had a wife, yet he functioned as a pastor in many ways as he was sent to various churches to do the work of a pastor/teacher. Paul was not married and, for the sake of ministry, felt that this was an excellent option (cf. His comments in 1 Corinthians 7). Jesus also spoke of those who chose a celibate life for the sake of ministry (Matt. 19:12).
Support that “the husband of one wife” means “faithful to one wife”
Does this clause mean that an elder or deacon must be married, or married only once? Some have interpreted this to mean, “married only once.” But there are several reasons this is not the best way to understand this passage.
Ed Glascock has an excellent explanation of this clause. Writing of the view that the passage means “faithful to one wife,” he says:
This view holds that the translation “husband of one wife” is not the best understanding of the Greek phrase mias gunaikos andra, but that it should be translated “a man of one woman” or a “one-woman man.” This understanding emphasizes the character of the man rather than his marital status. Thus even a single man or a man who has been married only once must demonstrate that he is not a “playboy” or flirtatious, but that he is stable and mature in character toward his wife or other females. A man who demonstrates a character of loyalty and trustworthiness in such personal relationships is qualified in this area. He, being a one-woman type of man, can be placed in this high position and trusted to deal in maturity and with discretion in a situation involving female members. This view shifts the emphasis away from an event that took place in a man’s life before his conversion and properly concentrates on the character and quality of his life at the time of his consideration for this high office.4
This is not saying a man must be married to be an elder. Most men were and are, so this becomes a very important quality that must be considered. Being married, however, is not a qualification which would seem to go contrary to Paul’s teaching in 1 Corinthians 7:6-9, 25-28 where he encourages the benefits of singleness for the sake of ministry. The whole passage is dealing with subjective qualities of Christian character, i.e., qualities in which no man is 100% perfect and in which there will always be room for growth and maturity. If the clause means married only once, then it would be the only absolute quality in this list of qualifications.
The qualities that follow have to do with temperance and self-control. The point is that a man needs self-control here as in all areas. There must be no sexual promiscuity or laxity with other women.
A further support for this position is the similar qualification placed on widows to be enrolled in the list of widows who could receive support in 1 Timothy 5:9. Concerning this Saucy makes an important point:
The Scriptures nowhere forbid or even suggest as morally questionable remarriage after the death of a spouse. Paul explicitly advises the younger widows to remarry (1 Tim. 5:14). If the qualification in 1 Timothy 3:2 prohibits elders from second marriages, then the requirement for a widow to be “a one-man woman” in order to be enrolled for aid (1 Tim. 5:9) also precludes a second marriage and thus excludes from aid in their later years the younger women who followed Paul’s counsel for remarriage.5
Interesting. What are your thoughts on the following:
A youth minister is married to a woman that is unfaithful to him (with both men and women). She lies to him and steals from him. He seeks divorce and later remarries. Does he biblically have grounds to remain a youth minister?
First I need to tell you that you should discuss this with your pastor, and the elders of your church.
I believe the Bible is the sole authority and instruction book for those who put their trust in Christ’s redeeming work on Calvary for their eternal salvation. Upon this premise I will give my answer to what I believe to be true concerning this topic. Although divorce is to be the very last alternative and should always be surrounded by a forgiving heart, and a willingness to try to work things out wherever possible, I also do not believe it to be the cardinal sin that many Christians have made it to be.
I find a very good biblical representation of divorce from John Macarthur. “In Matthew 19, Jesus states that God ordained the institution of marriage, and He has decreed that in every marriage, the husband and wife are to become one for life. Divorce destroys the marriage and thus breaks asunder a union God Himself has established (Mark 10:9). “I hate divorce,” says the Lord (Mal. 2:16).
Jesus’ teaching on divorce is clear. He restricted divorce under most circumstances, and He forbade the remarriage of those who divorce on improper grounds, calling such remarriage adultery: “But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except for the cause of unchastity, makes her commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery” (Matt. 5:32). The word “unchastity” in that verse is the Greek word porneia, “fornication”–which includes all kinds of gross sexual immorality.
The Old Testament contained a few provisions governing the remarriage of divorced people (Lev. 21:11, 14; Deut. 24:1-4). The rabbis had taken these laws and broadened them to permit divorce for virtually any reason. Under the rabbinical laws, if a wife displeased her husband in any way, he was entitled to divorce her. Jesus stated that this was never the purpose of Moses’ Law. In fact, Jesus teaching on divorce was given specifically to refute the rabbinical loopholes. Furthermore, He so rigidly opposed divorce, that when He had completed His teaching, His disciples concluded that it would be better never to get married (Matt. 19:10)!
So God’s utter hatred of divorce is very clear in Scripture.
Nonetheless, there are two extraordinary cases in which Scripture teaches that God does permit divorced people to remarry.
First, note that Jesus Himself included this exception clause: “Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery” (Matt. 19:9, King James Version, emphasis added). He allows an exception in this one case, only “because of the hardness of your hearts” (Matt. 19:8). Clearly, Jesus is treating divorce as a last resort, only to be sought in the case of hard-hearted adultery.
The apostle Paul allows one more reason for divorce: if an unbelieving spouse abandons a believer, the believer is under no obligation in such a case (1 Cor. 7:14). This would free the abandoned spouse to remarry.
But we must emphasize that apart from those two specific, exceptional cases, divorce is not sanctioned in Scripture.
More extensive answers to this question are available in John MacArthur, The Fulfilled Family (Chicago: Moody, 1981); and, The MacArthur New Testament Commentary: Matthew 16-23,(Chicago: Moody, 1988).”
Divorce for those reasons alone, and the presence of a heart of forgiveness and repentance, I believe that person can function as a Youth Minister. Many churches however have nuances in their beliefs, or even understanding of scripture. I would ask you to ask your pastor to explain his stance to you, and for you both to pray for Gods direction and leading. It is my belief that you should be repentant, and looking for ways to be dedicated to God and who you are with now, for the long hall, with divorce not being an option. If it happened in your past, then as Christians we should be forgiving, loving, kind, longsuffering, and encourage one another to good works.
I am human, and I make mistakes. My goal is to rightly divide the word of truth. If I have mistakenly said something incorrect, I wish to be rebuked in love, but forgiven as my desire is solely to lift up Christ to the world. Pray for me as I continue to labor for this end. I will be praying for God to reveal His perfect will for your life.