Does Divorce Disqualify One for Leadership? | Rapp Report Daily 0040 | Andrew Rappaport | SFE | Striving for Eternity

Welcome to the Rapid Bull, daily edition, where we provide a quick biblical interpretations and applications. This is a ministry of striving for eternity.

We got a question in this week asking the question of can pastors and deacons be qualified if they've been divorced? This comes out of 1 Timothy 3 .2 and 1 Timothy 3 .12 which refers to a qualification of a husband being of one wife.

The Meaning of “One Woman Man” in 1 Timothy 3

Now in the Greek this is literally a one woman man. It talks about the characteristic of the husband whether he has eyes only for his wife. Now those that want to use this to say divorce, well does this if it means one wife for life exclude divorce?

Well actually no it doesn't because you can be divorced and never remarry and still only have one wife. But what it will exclude is a widower. If a person has a wife who dies and then he remarries he would then no longer be qualified as a pastor if that's the meaning of this.

What did he do that's a sin that would disqualify him? No, the reality is that people are trying to address the issue of remarriage but you can be divorced and still have only one wife. So this is talking about the characteristic of a husband's attitude or view of his wife not the number of wives he has because it would exclude widowers when they've done no.

Sin.

Divorce, Remarriage, and Qualification for Leadership

It also would not have anything to do with divorce because you could be divorced, never remarry and you wouldn't be, according to their view that holds to this, you'd be able to be qualified. And that's not what they want to hold.

If you have questions you can email us at info at strivingforeternity .org.

This podcast is part of the Striving for Eternity ministry. For more content or to request a speaker or seminar to your church go to strivingforeternity .org.