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ELDERS. Tell me about em.
In recently finding out that two of our elders at church have stepped down, I started to dig deeper into what our church covenant says an elder is/does/stands for. A huge part of why I began to look into that is because I know these two men are exactly the type person that someone like myself would feel very comfortable going to with any problems, be it church related, or not. (Actually I went to the wife of one today to ask that they pray together for a friend of mine)
All I will say regarding their “stepping down” is that I hope they reconsider. They are very loved and respected.
But anyway…..
I had read all that info before, about the elder “qualifications,” but I wanted to check out some of the biblical teachings as well. I know that where I previously went to church (and still love the members and church family very much) you could not be a deacon if you were divorced. No, a deacon and an elder are not one in the same, but you people know I have a hard time focusing…..so here I go, jumping from subject to subject, because someone leaving has nothing to do with what I am about to delve into....
What does the "husband of one wife" phrase in 1 Timothy 3:2 mean? Can a divorced man serve as a pastor, elder, or deacon? Personally, when it comes to Journey, I have no idea.
"What does the "husband of one wife" phrase in 1 Timothy 3:2 mean? Can a divorced man serve as a pastor, elder, or deacon?"Well…… there are 3 possible interpretations of “husband of one wife” that I can find. In 1 Timothy 3:2. (1) It could be saying that a polygamist is not qualified to be an elder/deacon/pastor. This is the most literal interpretation of that phrase, but I don’t even know if people had multiple wives at this point. (Told ya a long time ago, I soooo didn’t go to seminary) (2) The phrase could also be interpreted as a one woman man. This would make me think that a leader must be absolutely loyal to the woman he is married to. This interpretation focuses more on moral purity than marital status. (3) The phrase could also be understood to say that in order to be an elder/deacon/pastor, a man can only have been married once, other than in the case of a remarried widower. If you have been divorced, you cannot hold these titles.Interpretations (2) and (3) are the most believed in our part of the country, I think. (just a guess, no real googling on that one)
I tend to lean towards interpretation (2), primarily because Scripture seems to allow for divorce in exceptional circumstances (Matthew 19:9; 1 Corinthians 7:12-16).
To me, it would also be important to differentiate between a man who was divorced and remarried before he became a Christian from a man who was divorced and remarried after becoming a Christian. I do not think an otherwise qualified man should be excluded from church leadership because of actions he took prior to coming to know the Lord. Kind of an “adult age of accountability” of sorts? Although I do not believe 1 Timothy 3:2 necessarily excludes a divorced or remarried man from serving as an elder/deacon/pastor, I’d love to hear your thoughts/beliefs on it.
As the wife of a divorced man, I don’t like to see his ability to hold certain leadership roles in any church be limited because of the fact he has been married before. (And once again, I am in no way assuming Journey does that, nor am I saying that he desires such a position)
And if YOUR church DOES believe it's wrong, that's totally ok, too. I am just trying to step out there and learn!
11 comments:
I don't care how non traditional your church is, divorced men cannot be in positions of power.
You can't question the Word of God.
What other topics shall you be covering? gay marriage? interracial dating? abortions?
all aspects of our lives are clearly outlined in the good book, we don't have to ask questions if we BELIEVE.
I know that Baptist don't believe that because my Dad could not deacon. I tend to believe in number 2, but I am by no means an expert. i don't know Journey part on this either. That is just one part of the Bible that can be interpreted many different ways.
As far as the comment above, I am very disappointed. New Christians and old Christians should constantly question the meaning of the world. Believers should always question in order to learn more.
Wow, Shelley are like growing in leaps and bounds. I love your heart and the fact that you are searching and researching things and not just taking one persons word for it. On leadership Scripture does specifically lay out requirements for pastors, elders, and deacons. 1 Timothy 3 lays out the qualifications for elders and deacons. Personally I would lean toward the qualifications pertaining to men after they are Christians. This sounds like a cliche but, I think we need to really ask our selves WWJD (what would Jesus do?). Jesus is about grace and mercy and challenging people to live for Him. I think the modern day church should be about the same thing, giving grace where grace needs to be given and challenging people to live for Him.
If you don't question then you don't learn.
Shelley, I don't know you personally but both my daughter and son do. I just want to say to you to keep on searching and asking questions. That is one way to grow in Christian maturity by seeking the Truth. In no way did I get the impression that you were questioning God's Word. It seems to me you were just seeking clarification.
And I deleted my comments about anonymous comments. LOL
Oh my...so angry,to each their own I guess...
I DO disagree with the anonymous commenter...I also see nothing wrong with biblically or otherwise covering the topics he/she listed on YOUR OWN PERSONAL blog.
Anyhow,on to the question.I have typically believed number 3,but that is due to a lack of questioning,on my part of whether or not,typical interpretations are the rule.
As for Mike,after meeting him just once(divorced or not)I think he would make a wonderful Elder-devotion is key,I think.
Keep it up,girl....I love these posts!!!
Girl, I have been out of town and was sooooo disheartened to learn about our elder changes. These 2 men are some of the most spiritual men I have ever met and their families have my deepest respect and love. I have to say that I am looking forward to being home and finding out their reasoning for this decision.
I am soooo sad that "Anonymous" feels the need to pass judgement on your posting. So many christians spend much of their time pointing fingers at others that they fail to look at the hurt their comments make. No one should EVER feel wrong for asking questions about scripture. That is the only way that we learn. God did not intend for us to sit back, have others tell us our faith and not study and question. We are individuals who learn differently and are at different places in our walk with the Lord. Most of us in our "non-denominational" church are here because the "traditional" church doesn't like us asking questions!!!! A lot of traditional christians have been spoon-fed their faith and have been taught not to question that and it is sooooo wrong. There is so much to learn from all we ask questions of and if we are listening to God he will lead us to HIS truth through the answers of all around us.
Keep questioning. Keep searching. There are no wrong questions...only mistakes because we didn't question!
Brandi W.
There are so many examples in the Bible of God's chosen men being such bad people before they chose the right path. I agree with Ryan...that those sins are washed away when they are saved. I think when people pass judgement on sin...they are selective. If God says he forgives you of your sin...and you have repented it and are no long committing it..then it is the same as anything else. You should believe him and trust that he has forgiven you of that sin....and you should continue on with your walk in faith.
I can think of so many preachers that committed a lot of sins in their past...but have changed now. Everyone sins, everyday...including those that pass judgement on others. Yes, we should BELIEVE what the Bible says...but how are you to grow as a Christian unless you study and learn, and try to understand it for yourself....not just what is pounded in your head all your life!
So, I can't give you an answer of the divorce thing. I personally believe that sin can be wipe away the same as any other sin.
Oh, and I also think it would be o.k. for her to discuss interracial dating. I would like to see what the scriptures say about that...so Shelley, there you go....another topic! And I want to see where the New Testemant says that is wrong, b/c I don't think it does.
Always ask...and then study and pray. Never take any mans word to heart unless you have studied the scriptures and know in your heart the truth.
My personal opionion is that when the scripture says husband of one wife it is referring to having more than one wife at a time and also being faithful to one wife. This seemed to be a big problem in the early chuch.
Anyway...thanks for your phone call tonight. I needed it!
GREAT question! i've faced this issue myself, having been divorced and later being called into youth ministry and being ordained as a minister. oddly enough, the first church i was called to as paid staff had no qualms about calling a divorced person (our music minister was also divorced)... however, they absolutely would NOT consider a divorced person as a deacon. i sat in an ordination council at this church one time prior to the ordination of a new deacon, and asked why this was, and was basically told i should keep quiet and consider myself fortunate to be there!
anonymous is way off base in his/her assessment of divorced men. the scripture does not address DIVORCE, it addresses husband of one wife. if a man divorces and does not remarry, he still only had one wife. legalists tend to read into scripture what THEY want the scripture to say. additionally, i know many churches that wouldnt ordain a divorced man based on "husband of one wife," but wouldnt have a problem with a guy who has NEVER been married... the man who has never been married isnt the husband of one wife either.
God hates divorce, no doubt about it! and Christians should hate divorce too (as with every sin, and btw, interracial dating IS NOT a sin... sheesh!). divorce definitely isnt what God would want for His people, and in fact Jesus stated that it was moses, not God, who allowed for divorce because of the hardness of men's hearts. nonetheless, we shouldnt let our hatred of that sin cause us to twist scripture to say something that it simply DOES NOT say... and 1 Tim 3 does NOT say divorced men cannot hold the office. most likely, husband of one wife AT A TIME is what paul was getting across. there was a good bit of debauchery in a lot of places... look no further than those wacky corinthians :-)
btw, i'll be praying for journey as you guys work out this situation.
btw, i left out the most important part of what i was wanting to say about this... you have to look at character and Christian maturity. the circumstances surrounding the divorce must certainly be considered. if a guy woke up one morning and decided he was no longer "happy" with his wife, that would certainly be a different situation than if, say, his wife left him and refused to reconcile. a serial "marry-er" or a chronic "divorcer" would not be the type of person that would be eligible to become an elder, deacon or bishop. every situation needs to be considered on its own merits, and blanket statements like "the bible prohibits ALL divorced men from holding the office" are narrow-minded and legalistic.
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