Divorced Pastor

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oleyomoleyo

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Hello,I have been attending a church for a few months now and just a few days ago the pastor had informed me that he had been through a divorce in the past. He is now remarried and has been for some time. He divorced because his spouse was unfaithful to him. I am aware of what scripture says and that Christ did say that this is one reason that would make divorce acceptable. I am also aware that scripture teachers that a pastor has to be a man of one women (wife), if not, then he cannot teach. Has anyone ever experienced this before? This man is a great teacher but according to scripture, he should not be teaching. Does scripture teach that I am to leave this church and find one where the pastor is blameless? Any assistance/guidance with this is extremely appreciated. Thank you!Kevin
 

ROS777

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Divorce is not the unforgiveable sin and since his spouse was unfaithful, then he meets the conditions of being blameless in his divorce, as stated by Christ.He is to be the husband of one wife as a pastor.
 

HammerStone

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One wife refers to having one wife at a time - in a nutshell this is referring to polygamy as well as an adulterous pastor. Neither would be very good for a man who is supposed to teach God's Word and remove distractions from his life.From there, it's as ROS stated.
 

Christina

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Agree with Ros and Swampfox As long as he repented from any fault he had in the failed marriage he is without sin in remarrying.God himself states he divorced Israel for thier adulterous ways.
 

tomwebster

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Hello,... Does scripture teach that I am to leave this church and find one where the pastor is blameless? Any assistance/guidance with this is extremely appreciated. Thank you!Kevin
If you ever find a blameless Pastor, or decon, or human let me know, I have never met one.
 

ROS777

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***ha ha ha ha ***very good shot, Tom, finding a blameless pastor might be like looking for a needle in a haystack!I meant "blameless" as far as being the cause of the divorce goes...however, a friend brought up a good point; how is it that the congregation knows it's HER FAULT-that she was unfaithful???Did he get up there in front and tell everyone what a horrible unfaithful person she was? That must have been an uncomfortable moment or two.
 

oleyomoleyo

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If you ever find a blameless Pastor, or decon, or human let me know, I have never met one.
1Ti 3:2 - A bishop then must be blameless; not that it can be expected that any one should be entirely free from sin, or be blameless in the sight of God; but that he should be one, who is so before men, and has not been guilty of any notorious and flagitious crime; and particularly, is not charged with divorce in this case. We do not know who's fault it was that actually caused the sexually immorality. It could have very well have been the pastors which would make him the blame, wouldnt it? Only God truly knows that. So if it were the pastors fault, which people would always quetion, he would be to blame; disqualifying him from being able to pastor a church.
 

Christina

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Where do you get this stuff ?Even if he had been the one that had committed the adultery, if he repentedhe is forgiven and his slate is wiped clean and if he is forgiven in Gods eyes who is man to say different.
 

oleyomoleyo

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Where do you get this stuff ?Even if he had been the one that had committed the adultery, if he repentedhe is forgiven and his slate is wiped clean and if he is forgiven in Gods eyes who is man to say different.
Read 1 Timothy 3:2,7. Then study it. It means what it says. doesnt it? “A bishop then must be blameless ... Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil” (1 Tim. 3:2, 7). The first thing to consider is that the pastor must be blameless in his reputation before men. A divorced man, no matter what the cause for the divorce, does not have the spotless reputation a pastor must have. His divorce is a handle that the devil can take hold of to injure the work of God. The blemish of divorce will be used against his ministry and against the church. It will hinder the ministry. And since the church’s testimony is far more important than the feelings or ambitions of any individual, divorced men should refrain from pastoral positions.It is not man that is saying different it is GOD. All Scripture is Gods work, not mans. Therefore, man is not saying different, God is.
 

Christina

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If he repents he is blameless.You are presuming that you can judge a mans heart by a mistake he readily admits to. I would rather stand before a minister that admits he has sinned and repents than one who claims to be without sin and sins behind closed doors. May I remind you of some of the recent church scandals these men were of good reputation did that make them blameless without sin.If you are looking for a perfect man you will never find one in the flesh the only one there was died on a cross a couple thousand years ago.The truth is that any one that teaches the true word of God as it is written in the bible, verse by verse precept upon precept,Is a qualified teacher/pastor.
 

oleyomoleyo

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Again, read 1 Timothy 3:2-13. I am not judging anyone. It is Gods word. I, nor you are here to judge, that is Gods job. You are taking what the Scripture say out of context. Not blameless in Gods sight, there is no such person. There is no perfect man in the flesh. There was only one, Christ. Paul is not saying you have to be sinless in Gods sight, thats impossible. Infact he is not saying you have to be sinless. You have to be blameless in the areas he lays out in 1 Timothy 3:2-13. For you to state "The truth is that any one that teaches the true word of God as it is written in the bible, verse by verse precept upon precept,Is a qualified teacher/pastor." goes against what Paul wrote and the inspired word of God.
 

Christina

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This verse means that you must have ONE wife (it has nothing to do with divorce)It means not to practice pagan rituals as was common back then to have harem,or many wives at one time.The rest is common sense don't listen to a drunk ext.You are making this verse say something it does not say.I wasn't accusing you of judging anyone only pointing out you would have to if you were reading the verse right.and as you say only God can judge
 

n2thelight

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Dec 24, 2006
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I Timothy 3:2 "A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behavior, given to hospitality, apt to teach;"The person chosen to be the bishop should be one that is above reproach, and a person that has but one wife. We are told in Isaiah, and Hosea that God is a divorced man. He divorced His wife Israel. If it meant that God could never marry again, than we are in trouble. Symbolically, at the crucifixion God [Jesus Christ] can marry again by biblical law, but there is more to it than that. The law teaches that if a man had a wife, and she committed adultery and left him, then he was never married in the first place, in the eyes of God. Then when he remarries, he is still the husband of one wife; not two. There are many times a local church refuses to use a person because he or she had been divorced. This is a popular form of bondage the church houses like to use today. However the most beautiful thing about Christianity is that Christ forgives, though it does say that if a woman marries and becomes divorced, and marries again, she commits adultery. But this does not take into consideration if she had repented, for if she had, the sin of the first marriage would be removed. What they have overlooked was the fact that the woman Jesus was referring to in this lesson had never repented of her sins. Divorce is not the unforgivable sin, and in people's ignorance they harm Christianity a great deal when they try to put people in bondage over sins that have been confessed and removed from the eyes and remembrance of the Father. What is important in the selection of a bishop is that they understand the Word of God to the point of rightly dividing the Word with love and understanding, as Christ had for those He taught. When the wrong man is placed into office it is possible to have more harm done than good, when he uses the Word to bring bondage rather then presenting the freedom that we have in Christ. To be "vigilant" means to be watchful, careful and alert to what is going on around them. When someone comes into the church and tries to mislead and confuse with strange doctrine, he has the wisdom to see what is going on amongst the flock. He should be one that knows how to welcome the stranger and make them feel right at home, and the right way to treat the guests. "Apt to teach", comes from the Greek word "didaktikos", and it means that the bishop is "able to teach". Before you are able to teach, you have to know what it is that you are teaching, and if it is the Word of God that you are teaching, then you must be schooled in the Word to where you understand those teachings on all three levels that should be taught. It applies to the Old Testament as well as the New Testament. It requires that you know those mysteries that Paul refers to, as well as the entire plan of God. He must be able to understand the three world ages, what happened in them, and just where we are today in God's overall plan. We are to be very careful of those that claim "the Holy Spirit placed everything in my mind at the time that I needed it", when they have not gone back into the languages to study the Word of God. If that person has not taken the time to study deeply the Word of God, the Holy Spirit did not give him every thing he needed with that lazy attitude. The Spirit of God does not work that way. The Holy Spirit places the understand in people's minds as the study and search the scriptures, and He reveals the meaning through the Word of God. So be aware of the one that shows up on your church doorstep and claims to be a preacher without proper study, for the spirits that are leading him are not the one that we are to follow, the Holy Spirit. However, it is the Holy Spirit that gives the gift of understanding to the one that He is choosing. It is good to seek after the gift and desire the gift of teaching to prepare yourself for that position. An accreditation of a minister is to document that they have prepared themselves for the position and that they are able to teach. That person must have been trained to teach certain subjects which he or she has with full understanding. The bishop must have been trained in the Word to be able to handle the questions and problems that may come up in the congregation, and he or she is able to skillfully use the Word of God to give the appropriate direction that should be taken. The penalties for misleading the flock are very harsh, not only in this flesh life, but especially when you stand before the Heavenly Father in Judgment. I Timothy 3:6 "Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil."This is also very important that the Bishop not be someone that is new in the Word of God, and a babe in Christ. A person that has been lifted to an office higher than he or she is prepared to handle with the wisdom and knowledge of the Word of God, will fall just as the devil fell. So what caused the devils pride that brought him into the condemnation that God placed on him? This is given in Ezekiel 28:17, 18. The condemnation or that which condemned him to death was his pride. I Timothy 3:7 "Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil."This means that wherever this man serves as the Bishop or the pastor, even those unbelievers will hold this man in high respect. They know that this person is honest and of a good character. They know he pays his bills and that he is really well thought of in the community. Remember that the nonbeliever has a different standard that he judges other by, and he will judge your action within the church, by what you say and do when you are away from church. The nonbeliever judges the entire body of Christ by the way that you life and conduct your personal life when you are in their midst. This is to say that you are to be fair and honest in all that you do. In the long run, the community will give you respect for your holding the line in matters dealing with God's Word. This does not mean that you have to be a walking mat for the rest of the world, and God never intended that you come to this end. Nobody walks on a man or woman or a child of God, because that is part of the pleasure of serving God. In your success God will bless you in your life. Christianity is not a religion but it is the reality of life, and that is why we should let it show forth your life. The Bishop and the pastor must have this in his life. This Bible Study is written by Roger Christopherson,
 

HammerStone

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The Greek word used is anepileptos which can be found under Strong's G0423:
anepileptos -- pronounced: an-ep-eel'-ape-tos from 1 (as a negative particle) and a derivative of 1949; not arrested, i.e. (by implication) inculpable: KJV -- blameless, unrebukeable.
That definition says it all and the KJV translates it well. This simply means that you're not wrapped up in schemes that will make you a hypocrite or that will allow for the congregation to talk about you over your preaching.As for what you're saying, oleyomoleyo, that quickly runs into issues. One wife means what it says - one wife. Having a divorce is not being married to two wives. It's being married to one. This would be quite awkward in it's phrasing if it were the case that this meant no divorce. This means, obviously, that the preacher shouldn't be practicing polygamy or adultery. Both of this would quickly overshadow his preaching - reference the recent pastor out in Colorado that got caught in the homosexual affair. It follows the same logic on down when it says a pastor shouldn't be given to wine - he shouldn't be a drunkard preaching from the pulpit.I will now quote a few things from the very same Bible:Jeremiah 3:8And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also.Deuteronomy 24:1-4When a man hath taken a wife, and married her, and it come to pass that she find no favour in his eyes, because he hath found some uncleanness in her: then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and send her out of his house. And when she is departed out of his house, she may go and be another man's wife. And if the latter husband hate her, and write her a bill of divorcement, and giveth it in her hand, and sendeth her out of his house; or if the latter husband die, which took her to be his wife; Her former husband, which sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife, after that she is defiled; for that is abomination before the LORD: and thou shalt not cause the land to sin, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.Matthew 19:9And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.I Corinthians 7:12-15But to the rest speak I, not the Lord: If any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away. And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him. For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy. But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God hath called us to peace.If God divorces (spiritually) both Israel and Judah, do not his teachers have the same right? Is a man to be condemned because of his wife and removed from the ability to teach no matter how wise he is? This verse quickly answers those questions for me, but there's more if you're not yet convinced.We know that God hates divorce (Malachi 2:16). However, through is Word he allowed for certain circumstances when someone is unfaithful to the marriage and not a follower of the Word that desires to walk away.All I can say is this from here: if you're going to condemn a preacher for having a divorce, you're in effect saying this man is a sinner so he cannot possibly teach me. I realize this is a bit of tough love, but think about what is being done for a moment.All of man (humans) sin. If you think you're going to get a 100% pure and sinless pastor, you're going to be looking for a long time. What is said is I Timothy 3 is clearly said to remove the obvious distractions away from someone who is truly in God's Word. If a pastor is running around with 2+ wives at a time (married or not) what is he saying about faithfulness? That's not judging by any means; you know what's going on here and you know it interferes with his teaching particularly when he's up in the pulpit admonishing you for not being faithful to God.Christians are called upon to be blameless on many occasions. How can this be if we will fail? The answer is forgiveness.2 Peter 3:14Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.1 Corinthians 1:8Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.I go back to the book of Psalms to a Psalm by David:Psalms 51:1 Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.Psalms 51:9Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.King David is an example to us.Acts 13:22And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will.Those are pretty big words - a man after God's own heart! What did David do? He asked for forgiveness and it was blotted out.Acts 3:19Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;