I have come to the conclusion that the phrase "a husband of one wife" is a mandate and a requirement for an officer of the church to be married.
A husband of one wife...
- Thread starter Josepus86
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That is not really a question, but a statement, and I feel that the only way to be properly Insync with these criteria is to A. require that a man be married to be an officer, or B. Do not interpret this passage to be literal requirements, but a ballpark example of what an officer should be, open the doors to female ordination and other practices that go against the grove of assumed orthodoxy.
Many seem to interpret it as condoning monogamy. In other words,
polygamy is out. Remarriage is also out except for Biblical reasons.
the plain reading is both married and monogamous, i think -
- unmarried? then violating, 'a husband'
- polygamous? then violating, 'of one wife'
@Magenta
"Polygamy is out"
And let me tell you some reasons. All the women in the church will marry the preacher and he's leaders. They will not go for the, 'smaller men'. Lots of men will be turned way from the church, because there is no women for them. It can also make the church leaders sin, because they will run the church so they can have the women.
It's written in the bible, that when a man is married, he's time is taken up with he's wife, and not solo on God's duties. But when he has no marriage, he can solo with God. Putting all he's time into the ministry. How much more of the man's time is spent, if he has say, 3 or 4 women?
The women also complained about polygamy. They didnt' want polygamy. They wanted their husband to their self, without having to 'share.
And then there is the population, most of the population when babies are born, is almost a 50% ratio. If the men only have the 1 wife, then this makes more secure for everyone to have one.
There are other problems too, such as the cost of supporting them. Arguments and fighting. Adultery can more likely happen.
It fits perfectly, it fixes so many problems. It lines up with the word of God!
Many a people are made rich from sin, so they do not want sin taken away. The story about the camel going thru the needle! And, they will not come to the light, because it will reprove them of their sin.
"Polygamy is out"
And let me tell you some reasons. All the women in the church will marry the preacher and he's leaders. They will not go for the, 'smaller men'. Lots of men will be turned way from the church, because there is no women for them. It can also make the church leaders sin, because they will run the church so they can have the women.
It's written in the bible, that when a man is married, he's time is taken up with he's wife, and not solo on God's duties. But when he has no marriage, he can solo with God. Putting all he's time into the ministry. How much more of the man's time is spent, if he has say, 3 or 4 women?
The women also complained about polygamy. They didnt' want polygamy. They wanted their husband to their self, without having to 'share.
And then there is the population, most of the population when babies are born, is almost a 50% ratio. If the men only have the 1 wife, then this makes more secure for everyone to have one.
There are other problems too, such as the cost of supporting them. Arguments and fighting. Adultery can more likely happen.
It fits perfectly, it fixes so many problems. It lines up with the word of God!
Many a people are made rich from sin, so they do not want sin taken away. The story about the camel going thru the needle! And, they will not come to the light, because it will reprove them of their sin.
Certainly, thank you for asking.
Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, (1 Timothy 3:2)
How it is misread often is “an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of [but or only] one wife, respectable…
But what it says is “an overseer must be above reproach, [must be] the husband of one wife, [must be] respectable…
This is the simplest version of my argument, but is effective, and it is not the only argument. I have not found a counter-argument that can defeat it.
I may be quite eccentric, but I am thorough.
@posthuman
They have them in old testiment, they remarried. Both men and women. Only, God made the law so that it had be a relative.
They have them in old testiment, they remarried. Both men and women. Only, God made the law so that it had be a relative.
Let me make this clear, 1. I am not saying this commands polygamy, I am saying that it commands marriage, whether there is a cap of one or several is another debate, but polygamy is permitted, not necessarily endorsed by the scripture, other than one instance. 2. I am saying that the phrasing in this passage is clearly a command to marry if one seeks to be an overseer and to resolve this we as the church should either enforce this or should open all the criteria to leniency.
@Josepus86
MAYBE! it kind of like how the church destroy artwork, condemning it because God said not to make idols.
MAYBE! it kind of like how the church destroy artwork, condemning it because God said not to make idols.
Maybe you haven't heard about? The church burned and destroyed all artwork, and it was forbidden to make it. It was such a strict practice, people had been crucified because of artwork. The mayans and aztecs too, when spain came over to the new world. They burned all of their medical tablets about plants, because it had drawings of the plants on them.
That doesn't make any sense.
I didn't ask you "Which culture", but rather, "What is the cultural context".