Remember that the qualification of being a bishop included having a wife.
There was no such qualification. They were to be, by the instruction of the Apostle Paul, who was not married btw, the husband of only one wife, but there was no requirement that they must have a wife. Those are two different things.
So they had to have raised children without a wife?
Where in 1st Timothy 3 does it say “only” one wife? It says one wife, (Period)
2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;
It doesn’t say if married only one wife, it doesn’t say “not” one wife it simply says “One wife”, if there is any implication of a qualification it is that he must be a husband..
The scriptures over the ages have been turned on their head more than once and perhaps men much more learned than myself know that that the “but” as in “but only one wife if he happens to be married” is what it really means but it doesn’t say that it says “one wife”.
Where in 1st Timothy 3 does it say “only” one wife? It says one wife, (Period)
2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;
It doesn’t say if married only one wife, it doesn’t say “not” one wife it simply says “One wife”, if there is any implication of a qualification it is that he must be a husband..
The scriptures over the ages have been turned on their head more than once and perhaps men much more learned than myself know that that the “but” as in “but only one wife if he happens to be married” is what it really means but it doesn’t say that it says “one wife”.