[CindyDawg]

That is why we have nominating committes. They are supposed to check these guys out. Have you had a chance to study 1Timothy3. We have been discussing this in my bible class. God has some strict requirements they have to meet. Oh, after you read it would you tell me what do you think is meant by "the husband of one wife?

[RobbyS]

It probably means someone who has had no more than one wife. But this is irrelevant: most of the early bishops, and we may assume, the majority of their clergy, were married. I suspect, however, that the itinerate preachers--the apostles--probably were not, because like Paul, they had too much work to do and were constantly on the move. John Wesley, a great missionary, is not accounted as a great husband, because he had to neglect his family. After the 4th Century, when monasticism really took hold in the Church, more and more bishops and priests became celibate. This is a matter of custom, but also of the feeling that virginity is a superior state and is the best way of imitating Christ.

[SoothingDave]

Oh, after you read it would you tell me what do you think is meant by "the husband of one wife?

Not more than one (polygamy).

It's just that my preacher thinks this meant a minister could not be divorced and remarried because the first wife would still count. I'm thinking well what if this guy has a calling but had problems before he was saved or maybe he just had a slutty wife that ran off or something.

Interesting question. We don't have "divorce" so the only thing we can do is determine if the first marriage was valid or not. An interesting twist is that the marriage of two unsaved people can be voided if the one gets saved and the other does not and the unsaved is a threat to the other's faith.

Philosophically speaking, I don't think that a congregation would want as pastor a man who could not keep his vows.

SD