1 Timothy 3:1-5 This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. 2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach; 3 Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous; 4 One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; 5 (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)
I understand and realize that every Ruckmanite here is going to take the position of the first three posts [VR, I'm not trying to get you started
]; [I begin also by saying, although I'm not a "Ruckmanite", I do enjoy listening to his materials, a very learned man] but, I'm going to take the common sense approach....first of all, divorce is not the unforgiveable sin....secondly, there is a big difference [as I see it] between being a preacher, evangelist or a pastor....A man that is pastoring a Church should be held to higher standards, else there wouldn't be these qualifications given [any time there are qualifications, that means there can be disqualifications]....I'm not mentioning the Scriptures concerning divorce and remarriage being adultery or husband of one wife in this discussion, but how about the above scriptures concerning "ruling his own house"??....does switching wives prove that a man can rule his house well?? When a man stands behind a pulpit as pastor and has had marriages in his own life, is he not a stumbling block to any couple who may be having marriage problems?? [O I guess no Christians have marriage troubles??]....maybe I'm looking at this backwards, maybe a man that is divorced and has had several marriages would attract the same, I don't know....but how could he give heart felt advise to the young couple having marriage problems?? By saying he knows what they're going through?? That would be a little hypocritical because he's divorced twice.....I also am a realist and if a man has a calling from God [see Hosea] nothing I say or do or anyone could say or do can stop that man.....having said that, I know this won't be the popular approach because most of you are "Ruckmanites" but I close by saying that the world is getting churchy and the church is getting worldly and we have the same type of synchronocity that Constantine implanted happening all over again....Brothers and sisters we need to be different than the world......God bless....Scott