April 13, 2020
“A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach; not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous; one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence . . .” 1 Timothy 3:2-4
As Paul begins to describe the characteristic qualities of a pastor, I want us to look closely at a few of these qualities. Again, allow me to draw your attention to the phrase “the husband of one wife.” The Pastor is clearly a man. The mention of the word not only speaks to his gender but also the God-prescribed relationship between a man and a woman. This phrase also describes the woman’s relationship to the man, marriage. If a woman claims to be a Pastor, she has usurped the position of authority in the home and therefore has violated God’s model in the home.
Also note the use of “his” repeatedly. Again, clearly denoting that the Pastor is a man. I know it is a current trend to deny this principle. But if we start denying such clear principles in Scripture, where would it end? It is obvious from this passage that a woman is not qualified to be Pastor according to the Scripture.
Some liberals have argued that “of one wife” means one at a time, thus allowing divorced men to be pastors. That position would be hard to prove from the Scripture. It appears to be only one living wife. There would be only one person on earth who would have that relationship with the Pastor. Remember marriage is supposed to be a picture of Christ’s union with the Church. Beloved, we should be careful how much we are willing to change Christ’s image.
Pray that others would see Jesus
Pray for patience within families who have been together more than usual
Pray for those who have yet to find Christ