I just cant stay away! :-P Heres a thought about qualifications for elder...What about the not so good marriages of some giants in the past? Were they disqualified and it seems God well used them? Who am I talking about? What about Wesley & Tozer? Tozer, you ask?...O yes Tozer. When Tozer passed over his wife remarried and said after she was remarried 'I now have a real husband'. :-o Wesley as we know had huge problems with his wife...Did he rule his home well?? He was off traveling the country while there was bitterness in the home?? I'm just making a point of course.Just some thoughts to chew on :-) And by the way we can name other giants of the past.
_________________Brent
Perhaps there is a symbolic issue here too. The Lamb will only ever have one Bride
here's a thought... make better decisions based on much prayer when you marry... and then dont get divorced...
And by the way we can name other giants of the past.
_________________Diane
And while I'm here, you really are saying, are you, that all this is investigated before a man is invited to offer himself for eldership.... no matter what kind of good character he has demonstrated over his years as a Christian?
_________________Ron Bailey
I can see nothing but hypocrisy now----especially when I see big named ministries fighting so hard against homosexuality, yet remaining deafeningly quiet on the issue of church sanctioned adultery.
The "world" is watching us......watching to see if what we speak lines up with what we do. Blessings in Him, Cindy
Cindy, I asked you earlier in the thread to answer this question on the basis of the following verse, and I don't think you have done so far.
Matthew 19:9 Jesus speaking:And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife and shall marry another, except it be for fornication [porneia], committeth adultery:..A man whose spouse committed porneia can divorce her and remarry. This is what Matt 19:9 says... yes?
So, the question is, if a man has remarried, (and also under Old Covenant law it was an abomination for him to go back to his first wife after divorcing a second wife), how can either he or his ex (first) wife return to their 'marriage'
_________________Cindy
10 To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband. 11 But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife.I believe it is Gods only scriptural provision for an impossible marriage situation, such as physical violence, etc . when perhaps for a time a spouse would separate. But in no way gives "permission" to go on to another marriage.
Cindy, I am reading your comments - lots of very good thoughts. These words especially grabbed my attention:
Yes, it was an abomination, because he put her away for uncleanness and then to want her back after she had been with another man? What a horrific handling of the marriage covenant
At the risk of being stoned I would like to add something to this discussion. God hates divorce we know that the Bible tells us so. Most of us hate divorce also. I wonder though if there is a time for divorce. You know a time for every season. What am I talking about? Please read the last few chapters of Ezra. There are plenty of divorces going on there, and dare I say it is the right thing for them to do in God's eyes. Now read the next book in the Bible Nehemiah. Some of those leaders names sound familiar? Any comments, and please don't say well they were Jews who did what they weren't suppose to do in the first place. Christians also do what they weren't suppose to do.
There are very very few spirit filled people around who have fully committed their lives to God and are able or willing to follow Christ's will. If they were, we might see more single workers for the kingdom. So. now what????
There are plenty of divorces going on there, and dare I say it is the right thing for them to do in God's eyes