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Seth Freeman
Why can't a preacher be ordained when his wife has been married before?
I am a God-called preacher and my baptist denomination says I can't be ordained because my wife has been married before. They use the scripture 1 Timothy 3:12, which says "a husband of one wife," which I am because I've only been married once. Just my wife has been married twice. Please help explain if you can, thanks.
1 Timothy 3:12
ESV - 12 Let deacons each be the husband of one wife, managing their children and their own households well.
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Asked June 08 2014
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William Shiveley
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Seth Freeman
It all comes down to how one interprets Scripture. Personally, I think the accurate understanding of that passage is that Paul was saying that a man could not be in a polygamous marriage. We know from Scripture that there are instances where both divorce and remarriage are not sin. So it doesn't make sense for Paul to say that a bishop (or any church leader) needs to have only been married once. I think your denomination has gotten this one wrong. Perhaps yet another reason why I'm not a Baptist =D
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