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Deacons and bishops being the husbands of "one" wife

sicouple

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The Truth and the Paradox

Chapter 9
The Elders, Bishops, and Deacons Trap

The most perplexing trap that devils will use to advance the plot of the wicked paradox is in the reference to "one wife" in Titus and 1_Timothy. But as usual, once the LIGHT of the Scripture comes shining through, the wickedness thereof is instantly revealed. Praise the LORD!

In our English language, Titus 1:5c-7: "ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee: If any be blameless, the husband of ONE WIFE, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly. For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not self-willed, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker..."

In 1_Timothy 3:2: "A bishop must be blameless, the husband of ONE WIFE, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach"...

In 1_Timothy 3:12: "Let the deacons be the husbands of ONE WIFE, ruling their children and their own houses well."

When one consults STRONG'S EXHAUSTIVE CONCORDANCE, an amazing piece of evidence becomes revealed. In most cases, the word for ONE in the Greek is "heis" (hice), meaning the primary numeral "1". Yet, in the references to "ONE WIFE", the Greek word for ONE is not that word for the primary numeral "1". Indeed, in those three cases, ONE is "mia" (mee'-ah), meaning "one" or "first".

While some will try to confuse by the fact that STRONG'S indicates that "mia" (mee'-ah) is a "feminine of" "heis" (hice), let those confusers be reminded that STRONG's is more specific. It says that it is an "IRREGULAR feminine". Quite a different thing indeed! Despite such wicked confusion, however, a deeper investigation sheds still more LIGHT through the darkness. Alleluia!

That word "mia" (mee'-ah), meaning "first", is the exact same word for FIRST in John 20:19, Acts 20:7, and 1_Corinthians 16:2. All three of these verses refer to "the FIRST day of the week". Indeed, we can see this word for "FIRST" as meaning, "The position-number-one of a sequence". For example, the FIRST day of the week is the Day-number-one of the sequence of seven days in a week. Thus, even simpler, "the FIRST day of the week" can be seen as "the day-number-one of the week", which, of course, is Sunday.

Thus, because we can see that Greek word "mia" (mee'-ah) in that way, it also my be applied to those references to "ONE WIFE". That is, instead, it can thus be seen as "FIRST wife", or as "Wife-number-one" of a sequence.

So, it can thus be seen that elders, bishops, and deacons must be "the husband of FIRST wife", of their "wife-number-one" of a sequence. And indeed, that would certainly be absolutely fundamental to the principles in determining adultery!

A TRUE GODLY man is not to deal treacherously with the "wife of his youth", his FIRST wife, the wife-number-one! The "judgment of the LORD" in Exodus 21:10 established that very clearly. Therefore, indeed, an elder, a bishop, a deacon would and should certainly be required to live up to that "judgment of the LORD" in Exodus 21:10. Indeed, because they must be holy, they must certainly be still so loving, so blessing, and so edifying their FIRST wife, the "wife of thy youth", the wife with whom they first learned how to be such a TRUE GODLY (small-L) lord! Yes, indeed, such (small-L) lords absolutely must follow the example of the (capital-L) Lord, thus loving their wives, absolutely including their FIRST wives, "as Christ also loved, as Christ also loved, as Christ also loved" the churches.

(As well, I could delve into the fact that it is that word "FIRST" also in the translation of "ONE" in "ONE FLESH", as in 1_Corinthians 6:16; but, as I have previously explained that unto you, and so as to now avoid confusion, I spare you...) As for those who would refuse to see this revelation of "FIRST wife", then let them consider the following. Why did Paul not just say that elders, bishops, and deacons must not commit adultery? It is because, indeed, the TRUE meaning of adultery establishes the possibility of more than one wife. Further, let such consider what one TRUE GODLY man's wife at one time of allowance (that it may be for your edification herein) and what another TRUE GODLY man at another time have both intimated to me separately. If it is true that Paul only specified ONE single wife for elders, bishops, and deacons, does that not still prove that OTHER Christian men were authorized to marry, and indeed were marrying, more than ONE wife? Indeed, why did Paul not simply forbid adultery instead of saying "ONE WIFE"? It was establishing a holy requirement. That holy requirement was not about having ONE single wife but about being the husband of one's FIRST wife, as according to the "Judgment of the LORD" in Exodus 21:10. Truly, the specification was a requirement to holiness without error!

Thus, either way one looks at it, it is clear as to the TRUTH on this matter of "ONE WIFE" of elders, bishops, and deacons. Even if one rejects the "FIRST wife" understanding of the meaning of "ONE WIFE", even the idea of separating specific "church leaders" from other Christian men still confirms that such others were not prevented from loving, blessing, and edifying more than ONE WIFE. Thus, again, the trap of the wicked, incorrect manmade doctrine of so-called "adultery" (as opposed to TRUE adultery) has been exposed. Yes, the LIGHT has pierced the darkness. And, unto the TRUE Children of the LORD, I say, quoting from 1_Peter 2:9e: "ye should shew forth the praises of him ((the LORD)) who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous LIGHT."

Taken from... http://www.truthbearer.org/truth-tracts ... paradox/9/
 
For those that would argue that the deacon/elder qualification of 'husband of one wife' extends to all christian men, I submit the following:

Does the elder candidate have to be married? Most everyone agrees that he has to have a wife due to this scriptural obligation mentioned. They would also say that he cannot have more than one wife. So most everyone agrees that he must have ONE wife and cannot have MORE than one wife.

So why is it said that only the prohibition carries over the rest of the non-elder christian men? Why isn't the prerequisite to have ONE wife also not apply to all men?

If you haven't got it yet, let me word it another way.

Monogamites use the qualifications of the elder to say that non-elder, non-deacon christian men are not to have more than one wife. But at the same time, they don't see that there is a requirement for the elder candidate to have at least ONE wife. Lets say for the sake of argument that it means ONE wife, no more, no less. For the prohibition to be applied to all christian men, then the requirement must also. So then, it would have to make logical sense that all men christian must have ONE wife.
 
Memphis Dwight said:
For those that would argue that the deacon/elder qualification of 'husband of one wife' extends to all christian men, I submit the following:

Does the elder candidate have to be married? Most everyone agrees that he has to have a wife due to this scriptural obligation mentioned. They would also say that he cannot have more than one wife. So most everyone agrees that he must have ONE wife and cannot have MORE than one wife.

So why is it said that only the prohibition carries over the rest of the non-elder christian men? Why isn't the prerequisite to have ONE wife also not apply to all men?

If you haven't got it yet, let me word it another way.

Monogamites use the qualifications of the elder to say that non-elder, non-deacon christian men are not to have more than one wife. But at the same time, they don't see that there is a requirement for the elder candidate to have at least ONE wife. Lets say for the sake of argument that it means ONE wife, no more, no less. For the prohibition to be applied to all christian men, then the requirement must also. So then, it would have to make logical sense that all men christian must have ONE wife.


Great point..

I think its funny so many people believe Paul actually changed Gods laws here. These people that use the logic of applying this to everyone on the earth don't use that same logic with the rest of Scripture.. They are clearly turning things around to try and back their argument and to be honest, it makes them look foolish. God placed rules on the priesthood to do many things. Do they then believe God was commanding everyone to do those things? Why would Paul talk about different callings? And any of that only matters if we believe Paul was giving a new commandment for the elders to "only have one wife"

If you look at the context it really does make more sense to read it as Paul was telling them they should look at the men that have a wife and has been able to rule their house as a Godly headship. Look at everything else he tells them.. He is telling them examples to look for in selecting the elders. If the man didn't have a wife at all, there is no way they would be able to fit all the examples he gave. Even then, are we to believe it isn't possible for a man to be single and still be a good enough man to be an elder? I find that hard to believe considering Paul was a great man and he says he wasn't married at all.. He may not have been called for an elder but had he been, he would have been good enough to do it rather he was married or not. What if when choosing between the men some of those best suited for the job isn't married yet. What if they are married and their wife dies? Are we then to kick them out and say their not suited for an elder until they marry again?

Thus I don't think this was a commandment at all, rather more of a use common sense when picking your elders and find the most God fearing men who was called by God to fill those roles.. At the beginning of the chapter he says "I exhort"..
 
I completely agree with your rationale and was already getting to that understanding in my own studies. I've known of congregations that have had knock-down drag-out fights over what they considered the most strictest of elder qualifications. Some have actually chosen men that technically fit the bill but later on were nothing more than church eunuchs rather than overseers.
 
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