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Does “husband of one wife” rule out single pastors?

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TEXAS GOSPEL VOLUNTEER

Among the qualifications listed for pastors and elders is the requirement that a man be the husband of one wife, a phrase some have taken to mean that unmarried men cannot serve in those roles. I believe that reading goes further than the text intends.

The apostle Paul himself appears not to have had a wife for most of his ministry, though he may have been a widower earlier in life, since reaching his standing within the Jewish world of his day typically required marriage.

Paul acknowledged elsewhere that ministers had a right to take a wife, but described it as a right rather than an obligation. The qualification is less about marital status and more about marital fidelity. A married man who leads must be singularly and completely devoted to his wife, avoiding not only adultery but any interest in another woman. This standard also excludes practices such as polygamy.

An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, skillful in teaching,

1 Timothy 3:2

Secure, not because of how you are holding on

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JEFF TURNER

When hardship arrives, and it will arrive, the first thing the enemy of your soul will do is attack the foundation. He will work to make you feel that your security before God depends on how you are performing in the trial, how strong your faith is holding, how well your responses are measuring up. And if he can get you believing that, he has succeeded in replacing the solid rock with sand beneath you.

Here is the truth that must be reaffirmed in the middle of every storm. You are not secure because your conduct has been exemplary or because your faith has been strong. You are secure in the person of Jesus Christ, on the basis of his sacrificial, all-sufficient, death at Calvary.

The moment you received him, having been chosen by him, a new birth took place and God himself assumed the responsibility of your protection. This is not a matter of holding on to him, because in our weakness we sometimes, honestly, let go. He holds you.

In the valley, when the weight grows heavier the longer you carry it, the place to begin is not with a fresh assessment of your own strength. It is with a reaffirmation of his.

My sheep listen to My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give them eternal life, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.

John 10:27-28

Seeking God’s kingdom brings the provision he promises

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TEXAS GOSPEL VOLUNTEER

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells his followers not to worry about food, drink or clothing, assuring them that their heavenly Father already knows what they need. I believe this shows us the character of God. He withholds nothing his people genuinely require and has committed himself to supplying it.

I’m not saying this promise means every believer throughout history has been shielded from hunger or exposure. Some followers of Christ have died from starvation, and others have perished from cold or nakedness. These cases are exceptions rather than the rule, and they do not overturn the larger truth that God supplies what his people NEED.

The command that accompanies this promise is the key to understanding it. Believers are called to seek God’s kingdom first. For those pursuing his glory and his purposes above their own concerns, God’s care becomes evident. And as a hymn goes that you’ve probably heard, this world is not my home, I’m just a passing through.

The Lord is my shepherd,
I will not be in need.

Psalm 23:1

Sunday worship reflects the resurrection, not an Old Testament Sabbath rule

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TEXAS GOSPEL VOLUNTEER

Colossians 2:16 and 17 state plainly that no one has the right to judge believers regarding festivals, new moons or Sabbath observance, since these practices were shadows pointing toward Christ. This passage sets aside the ceremonial requirements attached to the Sabbath. The Old Testament Sabbath commemorated God’s rest after creation, but the early church shifted its gathering to the first day of the week to honour a different event entirely: the resurrection of Jesus. Revelation 1 refers to this day as the Lord’s Day.

Old Testament Sabbath regulations cannot simply be transferred onto Sunday worship, since the New Testament does not treat Sunday as a replacement Sabbath under the same legal requirements. Every day belongs to the Lord, and believers can worship him at any time. Even so, setting apart a specific day to focus on Christ’s resurrection remains a valuable practice for the church, offering a rhythm of corporate worship without reviving Old Testament ceremonial law.

Consequently, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His.

Hebrews 4:9-10

Christ’s own example shows believers when to flee persecution

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TEXAS GOSPEL VOLUNTEER

Jesus pronounces a blessing on those who are insulted and persecuted for his sake, yet he also instructs his disciples in Matthew 10 to flee from one city to another when persecution arises. These teachings work together rather than in conflict, and Jesus himself modelled the pattern he taught.

Early in Jesus’ ministry, opposition from the religious leaders in Judea, who began plotting to kill him, led him to leave for Galilee by way of Samaria. His extended ministry in Galilee followed.

Even in Galilee, danger arose. In his hometown of Nazareth, a crowd intended to stone him, and he passed safely through the mob and departed. His death would come only according to God’s appointed timing, not at the hands of those seeking to kill him prematurely. Doesn’t this establish a precedent for believers facing persecution? I believe it shows fleeing danger is not a failure of faith. At the same time, when persecution cannot be avoided and comes as part of faithful discipleship.

Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.

Matthew 5:11