Question: “What does the husband of one wife
phrase in 1 Timothy 3:2 mean? Can a divorced
man serve as a pastor, elder, or deacon?”
Answer: There are at least three possible
interpretations of the phrase husband of one
wife in 1 Timothy 3:2 (ESV) . 1) It could simply
be saying that a polygamist is not qualified to
be an elder, a deacon or a pastor. This is the
most literal interpretation of the English
rendering of the phrase, but seems somewhat
unlikely considering that polygamy was quite
rare in the time that Paul was writing. 2) The
Greek could literally be translated as “one-
woman man.” In other words, a bishop must be
absolutely loyal to the woman he is married to.
This interpretation acknowledges that the
original text focuses not on marital status but
on moral purity. 3) The phrase could also be
understood to declare that, in order to be an
elder/deacon/pastor, a man can only have been
married once, other than in the case of a
remarried widower; in other words, a pastor
cannot be a divorcé.
Interpretations 2 and 3 are the most prevalent
today. Interpretation 2 seems to be the
strongest, primarily because Scripture allows for
divorce in exceptional circumstances ( Matthew
19:9 ; 1 Corinthians 7:12–16 ). It is also
important to differentiate a man who was
divorced and remarried before he became a
Christian from a man who was divorced and
remarried after becoming a Christian. An
otherwise qualified man should not be excluded
from church leadership because of his actions
prior to coming to know the Lord Jesus Christ
as his Savior. Although 1 Timothy 3:2 does not
necessarily exclude a divorced or remarried man
from serving as an elder/deacon/pastor, there
are other issues to consider.
The first qualification of an elder/deacon/pastor
is to be “above reproach” ( 1 Timothy 3:2 ). If the
divorce and/or remarriage had no biblical
grounds, then the man has damaged his
testimony in the church and community; the
“above reproach” qualification will exclude him
from the pastorate rather than the “husband of
one wife” requirement. An elder/deacon/pastor
is to be a man whom the church and community
can look up to as an example of Christlikeness
and godly leadership. If a past divorce and/or
remarriage detracts from this ideal, then he
should not serve in the position of elder/
deacon/pastor. It is important to remember
that, even though a man is disqualified from
serving as an elder/deacon/pastor, he is still a
valuable member of the body of Christ. Every
Christian possesses spiritual gifts ( 1 Corinthians
12:4–7 ) and is called to participate in edifying
other believers with those gifts ( 1 Corinthians
12:7 ). A man who is disqualified from the
position of elder/deacon/pastor can still teach,
preach, serve, pray, worship, and play an
important role in the church.