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To: Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus

Those comments appear to be speaking as to the qualities of an overseer, or deacon who is married and do not make an injunction against being single; if they did, then Paul himself, as well as many others could NOT have been leaders in the early church.


38 posted on 03/20/2011 8:08:27 PM PDT by Wuli
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To: Wuli
Those comments appear to be speaking as to the qualities of an overseer, or deacon who is married and do not make an injunction against being single;

Uh, no. If a man is single (unless he's widowed, which is a different matter altogether), then he shouldn't have children. The qualifications in I Timothy 3 say what you have to be to even be a pastor or deacon. Sorry, but that seems pretty obvious when you read the Scripture simply for what it is, rather than what you want it to be.

if they did, then Paul himself, as well as many others could NOT have been leaders in the early church.

Paul was an apostle - that's another matter entirely, and doesn't bear on the qualification for someone who is a non-apostolic bishop. Further, you're argument is one in which we should ignore what Scripture actually says, and judge doctrine and practice on the basis of what some people somewhere have done or do. Frankly, it doesn't really matter what "the early church" did. They were just as prone to being wrong when they departed from Scripture as people are today.

45 posted on 03/20/2011 8:14:47 PM PDT by Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus (When evolution is outlawed, only outlaws will believe in abject nonsense.)
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To: Wuli

Great point. “Husband of one wife” can be translated as “husband of first wife”.


64 posted on 03/20/2011 9:09:34 PM PDT by Judges Gone Wild (Who are these uncircumcised to oppose the armies of the Living God?)
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