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“One Woman Man”
Categories: DOCTRINE, MARRIAGE, NEW TESTAMENT, RELATIONSHIPS, THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCHTitus 1:6 speaks of "the husband of one wife".
Can a divorced brother who is remarried be referred to as “the husband of one wife” and thus be ordained as a deacon? His wife is also a divorcee.
Please help; I am confused!
Sincerely, Choosing Wisely
Dear Choosing Wisely,
He may be qualified; he may not – your congregation will need to properly judge whether he fulfills the requirements of Tit 1:6. The phrase ‘husband of one wife’ literally means a ‘one woman man’ in the Greek. He must be devoted exclusively and faithfully to his one wife. A man who is widowed and then remarried could still be properly described as a ‘one woman man’ because he was completely devoted to his first wife until her death, and now is fully devoted to his current wife.
The question you will have to wrestle with is if this divorced brother has shown the character trait of monogamous fidelity. Why did he get divorced? Was it for infidelity? Was he always faithful to her? Did she leave him, or did he leave her? How does he behave with his current wife? How long has he been married to his current wife? The answers to these questions will help you to assess whether he is a faithful ‘one woman man’.
You are right to be concerned about him serving as a deacon. Divorce is a red flag that should make us pause before appointing a man as a qualified deacon, but depending on the circumstances surrounding his divorce, he may still be qualified.
