My post has been prompted by a thread in the non-discussion forum, Requests for Christian Advice. The thread question was posed by jameshjr and PloverWing replied, included this statement:
"There appear to have been reasons for Paul to advise Timothy's church to have married men as elders in Timothy's particular church. Whether this restriction applies to churches other than Timothy's, and how to incorporate insights from other writings like Galatians 3 and Romans 16, is a matter of disagreement among Christians."
I was curious about what these reasons (if they exist) are and whether or not the same reasons applied in Titus' church. The relevant Bible passages are:
Timothy:
This is a trustworthy saying: If anyone aspires to be an overseer, he desires a noble task. 2An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3not dependent on wine, not violent but gentle, peaceable, and free of the love of money
Titus:
An elder must be blameless, the husband of but one wife, having children who are believers and who are not open to accusation of indiscretion or insubordination.
As a more general point, given that the Requests for Christian Advice forum is non discussion (not always adhered to), shouldn't controversial statements of theology be avoided? Otherwise, such a forum could be used to push your own theological viewpoint unchallenged.
"There appear to have been reasons for Paul to advise Timothy's church to have married men as elders in Timothy's particular church. Whether this restriction applies to churches other than Timothy's, and how to incorporate insights from other writings like Galatians 3 and Romans 16, is a matter of disagreement among Christians."
I was curious about what these reasons (if they exist) are and whether or not the same reasons applied in Titus' church. The relevant Bible passages are:
Timothy:
This is a trustworthy saying: If anyone aspires to be an overseer, he desires a noble task. 2An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3not dependent on wine, not violent but gentle, peaceable, and free of the love of money
Titus:
An elder must be blameless, the husband of but one wife, having children who are believers and who are not open to accusation of indiscretion or insubordination.
As a more general point, given that the Requests for Christian Advice forum is non discussion (not always adhered to), shouldn't controversial statements of theology be avoided? Otherwise, such a forum could be used to push your own theological viewpoint unchallenged.