Friday, November 01, 2013
Single Stupidity
In a discussion that could only happen on the more-or-less fundamentalist side of things Christian Post asks:
As someone who stayed single until relatively late in life, but who was elected an elder in the Presbyterian Church while still single, I was ready to dive in with both feet defending the roles of single people in leadership. But then I ran across this concluding paragraph:
This guys argument was all wrapped in in appropriate sexual conduct about which he is missing the point. I can testify that marriage adds to one a certain maturity, and that I think that maturity makes the best leaders. Now, there are other ways to obtain that maturity, though it is difficult outside of marriage for it must come relationally and people generally are not willing to form relational bonds other than marriage that have the requisite commitment, but it can happen.
It also should be pointed out that to justify single leaders, given the scripture that were here quoted, so exegesis is needed to justify it - not where I want to go with this post. Where I want to go is the shoddy "not Biblical" argument. Really, any congregation that hires this guy is not looking for a preacher that knows the Bible.
Bible leadership singleness smart
Should Single People Be Eligible to Lead a Church?
As someone who stayed single until relatively late in life, but who was elected an elder in the Presbyterian Church while still single, I was ready to dive in with both feet defending the roles of single people in leadership. But then I ran across this concluding paragraph:
Taber points out that Jesus was single and concludes in his blog, "The church assumes that the wife will lead the women, or the children, or play the piano. I find none of these things listed as qualifications for leaders in the Scriptures.Whoa! "Not Biblical?" I think indeed marital status is a qualification for leadership IN THE BIBLE.
"Don't you think it is about time that the church addresses the issue of single leaders? Isn't it about time we stopped running our churches based on things that are not biblical? I do!"
1 Tim 3:2-7 - An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not addicted to wine or pugnacious, but gentle, peaceable, free from the love of money. He must be one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity 5 (but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?), and not a new convert, so that he will not become conceited and fall into the condemnation incurred by the devil. [emphasis added]By golly, I think that qualifies as in the bible. As is a similar verse in Titus. So, this guy is probably disqualified from leadership, not based on marital status, but ignorance.
This guys argument was all wrapped in in appropriate sexual conduct about which he is missing the point. I can testify that marriage adds to one a certain maturity, and that I think that maturity makes the best leaders. Now, there are other ways to obtain that maturity, though it is difficult outside of marriage for it must come relationally and people generally are not willing to form relational bonds other than marriage that have the requisite commitment, but it can happen.
It also should be pointed out that to justify single leaders, given the scripture that were here quoted, so exegesis is needed to justify it - not where I want to go with this post. Where I want to go is the shoddy "not Biblical" argument. Really, any congregation that hires this guy is not looking for a preacher that knows the Bible.
Bible leadership singleness smart
