Marriage was designed between one man and one woman. God’s planned design has many purposes. Man has messed it up, over and over, across these many millennia since. One of the reasons why this is important for leaders is that the marriage is supposed to be a picture of Christ and His church: a groom and a bride. Leaders are supposed to model the truth, not fall into complicated error.
Now, in practical application: as the church spread out into the gentile world, there were many bigamist families, or men with multiple women in different places – who became believers. That is NOT God’s design and is NOT a picture of Christ and His Church. But, the reality is you can’t just break up those families, especially if there are children. Plus, the man providing for two households or two wives and children has no time to lead a church.
So, the requirement for leadership was the standard model of marriage. Because the church was designed to pass down that model through the ages, not the model of men having kids all over with different women. And definitely not other variances thereof.
One man, with one woman. Children with two parents. That was God’s design. When you submit to God, it works. But let’s be real here: you can’t reject people who fell short of that model before they came to faith in Jesus. The church has to affirm caring for those who are our own responsibility, but we should not encourage continuing the pattern.
So God called His church leaders to be the example.
What are the implications of potential scriptural interpolations for modern readers seeking to understand the historical Jesus?
The key to understanding the Bible, and Jesus, fully is to learn the context of His ministry, mission, and mandate in his times and culture. That being said, Jesus transcends all culture.
The idea is not interpolation, but helping people see the whole picture. We need to see ourselves in the greater context of where we fit, not try to get Jesus to fit us.
What verses in the New Testament condemn idolatry?
If you read the book of Acts, from chapter 10 onward, you see that is when the Gospel really began spreading to gentiles. You didn’t need to persuade Jewish Christians about idols, they already understood that idolatry offends God.
Gentiles, however, had idols everywhere in those days. And you see Paul teaching about the fact that idols are useless, and that the real God of Heaven is not made by hands. Read especially Acts 17–20 and you get this pretty clearly summed up.
When you know the living God and have a true relationship with Him in Christ by the Holy Spirit? There is no need, and no desire, for idols. So, it’s not like Paul had to reiterate that on every page he wrote.
Mission 17:11 Audience Questions 3
The Bible was NOT altered. This notion that it was changed later is ignorant. One only needs to study the Bible and consider the lack of understanding of the Old Testament Laws and history that existed among Gentile Christians after the first century. And you will never convince me that unbelieving Jews contrived to make Jesus look like the Messiah by altering texts.
a) the Jews had extreme reverence for the Old Testament texts in the Pre-Christian era. Scribes were the most exacting and rigorous with the text.
b) Gentile Christians revered Christ, but did not understand the context of the Old Testament. So it’s just inconceivable that they would alter it.
Marriage was designed between one man and one woman. God’s planned design has many purposes. Man has messed it up, over and over, across these many millennia since. One of the reasons why this is important for leaders is that the marriage is supposed to be a picture of Christ and His church: a groom and a bride. Leaders are supposed to model the truth, not fall into complicated error.
Now, in practical application: as the church spread out into the gentile world, there were many bigamist families, or men with multiple women in different places – who became believers. That is NOT God’s design and is NOT a picture of Christ and His Church. But, the reality is you can’t just break up those families, especially if there are children. Plus, the man providing for two households or two wives and children has no time to lead a church.
So, the requirement for leadership was the standard model of marriage. Because the church was designed to pass down that model through the ages, not the model of men having kids all over with different women. And definitely not other variances thereof.
One man, with one woman. Children with two parents. That was God’s design. When you submit to God, it works. But let’s be real here: you can’t reject people who fell short of that model before they came to faith in Jesus. The church has to affirm caring for those who are our own responsibility, but we should not encourage continuing the pattern.
So God called His church leaders to be the example.
The key to understanding the Bible, and Jesus, fully is to learn the context of His ministry, mission, and mandate in his times and culture. That being said, Jesus transcends all culture.
The idea is not interpolation, but helping people see the whole picture. We need to see ourselves in the greater context of where we fit, not try to get Jesus to fit us.
If you read the book of Acts, from chapter 10 onward, you see that is when the Gospel really began spreading to gentiles. You didn’t need to persuade Jewish Christians about idols, they already understood that idolatry offends God.
Gentiles, however, had idols everywhere in those days. And you see Paul teaching about the fact that idols are useless, and that the real God of Heaven is not made by hands. Read especially Acts 17–20 and you get this pretty clearly summed up.
When you know the living God and have a true relationship with Him in Christ by the Holy Spirit? There is no need, and no desire, for idols. So, it’s not like Paul had to reiterate that on every page he wrote.
Published in Bible, Commentary, Prepared Warriors and Teaching