1 Timothy 3:2

Context

1 Timothy 3:1-7 sets out the qualifications of a "bishop" (Greek episkopos), and verses 8-13 those of a deacon. Paul says that a bishop must be blameless, temperate, sober-minded, and apt to teach; not given to wine; not a lover of money; and one who rules his own house well. "The husband of one wife" appears near the beginning of this list, and the same phrase recurs among the qualifications for deacons (3:12) and elders (Titus 1:6). Most Protestant denominations regard this bishop as corresponding to today's pastor or elder.

Interpretations

Translated literally, the original reads "a man of one woman."

• A prohibition of polygamy: This view holds that the phrase means a man must not have more than one wife. Some object, however, that this reading alone is insufficient, since polygamy was uncommon in Greco-Roman society at the time.
• A prohibition of remarriage: This interpretation takes the phrase to describe a man who has not remarried after divorce or the death of his wife; some in the early church read it this way. The Orthodox Church maintains a tradition in which married men may become priests but priests may not remarry.
• Sexual faithfulness: Many commentators today understand the phrase not as a matter of how many times a man has married but as an idiom for marital fidelity: "a man faithful to one woman only."
• Marriage as a requirement: The view that a bishop must be married is a minority position. The Catholic Church upholds priestly celibacy and does not read this verse as imposing an obligation to marry.

Debates and Issues

Whether a divorced or remarried person may be appointed as a pastor, elder, or deacon is a practical question that Korean churches face. The answer varies with denominational constitutions and the regulations of individual congregations, and the issue is closely tied to the discussion of divorce and remarriage. The verse is also cited in the debate over the ordination of women: some take the word "husband" as grounds for holding that women may not serve as bishops, while others regard it as merely reflecting the circumstances of the time.

Related Passages

• Titus 1:5-9
• 1 Timothy 3:12
• 1 Timothy 5:9
• Matthew 19:3-9