The One Sin Not Forgotten

Let's test doctrine: Some denominations insist that deacons (as well as bishops) have never been divorced. Is that scriptural?

1 Timothy 3:8 (KJV) "Likewise must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre; 9 Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience. 10 And let these also first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless. 11 Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things. 12 Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well. 13 For they that have used the office of a deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus."

Or, literally:

1 Timothy 3:8 (YLT) Ministrants -- in like manner grave, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not given to filthy lucre, 9 having the secret of the faith in a pure conscience, 10 and let these also first be proved, then let them minister, being unblameable. 11 Women -- in like manner grave, not false accusers, vigilant, faithful in all things. 12 Ministrants -- let them be of one wife husbands; the children leading well, and their own houses, 13 for those who did minister well a good step to themselves do acquire, and much boldness in faith that [is] in Christ Jesus."

What is a deacon? It's nothing more than a person, either laity or clerical who is ordained to serve God by ministering to others. The primary duty is to share the message of the gospels. Hence, a deacon, although not am official priest, is a spiritual one!  Then who are they? It's servants who have matured enough to be appointed by the church from among the elect, as described herein:

1 Peter 2:2 (KJV)  "Wherefore (the elect or Christians from Chapter 1) laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, 2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: 3 If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.4 To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, 5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ... 9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light..."

In short, according to this passage, all Christians are to serve (sacrifice) and as such are of the holy and royal priesthood. Royalty in this context would mean that Christians are to be priests of the kingdom of God! Then those characteristics which make up righteous Christians are enumerated:  "laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings,  As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word,"

All Christians, then, are priests whose job it is to serve, minister and present the gospel message. However, being qualified to serve as representatives of the kingdom of God. there are additional qualifications for the formal church, with those enumerated in 1 Timithy 3:8-13. (We'll examine those shortly).

Deacons are assistants to the bishop who has much the same qualifications. They too are to "be the husband of one wife" (1 Timothy 3:2). Therefore the "assistant bishops" (i.e., the deacons) have the same marital qualifications as do the bishops!

Let's first look at the qualifications of deacons:

1. Must be serious (grave).
2. Must be truthful (not doubletongued).
3. Must be sober (not drinkers of much wine).
4. Not given to filthy talk.
5. Have faith.
6. Have no confessed guilt (pure conscience).
7. Are to be tested and found innocent (blameless).
8. Have a godly wife (with many of the same attributes)
9. They are to have one wife.
10. They are to have obedient children and a stable home.

These are ten specific things to be a deacon. All are present tense! No one is worse or better than the other! However, there is one past tense criteria which is required to be a deacon, according to many denominations. They say "a divorced man cannot be a deacon".

"Divorced" is past tense. Scripture recognizes divorce, calls it a sin, but does not call it the "unpardonable sin". Of course it would be better for men who have never sinned to be deacons, but all have sinned (Romans 3:23).  The list of ten doesn't use past sins against candidates for deacon. If so, it would say "a person who has never lied", a person who has always been serious, a person who has never been drunk, a person who has never said anything filthy, a person who has always been faithful, etc". Past sins, according to Paul's letter to Timothy are never to be considered when selecting deacons!

If Paul had included past sins as criterion for consideration, then Paul would have excluded himself. Paul was a murderer, yet he held a higher office; an apostle! No, there is not to be one past sin included in a list of ten present tense criterion. That is not what it says and that would be disingenuous of Paul, and is at odds with the words of God (more on that in a moment).

Digest this thus far, and now consider forgiveness.

Isaiah 43:25 " I, even I, am he that blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and will not remember your sins."

God (with us) said that. They are the words of the Son of God because he was The Word of God! Emmanuel forgets and blots out each sin as men repent of them. Why is it that God forgot Paul's murderous ways, but fails to forget men's unfortunate previous marriage. It seems that although God forgets, men still remember this one sin! Divorce, according to this doctrine, is the only sin that God never blots out! Also, since God says he "won't remember our sins". Clerics within the church say "God forgot, but we didn't!" and then hold sins of youthfulness against devoted Christians.

 Now let's look at those who have committed fornication and/or adultery! Those two sins are not on the list of ten and neither is murder by the way! I would assume that those sins, if repented of by the candidate for deacon, are not held against them!  In other words forgiven adulterers, fornicators and murderers can be deacons, but forgiven divorced men cannot be!

There is a reason this criteria is included:  "Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife...". It's because polygamy was common in the Roman Empire, especially within the Hebrew and Helenistic peoples. Having more than one wife includes those with whom a person cohabitates if one remembers the woman at the well, who incidentally was forgiven because she believed in Jesus!

John 4:16 "Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither. 17 The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband: 18 For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly."

Jesus didn't say "Thou hast five husbands." He used past tense: "Thou hast had five husbands." Jesus didn't recognize, by using present tense, that the woman presently, at that time, having five husbands. They were past and were no longer husbands! And furthermore, the man she was currently living with was not her husband. She was fornicating, and that sin is not even on the list of ten!

Jesus recognized divorce in this case. The woman HAD five husbands, now she has none! In 1 Timothy "the deacons be the husbands of one wife". If she had been a man, the woman at the well could have been a deacon because she believed in Jesus and the assumption is that she was born-again! (All her husbands were part of her past).

Then there are the Nicolaitanes!

Revelation 2:15 "So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate."

Nicolas is believed to be one who was of the seventy. Some believe the seventy were disciples and others believe they were apostles. I submit that they were disciples on a mission to minister to "every city". They were being assistants to the apostles (bishops) and as such were deacons. Nicolas was one who held the doctrine of Balaam. Nicolas brought sexual sins into the church as doctrine! In his doctrine men could have multiple wives and sexual partners. This doctrine disqualified Nicolas from serving, and I believe Nicolaitans were the practitioners of the doctrine that brought about "only husbands of one wife could be deacons". To allow more than one wife was the doctrine God hates!

The doctrine of "divorced men can't be deacon" is a regulation of men and is not scriptural!  It implies that divorce is the unforgettable sin severe enough that faithful men can't serve God in an official capacity although they are of the Royal Priesthood!

Are once-married  men more "good" than divorced men! No, they just have one less sin which God graciously erased from his memory! The intent is to keep immorality out of the ministry. That's a noble thing, but has nothing to do with sins already covered by the blood:

Romans 3:25 "Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God..."

It would appear that when we are born-again, our past sins are forgiven! Likewise, as we sin, we repent as we sin when we're convicted and are sorry. To imply that men can't be sorry and repent of divorce is heresy because all past sins are pardonable!   I stand humbled that God forgave me of a grave sin, but I also believe that he chose to forget my divorce since I asked forgiveness! With that said, I believe God wants me to serve him. That's what deacons do!

This is a defense of those who're called to be deacons, but are ineligible due to the rules of men. I'm not called to be a deacon, so I have nothing to gain by a rule change. However, there are many humbled and faithful, but divorced men, who cannot serve that would be the church's gain!