Posted by
ValiantForTruth on Thursday, December 24, 2009 5:57:14 AM
‘…for its first thousand or so years, the church had married priests and bishops. A celibate priesthood…is a product of church law, which can be changed.’ [from George Will]
The qualifications for church office are clearly defined in the Bible…
‘This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of a bishop, he desires a good work. A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach; not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous; one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence (for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?); not a novice, lest being puffed up with pride he fall into the same condemnation as the devil. Moreover he must have a good testimony among those who are outside, lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil’ [1Timothy 3].
After giving the qualifications for the office of elder that includes the provision for monogamous, heterosexual marriage, the apostle warns of apostasy in 1Timothy 4...
‘Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.