Re: 'Bishops'

From: GLENN WOODEN (glenn.wooden@acadiau.ca)
Date: Fri Mar 29 1996 - 16:06:25 EST


Bernard,

> The issue relates only to bishops,
> not to deacons for instance, so it could be that for this particular
> group (alone) a "higher" standard/state is sought, perhaps dating to a
> time when more (rather than the current, less!) was expected of leaders.
> Thus this would be in contrast to the others.

The expression "one woman man" may be limited to bishops, but the
term "one man woman" is used as a qualification for the widows who
may receive help from the other believers. I am assuming here that
you do not understand 1 Tim. 5 as concerning bishops, who are discussed
at 1 Tim 3. It would seem that this attribute was not limited to just
bishops; in my experience, however, the discussion of the construction
"a one X Y" usually has been limited to 1 Tim 3:2 (bishops). That is why I
keep bring up 1 Tim 5; it seems to throw light on the bishop
discussion by showing that it does NOT mean "one and only ever one
husband/wife"--unless the author of 1 Tim. was facing mounting
debts and annual deficits and thought that urging young widows to
remarry would lighten up the future requirements on the congregation's
coffers! ;-)

Glenn
Glenn Wooden
Acadia Divinity College
Wolfville N.S.
Canada

wooden@acadiau.ca



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