Most Baptist pastors make 1 Timothy 3:2 about divorce for Christians in local churches. By doing this, they create a system of first-class Christians and second-class Christians. The first-class Christian is not divorced and has the right to be a pastor, deacon, and teacher in a local church. The second-class Christian is divorced and cannot be a pastor, deacon, or teacher in a local church. The first-class Christian that is not divorced may have committed all kinds of other sins like adultery, fornication, theft, etc. The first-class Christian may have fornicated with numerous women before finally marrying. This does not matter. All that matters is that the first-class Christian does not have divorce papers. The first-class Christian may have committed adultery while married and it does not matter as long as he is not divorced. When we are discussing marriage, we are referring to Biblical marriage between one man and one woman. The way things are now days, one must make this distinction. Now let’s look at 1 Timothy 3:2.

1 Timothy 3:1 (KJV) ¶ This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.
1 Timothy 3:2 (KJV) A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;
The standard interpretation in a Baptist church of 1 Timothy 3:2 is about divorce and that a bishop cannot be divorced. If a bishop that is divorced remarries, then he has two wives. There is a problem with teaching 1 Timothy 3:2 is about divorce. 1 Timothy 3:2 does not mention divorce. 1 Timothy 3:2 is not talking about divorce. 1 Timothy 3:2 says “A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife”. “The husband of one wife” does not mean not divorced. A man can be divorced, remarried, and the husband of one wife. A man can be married, his wife dies, and remarried, and the husband of one wife. Divorce ends a marriage. Death ends a marriage. The Bible is extremely clear that divorce and death end a marriage. Let’s take a look at the Bible on divorce and death ending a marriage.
