Titus 1:6 Husband of one wife

If anyone is unimpeachable, the husband of one wife, having believing children, not under the accusation of profligacy or insubordinate

The second requirement for the candidate supervisor is: husband of one wife. The supervisor is supposed to be a married man, and yet it does not say “husband of a wife,” but “husband of one wife.” Not an indefinite article, but a definite numeral.

Strictly speaking, polygamy is not forbidden in the Bible. Many of the men of God in Scripture had several (and sometimes many) wives. Think of Abraham, Jacob, David and especially Solomon. What is striking, however, is that wherever polygamy is described in Scripture, it is always a source of rivalry, conflict, and other trouble. That also makes sense, because we can conclude that “it was not so from the beginning” (Mat.19:8). A man would “cling to his wife” (singular) and not “his wives” (Gen.2:24). That’s the original concept.

Presumably in the ecclesias on Crete there were men who had become religious but were married to several women. No problem. They are not called upon to put away their wives (cf. 1Cor.7:11). Nevertheless, in his instructions (see also 1Tim.3:2), Paul refers back to the prototype as a guiding principle: “husband of one wife”.

Delen: