If it's possible. If I were an accountant, and I swindled a lot of people out of tons of money, I would never expect to get a job as an accountant again. It's just reality.
Very true. That's how the world operates. The question is... should we operate like that too? Do we give second chances where the world would not?
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Some things can be restored, some things can't. As with a pedophile. You molest a child, you have ruined your chances of ever being alone with a child again for the rest of your life. You can be an accepted, forgiven, productive member of society.... but there will be an area of life that will be restricted for you. That's just the reality of it.
I don't think pedophilia can be compared to adultery. Pedophilia is a deeply embedded psychosis. Adultery can be the result of a moment's weakness, lack of judgment, or pure lust. If this man's first marriage was loveless and cold it's very possible that this left him wide open for Satan's snare. I'm confident he's learned some very valuable lessons. Lessons I pray most of us will never learn. Where we talk about Sampson and David... this man has walked a mile in their shoes.
I'd so like to know the circumstances of his first marriage. Paul commanded that spouses not defraud one another of intimacy on the grounds that Satan would tempt them. Was his wife fulfilling her duty or did she leave him for the wolves?
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Actions do have consequences. Some actions have harsher consequences than others.
Very true, and I can see your side of it. I'm just feeling a second chance might be in order, especially if his elders feel led to do this for him.
What do we do with all the preachers who were total "dogs" with two or three marriages behind them before being saved? A vow is a vow.
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Sometimes restoration will involve choosing a different path for your life.
Very true. If I were in this man's shoes I'd invest in small group ministry, Bible studies, perhaps even starting a ministry focused on second marriages and the struggles they face. But I'd be leary about pastoring. I'd not want my circumstances to bring a reproach on Christ.
If a particular church wants their pastor back in the pulpit, I don't think it's any of our business.
It's not any of our business if a particular church wants their pastor back. It's their perogative who they have as pastor. But the question was not should these people have their pastor back but can the man in question be right with God. These folks can hire Curious George the monkey for their pastor if thats what they want.
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Originally Posted by U376977
Can a man be guilty of adultery and admit it. Repent. Divorce. Then marry the new woman he had the affair with, and be right with God? Does the fact they got "married" change it from being adultery?
What scriptures prove either way?
Well, we would have to find a position that parallels our current "pastor", since it's a pastoral position we were initially discussing. The "positions" we're talking about in our current time weren't in the Bible, so we couldn't find an example either way.
I think it completely depends upon what you've done, and what your position entailed. What you were "leading" in your leadership position. In our church, musicians, Sunday School teachers and more have been immediately restored after they've repented. But if the pastor commits adultery, he's not going to be back in the pulpit the next week.
When the Bible said that a leader must be blameless, etc, what do you think that meant?
I think the post said it's been a year and a half and that he's remarried and repentant. Should his elders feel led to restore him completely, do you believe it should take more time? If so, how much longer?
What does God want? If his elders feel led of the Holy Ghost to restore him and the congregation welcomes this prodigal home, slaying the fatted calf, putting a ring on his finger, and dressing him in his father's robe... do we have a right to throw stones? Maybe God is doing something unique for this man for reasons that only God knows.
God could very well be doing something unique, but how on Earth could he (the leader) or the saints be objective? Would the leader (ex leader) be able to tell his ex-saints that "God told him...." such and such and that he is to be restored? How would the elders and saints be able to cut through the emotionalism, especially if the pastor or leader was a controlling type previously and had installed the literal fear God into them through the whole "touch not my anointed" and "obey them" stuff?
I am not saying that it couldn't happen, but would be extremely unusual as well as requiring 3rd party supervision throughout the (very long) process? Of course it would also depend heavily on the nature of the original sin.
I think the post said it's been a year and a half and that he's remarried and repentant. Should his elders feel led to restore him completely, do you believe it should take more time? If so, how much longer?
He hasn't repented if he is still with companion number 2
Repent means to turn away and forsake sin. Not ask God overlook your failing but continue in it.
See, there ya go! A true believer (in life-changing power, and, probably, in the discernment to know whose lives are really changed)!
(I guess!)
Aww, man, I guessed wrong!
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Originally Posted by Aquila
Very true. That's how the world operates. The question is... should we operate like that too? Do we give second chances where the world would not?
I don't think pedophilia can be compared to adultery. Pedophilia is a deeply embedded psychosis. Adultery can be the result of a moment's weakness, lack of judgment, or pure lust. If this man's first marriage was loveless and cold it's very possible that this left him wide open for Satan's snare. I'm confident he's learned some very valuable lessons. Lessons I pray most of us will never learn. Where we talk about Sampson and David... this man has walked a mile in their shoes.
I'd so like to know the circumstances of his first marriage. Paul commanded that spouses not defraud one another of intimacy on the grounds that Satan would tempt them. Was his wife fulfilling her duty or did she leave him for the wolves?
Very true, and I can see your side of it. I'm just feeling a second chance might be in order, especially if his elders feel led to do this for him.
What do we do with all the preachers who were total "dogs" with two or three marriages behind them before being saved? A vow is a vow.
Very true. If I were in this man's shoes I'd invest in small group ministry, Bible studies, perhaps even starting a ministry focused on second marriages and the struggles they face. But I'd be leary about pastoring. I'd not want my circumstances to bring a reproach on Christ.
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Hebrews 13:23 Know ye that our brother Timothy is set at liberty
He hasn't repented if he is still with companion number 2
Repent means to turn away and forsake sin. Not ask God overlook your failing but continue in it.
Thumper, I have to ask this considering your apparent viewpoint, and so I bring up an extreme example: Would the man or woman who is in a short lived marriage (less then a year), divorces, remarries and spends the next 25-30 years with their second spouse complete with kids be required to leave their current spouse and remarry their first?
(And while it is extreme I also know of a few specific instances of this exact thing happening, so it is not just a hypothetical.)
He hasn't repented if he is still with companion number 2
Repent means to turn away and forsake sin. Not ask God overlook your failing but continue in it.
David didn't leave Bathsheba. Was David's repentance genuine? Take into consideration, their son was the wisest king who ever lived and penned most of the book of Proverbs. Oh... and Jesus is a direct decendent. Should David have left Bathsheba?
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