What is Adultery?
 

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?

Re: What is Adultery?
 

Get ready for a mulitude of difference of opinions on this one.

Re: What is Adultery?
 

Interesting question.

Re: What is Adultery?
 

Depends if she was married or not. The discussion can get complex. Was she married or not?

Re: What is Adultery?
 

Not sure. All I know is what the couple has stated publically, he left and divorced his wife for the other woman. He married her and now has returned to preaching after a period of being "restored."

This is a serious question, I'm having a meeting with a man who has been asked to counsel this particular minister.

What about the scriptural requirement for a "deacon" to be above reproach? Would that hold true for those in ministry in a "higher" office, i.e., pastor, bishop, prophet?

Re: What is Adultery?
 

Depends on the reason he divorced her and left. Not enough information, wisdom would be if you don't know enough about the situation you should take a wait and see attitude unless the preacher guy is obviously a messed up person.

Re: What is Adultery?
 

Thanks, I think he is very "messed up." He has said he has no scriptural reason to divorce the first wife, and admitted it was adultery.
It just does not "ring true" to me that you can marry the new hottie, and everything be OK with God?
Logically, one could say it does not work with any other sin. How can going before a "minister" or secular judge and marrying your whorlot make it not an aduterous/fornication relationship?

Re: What is Adultery?
 

Actually its more complex than that. If she was married hes toast. If not hes actually ok bt the letter of the law biblically since polygamy isnt listed as a biblical sin since hes still married to the other woman until she has sex with another man and he writes a bill of divorce. Remember in the days of Jesus women were not single by choice... so when he spoke about adultry nearly every woman was married and pumping out babies except prostitutes and certain rich women who were typically widows of a rich man and had that option... even then she was usually under a man either a family head in Roman society (paterfamilis who could even be her son or brother). Other than that single women starved to death hence the need for a Levirite marriage in that society.

This can easily inflame into a 20 page thread since I am sure some of the posters on here think I just went off into kookyville with this view of the scriptures ... but its a complex issue and I've deeply discussed this with many biblical scholars since I myself am divorced and struggled with quitting the ministry because of my situation due to my own views of divorce being a sin in Gods eyes (my wife divorced me and I had to kill a new church plant a few years ago due to her badness and multiple refusals to reconcile in the situation).

Pauls advice is that a bishop should be blameless and the husband of one wife. Thats the ideal we should strive for in the ministry. Wisdom in the least would be for him to take a few years and cool off if he hasn't found balance after his divorce, I spent 18 months under one of my UPCI uncle pastors to clear my head after my deal and then spent another year getting financially back on track before I planned to start a new work and get remarried in July.

It can be complex, but usually wisdom is to advise the person for them to take their time and examine if the man is someone he should be following. Paul himself addressed this in the scriptures...

1st Corinthians

6:1 When one of you has a grievance against another, does he dare go to law before the unrighteous instead of the saints?

2 Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases?

3 Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, then, matters pertaining to this life!

Re: What is Adultery?
 

Sad when our example are men and women that are messed up in marriage...and yes I know things can get so complicated...

Re: What is Adultery?
 

So, your contention is that the man in question really did not sin at all, unless the female was married, in which case he is disqualified from ministry?

A man cheating on his wife (if a single woman) is not so bad, but a woman cheating on her husband is always sin?