• I Timothy 3:2 “A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;”
• vs. 4 “One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity;
• vs. 5 (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)”
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As the home deteriorates around the world, the homes of our churches are tempted to fall apart as well. This can be seen even with a pastor’s home. Because of the urgency of churches being planted and souls being saved, many pastors are being allowed to remain in pulpits whose homes are not what they ought to be. However, God places very high standards in His Word on pastors and their homes.

In this article, I simply want to focus on a couple of God’s pastoral requirements that deal specifically with the pastor’s home life.

#1 Pastors are to be the husband of one wife. (I Tim. 3:2)

• – Husband is referring to a man, not a woman. Only men are to pastor churches. This fact is further strengthened by the constant use of the masculine in I Timothy 3 referring to the pastor. There is not even a hint or indication of female pastors in the New Testament.
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• – The pastor should be husband of only one wife, not simply one wife at a time otherwise the scriptures would be worded that way. As you can read in our divorce series on this website, God hateth/is against divorce and remarriage that occurs after divorce. The only acceptable way for the pastor to have another wife would be for his present wife to pass away. Only then does Romans 7 point out that a married partner is free to remarry. A pastor with multiple divorces reveals someone who is not qualified with helping other marriages.
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#2 Pastors’ children need to be in subjection.

• – Even in seemingly good churches, this particular requirement is often ignored and overlooked. It is not okay to sit underneath a pastor with worldly, rebellious offspring. It is one thing if a pastor’s children have an off day. It is quite another if their children are constantly not under control. As God points out in our text, I Tim. 3:5, a pastor who does not have his own house in order cannot possibly care for God’s house properly.
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Dear reader, make sure your home is under a pastor whose own house is in order.