If a man gains children through marriage, is he qualified to be a deacon?
Question:
I know the Bible says a deacon is to have one wife and rule their children well, among other qualifications, but these are the two I have a question about (I Timothy 3:8-12).
If a deacon is divorced based on scriptural grounds, meaning his wife cheated on him and he left her. Later on, he marries another woman who already has children. Do her children count as his and, therefore, is he able to be a deacon?
Thank you.
Answer:
"Deacons must be husbands of only one wife, and good managers of their children and their own households" (I Timothy 3:12).
There is nothing in this passage indicating that the children in a man's family must be biologically his own. He and his wife could adopt children, and if he manages his children and household well, then he would be qualified to be a deacon.
