Do we have no right to take along a believing wife, as do also the other apostles, the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas?<\/em>” (I Corinthians 9:5). Notice that Paul didn’t say they had a right to a wife. He said they had a right to a believing wife. A preacher’s wife must be a Christian. Why? A preacher represents the church and the Lord. It is his duty to teach others the gospel. If his own wife will not believe the gospel, what impact will that make on his teaching? A preacher whose wife is unfaithful doesn’t qualify for the duty. He can still teach the gospel, just like every other Christian, but he cannot serve as a preacher while his wife remains unfaithful.<\/p>\n\tQuestion:<\/h2>\n
Thank you so much. I understand, but shouldn’t preachers have some of the qualifications mentioned in I Timothy 3 if he has the job to train and teach elders?<\/p>\n\t
Answer:<\/h2>\n
All Christians should have some of the qualities of elders since an elder is an example of how every Christian should be. However, that doesn’t mean all the qualifications of an elder have to be met fully to be a Christian. Christians are works-in-progress striving to reach goals like these. The qualifications in I Timothy 3 are for elders and deacons, not preachers.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Question: We have a minister whose wife no longer attends church services. We have no elders. What should we do, or what should he do? (I Timothy 3:5). Answer: A preacher is not the same duty as an elder, nor does a preacher have the same requirements on him as an elder does. I Timothy…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[20],"tags":[1511],"class_list":["post-32774","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-answer","tag-preachers"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":35535,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/if-a-preacher-sins-is-he-permanently-disqualified-from-preaching\/","url_meta":{"origin":32774,"position":0},"title":"If a preacher sins, is he permanently disqualified from preaching?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"June 4, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Hi, What is the proper term to call the speaker on Sunday? Is it a pastor or a preacher? Also, to be a preacher you basically have to have all the qualifications of an elder correct? And if for some reason a preacher sins, such as adultery, they would\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2802,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/what-does-a-preachers-wife-do\/","url_meta":{"origin":32774,"position":1},"title":"What does a preacher’s wife do?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"May 5, 2005","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I am getting married soon and my future husband will be looking for a church at which to preach.\u00a0 While I've grown up in the church, I've never really been around for the \"behind the scenes\" look at what a preacher's wife does and what position she holds.\u00a0 Any\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":62816,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/why-did-paul-limit-his-right-to-marriage-to-a-believing-wife\/","url_meta":{"origin":32774,"position":2},"title":"Why did Paul limit his right to marriage to a believing wife?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"September 18, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: While studying the scripture with this guide on your website:\u00a0Paul's Restraint in Exercising His Liberty, I found this question: Why do you suppose Paul qualified his right to only a sister in Christ and not claim a more general right to marry? It's a question I have asked too,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":18358,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/does-a-preachers-wife-have-to-attend-the-same-church-as-her-husband\/","url_meta":{"origin":32774,"position":3},"title":"Does a preacher’s wife have to attend the same church as her husband?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"April 10, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Is it wrong for a wife of a preacher (who is not a pastor and does not have his own church) to attend a different church, even though they both believe in the same faith (Jesus the Christ)? I don't believe it's dividing kingdoms because that means believing in\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":51729,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/can-a-man-continue-to-preach-when-his-wife-left-him-because-she-doesnt-want-to-be-a-preachers-wife\/","url_meta":{"origin":32774,"position":4},"title":"Can a man continue to preach when his wife left him because she doesn’t want to be a preacher’s wife?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"October 9, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: If a minister's wife leaves him, is it still biblical for him to stay in the pulpit? She left him as she didn't want to be a preacher's wife any longer. He preaches for a church of Christ. Answer: There are few qualifications of a preacher, beyond his ability\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":29544,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/is-there-a-conflict-of-interest-if-a-man-is-both-a-preacher-and-an-elder-or-deacon\/","url_meta":{"origin":32774,"position":5},"title":"Is there a conflict of interest if a man is both a preacher and an elder or deacon?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"January 5, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I have a question that I am struggling with. I can't find any scriptural reasons against what has been done at our local church but still have an uneasiness about it. 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