Next, the bishop must be the husband of one wife. This looks as if it does not need further
explanation, but the statement is more complicated than it seems. Does it mean,
for example, that bishops should be
married, and that unmarried men are disqualified? Or is this a statement
against polygamy, so that a man with more than one wife cannot become a bishop?
Or again, does this prohibit second marriages, so that a man who desires to be
a bishop should not get married again, even though he is divorced or even if
his first wife dies? (See for example, the note in TEV.) Or, finally, does this
put stress on faithfulness to one’s wife? (See, for example, NEB “faithful to
his one wife.”) This last interpretation assumes that the person is married,
but it does not rule out polygamy, divorce, and remarriage, and does not
necessarily prohibit a widower from marrying again. All four options are
possible, although the last option may have some advantages, since
unfaithfulness in the marriage relationship was a common occurrence in the
world of the New Testament. If translators follow this final option “faithful
to his one wife,” then they should put the other main option “have only one
wife” in a footnote. (Daniel C. Arichea and Howard Hatton, A Handbook on
Paul’s Letters to Timothy and Titus [UBS Handbook Series; New York: United
Bible Societies, 1995], 66-67)
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