God Requires the Pastor to be MARRIED

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It's biblical to state the fact that God actually has different requirements for pastors (bishops) who are the overseers of each local assembly which is a small part of the New Testament Church. 1 Timothy 3:1-7 lists down the requirements of the pastors:
  • Blameless
  • Husband of one wife
  • Vigilant
  • Sober
  • Good behavior
  • Hospitable
  • Teachable
  • Not a drunkard
  • Not a striker
  • Not greedy for money
  • A good family man with a stable family
  • Not a novice but experienced
  • Good report of them which are without

So aside from the character, why is marriage required? So let's check out some references shall we? In the Old Testament priesthood (which sadly many Roman Catholic apologists try to defend their own priesthood) it is also written in Leviticus 21:12- "And he shall take a wife in her virginity." God required Old Testament priests to be married. Now that the office of the Old Testament priest is removed because the spiritual priesthood of believers (1 Peter 2:9) the office of the pastorhood was placed which in Ephesians 4:11 is listed as one of those who helped the church aside from prophets and apostles who are no longer around but we still have evangelists and teachers as well continuing the apostolic work without the signs though.

Now going back to 1 Timothy 3, we read in verses 4-5, "One that ruleth well his own house having his children in subjection with all gravity; for if a man know not how to rule his own house how shall he take care of the church of God?" How true. With the pastor being a family man as required, they can definitely know how to handle family matters.  In the case of the Old Testament priests, the requirement of marriage with a decent woman was required for the priesthood to continue since only Aaron's descendants could do the work.  In the New Testament, the rule of marriage for priests in the Old Testament was carried over to the New Testament for the reason of making the pastors' legitimate family lives as roles models in the Church.  Even if the Good News Translation has replaced the word "bishop" with "church leader" in 1 Timothy 3:1, it still goes against their official teachings of celibacy for priests because aren't the priests also church leaders in their own catechism?

The Roman Catholic priests grant marital advice but probably by their own filthy experience (such as giving counseling based on their experience on child molesting) and/or imagination but pastors who are required to be in a decent, moral marriage have better rights to counsel because they know what it's like to be married. Besides one of the problems that can happen in the body of Christ is between the husband and the wife and it does take two to tango, and if the pastor knows how to handle his wife, he can instruct better on the husband on what to do with the wife rather than give stupid advice like to keep praying the Rosary, walk while kneeling, etc. which all just are but vain traditions to save a marriage.