CONSIDER THESE WORDS

"For those who understand, no explanation is needed.? 
For those who do not want to understand, no explanation is possible."

I consider myself both a teacher and a student. I love to teach, and I love to learn. I love to teach what I learn. I do not consider myself the final authority on any subject. I am trying to the best of my ability, by the grace of God and the direction of the Holy Spirit present the word of God as He reveals it to me.

The purpose of this Web Site is to introduce you to information that is unknown by many, It is intended for those who are wanting to know the truth and understand that they are not always getting the truth from the mainstream churches,

Why do we believe what we believe? Someone who we accepted as an authority told us it was true, either verbally or in writing. Who told us? Our Parents, our Pastors, our Sunday School Teachers, VBS Teachers, Youth Leaders, Evangelists, Camp Instructors, our friends and other relatives. But where did they get the information that they told us was true? From the same sources. And on and on.   Carnal minded people always give the Bible their carnal interpretations based on personal opinion, church theology, traditions of man, or "my church teaches some other way". To understand the mystery of God's Word we have to put away such childish attitudes, and be mature and learn wisely.

Does anyone in that chain have unlimited knowledge? Is it possible that some, or much, of what we believe to be true, in actuality is not true? Wouldn't it be rather foolish to think that all of what we have been taught is true? So if we can admit that some of it may not be true, do we know which part is, and which part is not? Can we then conclude that at least some of what we believe is suspect to some degree, and open to examination? Can you buy into that? Can you accept it as a possibility?  

Sometimes in life truth and error are so difficult to distinguish that we are often hard put to escape complete deception! Throughout the whole world error and truth travel the same highways and attend the same churches,So capable is error at imitating truth that the two are constantly being mistaken for each other. It takes a sharp eye these days to know which brother is Cain and which is Abel!

We must never take for granted anything that touches our soul's welfare. Isaac felt Jacob's arms and thought they were the arms of Esau. Even the disciples failed to spot the traitor among them; the only one of them who knew who he was was Judas himself.

That soft-spoken companion with whom we walk so comfortably and in whose company we take such delight may be an angel of Satan, whereas that rough, plain-spoken man whom we shun may be God's very prophet sent to warn us against danger and eternal loss.

It is therefore critically important that the Christian take full advantage of every provision God has made to save him from deception. The most important of these combine as a protective shield—faith, prayer, constant meditation on the Scriptures, obedience, humility, much serious thought and the illumination of the Holy Spirit.

I would ask that as you read the information anywhere on this Web Site you use the same approach. Try to start seeing new information only as possibilities. If you can do that, it will keep you out of the two extremes: being closed minded, and being gullible. Then do your own research without trying to prove or disprove anything. Just be open to new information. Learn to be "discerning." Does that make sense?

                                                                                                                                                  Rev. Douglas M. Hodge

Hello Pastor Hodge, I found your Web Site a few days ago. I found that there is a LOT of good, practical, helpful information there. I thought I would let you know how much I appreciate the work you have put into this web site. It is one of the most God honoring web sites I have ever seen. I love the article about us Recognizing each other in Heaven. -   John E. B.

Thanks Pastor Hodge, I am appreciating your Web Site, You have obviously put a lot of research and work into it. It is a blessing.  I love the Inspirational Stories - Adam B.

I want to thank you for developing a good and Godly Web Site and I feel that you are a very kind and considerate person. I will keep you up to date on my learning development.  - Michael J. M.

Pastor Hodge, I found your web site today... well impressed, and I have only read a few articles.. Thanks a million.  - Susan A.

I can't thank you enough, You have a great web site.. Thanks for the inspiration. - James C.

Pastor Doug, I have to say that my nephew in California emailed me your website as a great way to learn the Bible. He found it a couple months ago. I have made more progress in your lessons than I have on any other online lessons. Thanks,   - Rachel W.

Pastor Doug,

I read your article on being a pastor after divorce and was very blessed by it. I was getting some what discouraged. You see I am divorced, the son of a preacher, yet fell away from the Lord and lived for the world  for many years. I divorced having a job that allowed me to travel and live a high life, yet there was no peace. I finally remarried and have been for going on 26 years. I have since my second marriage woke up to the fact of living a sinful life and in deep repentance have not only asked the Lord for His merciful forgiveness, but my ex-wife, my daughter, as well as my family.

This last year I have been getting a strong urge from the Lord to go into the Ministry, since my Brother is as well as my Father and my Uncles. I have enrolled in two online Bible Colleges and also a wonderful Bible institute. Lord willing in the next year I will be getting two BA'x one in Bible Doctrine and also Biblical Studies. I feel the Lord is calling me into the Ministry.

One of my professors a Dallas man made a general statement that a divorced man can never be a pastor. This put me in a state of discouragement. All I think of day and night is serving and finally in my life I have a peace about my future , then came the arrows at me. After praying to God, saying "was I wrong in my thoughts to want to be in the ministry"?. I found your article on line and God had it there just for me.

My Father and Brother are both proud that I am going down this path. I am finally yielding my life to the Gospel and His service, not to how much I can make or how many toys I can buy anymore. Thank you for your article.

Love in Christ
Bob M.

Pastor Doug,

As I was sitting contemplating whether I would do more harm than good striving to go into the Ministry being divorced, a little voice (you know how the Devil works) was telling me I would just be going against the word of God. While praying, God seemed to lay on my heart to go Google "being a pastor and divorced" and I came up with your article. I praised God for the answer after reading your research on the subject He gave me. 

My Father always said how important the Greek was like context, present and pass tense, word meanings etc. You fellows really were taught by the best back in the day at Practical, John Benson, Dr. Lowe and others. What really made me break down and cry I guess (and really knew it was from the Lord) is when I read your Bio and found you were from Practical. When I first saw your name it rang a bell, but was elated when I saw Practical. ..........God does surely use each and everyone of us, and He used you to help me along my path. Pray for me, at 54 years young I just now know my calling, what wasted years, but the past is the past, thank God for what is in front of me.

In Christ,
Bob M.

Pastor Hodge

I have one question for your analysis. How do you explain 1 Timothy 5:9?  You sure wrote a lot to try and convince yourself you are correct. If you notice a Widow of One husband is no more a Christian than others. 1 Timothy 5:9 explains it can not be polygamy, as was not the culture. It can not mean one man women. A widow can not be a one man women or else she is not a widow. It can not mean faithful, as if a women is divorced and remarried she has committed adultery, either prior to the divorce or after. The bible tells us we CAN remarry, but it does not say we should. I always have to remind people that the bible does not say a Christian has to be blameless, just deacons and elders. One gross misstatement is the tense. A wife is for life, and no need to say past tense. Just like blameless implies a past reputation in order to be blameless in the present.

Stephen McC

My ANSWER:

Dear Stephen

First, let me thank you for going on my web site, reading the article on Pastors, Deacons and Divorce, and for sending me the E mail. I do not know anything about you, if you are a pastor or a deacon, or what denomination, if you have had any formal Bible training, any knowledge of the Greek, so I cannot tell with what authority you question the article. Perhaps it is nothing more that years of a certain denominational teaching. Likewise, you do not know me, so let me tell you that when you say, "You sure wrote a lot to try and convince yourself you are correct." You are not being fair and are making a uninformed estimation of my position. I have spent forty eight years as an Independent Fundamental Bible Believing Baptist Pastor. I am a graduate of a Bible college and a student of Greek. During those forty eight years I believed and taught that if a man was married, divorced and remarried he was disqualified to be a pastor or a deacon.  

Through the years I began to notice how many so called Christians treated divorced people, like they were a plague. Christian people whose only sin was that their spouses had divorced them and married another. In my own family I saw people suffering under the loss of a wife or husband through divorce and being trampled on by the members of their church. My heart ached for these dear people. It was with a feeling of sympathy for those people that I began to study the subject more thoroughly. It was through many hours of prayer, research and study that I finally finished the article on pastors, deacons and divorce.

Then for days and weeks I prayed, struggled and wrestled with what I had discovered. How could I change forty eight years of teaching against divorced people being pastors and deacons? A couple things that helped me was how many well known men took a view against a blanket policy against divorced people being pastors and deacons. Kenneth Wuest (Greek Professor and author), Spiros Zodhiates one of the greatest Hebrew and Greek scholars in the world, Chuck Swindoll, Dr. John R. Rice, H. L. Ellison, Dr. H. A. Ironside. These are all well know and well respected Bible teachers where I came from. I don’t know what you think of them, evidently not much because you have obviously discarded their teaching on the subject too. Also the many verses of Scripture spoken by Moses, Jesus, and the Apostle Paul that just simply does not support that blanket policy.

You asked me how do I explain 1 Timothy 5:9. " Let not a widow be taken into the number under threescore years old, having been the wife of one man," I do not see how this in any way relates to a divorced person being a pastor or a deacon. The woman is a widow, she is not divorced, her husband has died, and Paul is instructing Timothy concerning the character of the widows that were to be taken into the number to receive the church's charity: No widow under 60 even if she has only been married once. Only being married once did not help her situation.

Your statement that a woman who is divorced and remarried has committed adultery either prior to the divorce or after... simply is not supported by Scripture. Matt. 5:31, 32; Matt. 19:3-9; 1 Cor 7:10-17 and Deut. 24:1, 2..
I have received dozens of E-mails thanking me for the article. Most were divorced people who were glad to find someone who didn't write an article about them being the scum of the earth. Many spoke of how they were helped, restored and comforted by what I had said. Yours is the first negative response. I hope you never have to go through a divorce and feel the wrath of your church family who will most assuredly turn on you because you are a divorced person.

Here is my final word on this subject:
"For those who understand, no explanation is needed.?
For those who do not want to understand, no explanation is possible."

Sincerely,
Pastor Hodge

Dear Brother Hodge,

I saw that you had the article on your home page.  DEACONS, PASTORS and DIVORCE.  If you agree with this. Please let me know if you know of any affiliated churches near M..........., NC. I got saved on March of this year, and my wife got saved later in late April.  Sixteen years ago before I got saved, I was married for a brief amount of time, to another woman. I have been married twice, and I am my current wife's only husband. My wife and I attend a Youth for Christ Holiness Church in M..........,  North Carolina, the pastors says I can not be a member, nor will he baptize me.  Please let me know if you are affiliated with any churches in this area of North Carolina

Thank you Brother and God Bless,

Evert P.

My ANSWER:

Dear Brother Evert,

Thank you or going on my web site and thank you for sending me an E mail. My heart hurts for you and your wife. What a shame that someone wants to be a member of a church and that pastor will not let you, and will not baptize you and it is because way back there somewhere in your past you were divorced. What a terrible mark on Christianity. Brother I am not familiar with any churches in M........, North Carolina. I am an Independent Baptist and although many of them do not allow you to be a deacon or pastor, they will baptize you and take you into their membership, so will the Southern Baptist. There are many others who will baptize you and take you into their membership but I do not recommend them because they are not fundamental in their beliefs. I will keep you Email address and if I find a church in your area I will let you know. Thanks again for writing to me.

In Christian Love
Pastor Hodge