My response to a post about "Can an Elder be divorce?"

Here is the original post: http://www.billmounce.com/blog/03-08-2009/can-elder-be-divorced-1-tim-3-2

And here is my response:

My first comment would be that what is in view here is not an "elder" but an "overseer." An "elder" is not what people think it is in Christendom. You see, Paul did not invent an "office" called "Elder." "Elders" have been around in tribal society since long before Moses, and continue to exist around the world in non-Judeo-Christian cultures.

An "elder" in tribal societies are the "alpha males." These are generally the oldest living male of the (extended) family, or "tribe." Sometimes the alpha is not actually the oldest, if, for example, the oldest is incapacitated due to sickness or is in prison.

Here are examples of the operation of the elders in Hebrew society:

Ge 50:7 And Joseph went up to bury his father: and with him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his house, and all the elders of the land of Egypt,
Ex 3:16 Go, and gather the elders of Israel together, and say unto them, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared unto me, saying, I have surely visited you, and seen that which is done to you in Egypt:
Ex 3:18 And they shall hearken to thy voice: and thou shalt come, thou and the elders of Israel, unto the king of Egypt, and ye shall say unto him, The LORD God of the Hebrews hath met with us: and now let us go, we beseech thee, three days’ journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God.
Ex 4:29 And Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel:
Ex 12:21 Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel, and said unto them, Draw out and take you a lamb according to your families, and kill the passover.

The elder, or "alpha male" of a family, acted as the representative for that family in societal matters.

The modern oligarchy is a *perversion* of this idea, based on a bad reading of

Tit 1:5 For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee:

Here Paul seems to be saying that Tim was to ordain people to become elders. In reality (and I know that I will be fought on this from the Greek, but I'm sticking to this), Paul is saying that alpha males should be set to various tasks.

The bottom line for the current discussion is, IMHO, that an overseer must not be the alpha male of more than one woman (and the children of that woman) - presumably because of a conflict of interest, or just that he would have his hands too full already - or both.

Polygamy is NOT forbidden on any page of scripture, though getting married at all is discouraged, and one could argue that "one man/one woman for life" was the original design (as Jesus did - overriding Moses and the fathers, etc).