Their Qualifications

Can a murderer, robber, liar or rapist be a parent in the Lord? The answer is Yes, provided he has turned into a new leaf, has God’s anointing, and is compliant of the biblical standards, to wit:

¹ If a man is eager to be a Church leader, he desires an excellent work. ² A Church leader must be without fault; he must have only one wife, be sober [circumspect and temperate], self-controlled [well-behaved], and orderly; he must welcome strangers in his home; he must be able to teach; ³ he must not be a drunkard or a violent man, but gentle and peaceful; he must not love money. 1 TIMOTHY 3 tev

⁴ He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. ⁵ (For if a man does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s Church?) 1 TIMOTHY 3

⁶ He must be mature in the faith [not a recent convert], so that he will not swell up with pride [blinded by conceit] and be condemned, as the devil was. ⁷ He should be a man who is respected by the people outside the Church, so that he will not be disgraced and fall into the devil’s trap. 1 TIMOTHY 3 tev

⁶ An elder must be… a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. ⁷ Since an overseer is entrusted with God’s work, he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. ⁸ Rather he must be hospitable; one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. ⁹ He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it. TITUS 1

¹ It is different with the man who devotes himself to studying the Law of the Most High. ² He examines the wisdom of all the ancient writers and concerns himself with the prophecies. ³ He memorizes the sayings of famous men and is a skilled interpreter of the parables. ⁴ He studies the hidden meaning of proverbs and is able to discuss the obscure points of parables. ⁵ Great men call on him for his services, and he is seen in the company of rulers. He travels to foreign lands in his efforts to learn about human good and evil. ⁶ It is his practice to get up early and pray aloud to the Lord his Creator, asking the Most High to forgive his sins. ⁷ Then if the great Lord is willing, he will be filled with understanding. He will pour out a stream of wise sayings, and give thanks to the Lord in prayer. ⁸ He will have knowledge to share and good advice to give, as well as insights into the Lord’s secrets. He will demonstrate his learning in what he teaches, and his pride will be in the Lord’s Law and covenant. ⁹ He will be widely praised for his wisdom, and it will never be lost, because people for generations to come will remember him. ¹⁰ The Gentiles will talk about his wisdom, and he will be praised aloud in the assembly. ¹¹ If he lives to old age, he will die famous, but if he is laid to rest before he is famous, he will be content. SIRACH 39