Abstain From Wives

One strike against binding and loosing doctrine was the Council of Carthage, Canon 4.

 It bound doctrine contradicting apostolic teaching.

The council said those serving communion should abstain from their wives, which was a Judaistic practice of the Old Testament priesthood, and not of Christ..

1. It proved they had wives and were married.

2. The Canon is only applied while they are serving communion. Different Elders took turns in churches that had multiple Presbyters. It was a short-term separation.

3. It showed that any Canon could be made to fit within the Apostles framework, they did not dismiss Paul's orders in I Cor.7:1-5 in writing this Canon, unless it violated the wive's rights..

4. Then they clearly went beyond Paul's framework in other Canons. Such as Canon 70.

They interfered with the husband/wife relationship, making the Canon rule over what was previously self-governed. They claimed Bishops could rule entire Churches, but did not give them credit to rule their own families.

1Ti 3:4  One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity;

1Ti 3:5  (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)

To be presbyter they first had to be able to manage their own affairs. It was superfluous to manage their relationship with their wifes through man-made law. A canon that contradicted the rights of husband and wife..

1Co 7:5  Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.

Church leaders clearly had wives. Seperation was only temporary in Canon 4, but it violated the marriage rights of those under the law..

God had restricted marriage in the past, but it was God who did it, and not a man-made law.

Canon 4.

Of the different orders that should abstain from their wives

Faustinus, the bishop of the Potentine Church, in the province of Picenum, a legate of the Roman Church, said: It seems good that a bishop, a presbyter, and a deacon, or whoever perform the sacraments, should be keepers of modesty and should abstain from their wives.

By all the bishops it was said: It is right that all who serve the altar should keep pudicity from all women.

On the other hand some of the Canons clearly made new laws that clearly violated Christ's teaching, such as the abstinence of all Bishops, presbyters, and Deacons.

Canon 70. (Greek lxxiii.)

What clerics should abstain from their wives

Moreover since incontinence has been charged against some clergymen with regard to their own wives it has seemed good that bishops, presbyters, and deacons should according to the statutes already made abstain even from their own wives; and unless they do so that they should be removed from the clerical office. But the rest of the clergy shall not be forced to this but the custom of each church in this matter shall be followed.

Abstinance was never a requirement by the Apostles. It was made a requirement in this Canon. Then they conferred the right to govern other clerics on celibacy to the local churches.

Clearly they were binding and loosing in opposition to Christ.