Polygamy and the Bible (Aberrant Theology Alert)

New Covenant Christians ^ | Stanislaw Królewiec

[Lester Moore]

Actually, 1 Tim 3:2 is an argument in support of polygamy existing in the primitive church. Otherwise, why the admonition that Bishops are to have but one wife? It's a meaningless qualifier unless there are Christians in polygamous relationships within the church.

A good observation that deserved reposting.

Kinda' obvious after you think about it for second.

[Eagle Eye]

Any man who takes more than one wife is just satisfying his selfish LUSTS.

That is simply YOUR projection of your emotions and insecurities.

[cva66snipe]

"Put that in the cultural context of thousands of years of polygamy and the notion that they wouldn't marry more than one because of jealousy doesn't work." Oh, my gosh, you only have to read the bible to know that the jealousy is real, and any man who does that to his wife does not love her as Christ loves the church--sacrificially. Any man who takes more than one wife is just satisfying his selfish LUSTS. the two became one. Not three! or Four or Five :(

I don't support polygamy especially in these times but I understand it's origins and necessity in the past. Today women are considered individuals. In days of old they were property usually except for one wife who was in charge of the house. The women didn't have a choice as like in the case of Jacob women were sold to husbands like sheep. Sorry to sound crude but it was the reality of it. It isn't blessed nor is it cursed but it was tolerated behavior in scripture.

In todays society you are right jealousy would make it impossible but remember back then women except for the head wife were to be seen and not heard. It was a very different culture for a very different time. By the early NT times it was dying out mainly for reasons I stated more men were living longer in the Hebrew nation. Israel was not at war but was under occupation from Rome.

I see no justification for plural marriages today. I think any man practicing it unless he was a tyrant to his family and ruled wife and all with an iron fist would be miserable and such conduct toward his family would place him out of the will of GOD. IMO Paul had it right even though the letters addressing this were for church leaders conduct. "His words come to mind "All things are lawful for me but not all things are expedient". Not a sin but not wise. I see modern age polygamy as being harmful to mankind as a whole and should not be done.

[Lester Moore]

Yeah, she was thirteen or so

I think it was more around 15.

[Lester Moore]

I could say that by your logic monogamy brought about the fall of creation.

Actually a doctrine of demons brought about the Fall.

God said[to a spiritually alive Adam & Eve], Genesis 2:17, "But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die."

The devil said, Genesis 3:4, "And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:", "Once Ssssssaved, alwaysssss Sssssaved."

[Lester Moore]

You are really being risky talking about such things in a thread populated by closed minded traditionalists who won't bear the idea of fallen angels screwing humans to make a breed of supermen. But it happened and is likely to happen again.

It happened before the flood and gave us Nephilim. It happened again after the flood and we got Rephaim. And then Paul warned women about covering their hair "because of the angels" and I think he was talking about fallen angels.

[Eagle Eye]

Just how would I feel if tomorrow he brings another wife home, and shares her bed

Too bad that culture wasn't framed upon your feelings...

Yes, women are notorious for being jealous and petty and bitter but that doesn't mean that just because YOU think a man who has multiple wives is selfish makes it so. Your green colored lenses shade everything and bias your thoughts to make it about you and what you feel, not about what the Bible says or doesn't say about polygamy.

[Eagle Eye]

You're telling us how to build a clock when we just were talking about what time it was.

[Eagle Eye]

By marrying more than one woman, ... are you loving them as you love yourself, ... or are you just loving yourself ?

It seems that most of y'all think that polygamy is all about sex. What is wrong with you people? You don't like something because you can't see beyond your own fears that you project onto others?

.

[cva66snipe]

Hum. Perhaps you could explain something then. It is the mans moral responsibility to provide for the welfare of his family. That means spiritual, fianical, and providing shelter & food. There are very few if any situations in this nation where kids could be useful enough to offset the cost of their needed provisions. The more wives an man has obvious likely the more kids they will have in the plural marriage. So yes in a very real way sex does enter into it as the marriages will involve sex.

Ok my questions is how do you expect any man to reasonably provide for such a family? Where will the rather large needed family income come from? Where in this nation could such an arrangement work? Putting the women to work in the work force? No becuase the mom needs all her strength just for her own kids & without adding plus others to raise as well which would have to happen. {A down fall of working mom families today being daycare} What about the kids? It is very expensive to feed and clothe a small family is it not? Next is shelter? The cost of the home itself so all could live together. Kids get sick also. Medical bills!

Ok that's the basics. Now then where do many end up who attempt this lifestyle in our times? The mothers & children often end up on welfare, the family lives in separate houses where Papa visits them when it's their turn, and me, you, and the guy down the street help pay for a lifestyle totally out of sync with scripture. In scripture there was a need today the need is not justified. You see there is no need for polygamy in this day and time. Most drawn into this lifestyle bite off far more than they can chew.

There is no prohibition in the Bible on slavery either. There are however very specific verses though that specify how masters must treat slaves and vice versa. Again in todays age slavery is not a needed nor desirable condition of life especially in this nation. I could never see myself owning one for several reasons. I think if possible all persons should not be enslaved to others. That includes the Marriage Covenant which in scripture mans and woman's conduct inside the marriage to each other is specified.

Next I would not want the responsibility of providing the needs of a slave. In many ways the marriages of old with many wives were in fact just that. The wives had two masters the lead wife and the husband. There is no way to paint a rosie picture of that part of mans history either as it was out of necessity.

[Quester]

By marrying more than one woman, ... are you loving them as you love yourself, ... or are you just loving yourself ?

It seems that most of y'all think that polygamy is all about sex. What is wrong with you people? You don't like something because you can't see beyond your own fears that you project onto others?

Did I mention sex ?

Would you be willing, in any way, ... to share a wife with another man ?

If not, ... you would not be showing the love that you have for yourself ... with any wife that you would place in the same position.

Matthew 7:12 Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.

[Eagle Eye]

You're really getting twisted trying to find a justification for your position.

So what you don't like polygamy? So what?

The Bible doesn't prohibit it. This culture may frown on it, but this culture isn't the only one in the world and God's word works across cultures.

Claiming that it is lust or selfishly motivated is more revealing about those making that claim than it is the truth.

[Eagle Eye]

You are really limiting your thinking. Just because you don't see how something you don't approve of would work doesn't negate it in any way.

And since you brought it up, you are correct, there is no prohibition against slavery. And I get much the same stuff when I point out that anyone calling slavery in the US to be a great sin is just wrong. But Biblical slavery did not even imply whippings, or mistreatment.

And yes, slavery still exists to this day. Just because one goes home at 5 pm doesn't negate a servitude position.

[Quester]

You're really getting twisted trying to find a justification for your position.

Why do you say this ... ?

... because I go to the root of the issue (i.e. love) ... ?

... to determine God's intent for marriage ?

Did not Jesus do the same when the Pharisees asked Him about divorce (i.e. go to the root of the issue) ?

Matthew 19:3 The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?

4 And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female,

5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?

6 Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

7 They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away?

8 He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so.

9 And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.

Your attempt to justify polygamy is similar to the Pharisees attempt to justify divorce.

Thou shalt love thy neightbor as thyself ... is the second of the (2) great (or primary) commandments of God.

All of the other commandments are built upon these two ... and loving God ... and loving your neighbor.

Per this basis of love, ... unless you are willing to subject yourself to the sharing of a wife with another man, ... there is no way that you can justify polygamy as God's ideal.

[irishtenor]

And look at all the Mothers-in-law! The poor man.

[cva66snipe]

You are really limiting your thinking. Just because you don't see how something you don't approve of would work doesn't negate it in any way. And since you brought it up, you are correct, there is no prohibition against slavery. And I get much the same stuff when I point out that anyone calling slavery in the US to be a great sin is just wrong. But Biblical slavery did not even imply whippings, or mistreatment. And yes, slavery still exists to this day. Just because one goes home at 5 pm doesn't negate a servitude position.

Questions too tough huh? No as a man who understands the implications of Biblical and moral responsibility I was pointing out the many downfalls of modern day polygamy. I see no positives in it and you didn't list any.

Slavery existed in this nation until the late 1950's in Appalachia. The main reason it finally disappeared was it like cotton in the mid 1800's was becoming a liability as technology increased. The last major employer that employed a form of forced slavery was Coal Mining where the miners were paid wages in company owned towns that left them indebted to coal company owned and ran stores as well as even the miners homes.