Polygamy & Christendom

[Tetra]

Luther Said: Polygamy Is Permissible
"I confess that I cannot forbid a person to marry several wives, for it does not contradict the Scripture. If a man wishes to marry more than one wife he should be asked whether he is satisfied in his conscience that he may do so in accordance with the word of God. In such a case the civil authority has nothing to do in the matter." (De Wette II, 459, ibid., pp. 329-330.)

You might think who was Martin Luther to say such a thing?? If you have to ask that, time to read up on church history. Regardless, there is a truth to what Luther is saying here, and that is the Bible never explicitly says polygamy is a sin. In this, there is no debate.

Here is what we know to be the case:

• The Bible never explicitly states polygamy is a sin
• Some significant figures who had more than one wife were, Abraham, Jacob, Solomon, and David.
• Some had concubines, Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines (Not a wife, rather, an additional women to have sex with) Link
• In the NT we see that church leaders should be a husband of one wife (1Timothy 3:2, 1Timothy 3:12 and Titus 1:6) but say nothing regarding the general congregation.

This leaves all other arguments as forms of implicit arguments most of which I find are based in conjecture, and not sufficient to conclude something is, in fact, a sin. Personally, I try not to make statements where God has not.

What are your thoughts CF?
Tetra

NOTE: For the record, I am not in any way attacking monogamy here. I myself am in a monogamous relationship and have been for 16 years.

 

[Tree of Life]

1. The Creation of Adam and Eve in a monogamous situation suggests that monogamy was the original design. Polygamy would then be a perversion of the original design. Lamech (seen as wicked and from the unbelieving line of Cain) is the first person to engage in polygamy.

2. The subtext of the book of Genesis is that polygamy is a bad idea. It always causes problems for the people who engage in it (i.e. Abraham, Jacob, etc...)

3. The New Testament ideal for ordained officers is that they are the husband of one wife. Officers are not called to a different ethical standard than other Christians, but they are called to be good examples of the same ethical standard that all Christians are called to live up to.

4. The Bible also does not explicitly say that slavery is a sin. But there is enough biblical data, along with the thrust of redemptive history, to say that the Bible says that slavery is not consistent with the gospel. The same is true for polygamy.

 

[Rubiks]

Polygamy is explicitly endorsed in Exodus 21:10.

 

[Tree of Life]

Polygamy is explicitly endorsed in Exodus 21:10.

That's bad exegesis. Exodus 21:10 is regulating polygamy, not endorsing it.

 

[trophy33]

"I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery."
Mt 19:9

Marrying another woman, while the original marriage is still valid, is adultery.

 

[Rubiks]

That's bad exegesis. Exodus 21:10 is regulating polygamy, not endorsing it.

To say it's okay is to endorse it. Can God endorse something he views as sinful? Why doesn't he forbid polygamy if he views it as sinful?

 

[Tetra]

"I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery."
Mt 19:9

To marry another woman is adultery.

This verse would be a discussion regarding adultery and consecutive marriages. If you want to talk about that I'd suggest starting a new thread?

 

[trophy33]

This verse would be a discussion regarding adultery and consecutive marriages. If you want to talk about that I'd suggest starting a new thread?

No, I am posting it as proof that polygamy is not possible in the New Testament. Polygamy is adultery.

 

[HTacianas]

Luther Said: Polygamy Is Permissible
"I confess that I cannot forbid a person to marry several wives, for it does not contradict the Scripture. If a man wishes to marry more than one wife he should be asked whether he is satisfied in his conscience that he may do so in accordance with the word of God. In such a case the civil authority has nothing to do in the matter." (De Wette II, 459, ibid., pp. 329-330.)

You might think who was Martin Luther to say such a thing?? If you have to ask that, time to read up on church history. Regardless, there is a truth to what Luther is saying here, and that is the Bible never explicitly says polygamy is a sin. In this, there is no debate.

Here is what we know to be the case:

• The Bible never explicitly states polygamy is a sin
• Some significant figures who had more than one wife were, Abraham, Jacob, Solomon, and David.
• Some had concubines, Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines (Not a wife, rather, an additional women to have sex with) Link
• In the NT we see that church leaders should be a husband of one wife (1Timothy 3:2, 1Timothy 3:12 and Titus 1:6) but say nothing regarding the general congregation.

This leaves all other arguments as forms of implicit arguments most of which I find are based in conjecture, and not sufficient to conclude something is, in fact, a sin. Personally, I try not to make statements where God has not.

What are your thoughts CF?
Tetra

NOTE: For the record, I am not in any way attacking monogamy here. I myself am in a monogamous relationship and have been for 16 years.

There is no "biblical" prohibition against polygamy. Monogamy over time became a tradition of the Church.

 

[Tetra]

No, I am posting it as proof that polygamy is not possible in the New Testament. Polygamy is adultery.

That's not proof against polygamy, it's a false analogy.

 

[Tetra]

There is no "biblical" prohibition against polygamy. Monogamy over time became a tradition of the Church.

No disagreement from me.

 

[Tree of Life]

To say it's okay is to endorse it. Can God endorse something he views as sinful? Why doesn't he forbid polygamy if he views it as sinful?

That passage doesn't say it's ok. It simply recognizes that it happens. The Bible also talks about what to do if a man accidentally kills another man. Is this an endorsement for accidental manslaughter?

 

[Sketcher]

• In the NT we see that church leaders should be a husband of one wife (1Timothy 3:2, 1Timothy 3:12 and Titus 1:6) but say nothing regarding the general congregation.

There were other requirements of church leaders, monogamy is just part of the set. My outlook is that I need to strive to be all of those things, and maybe I'll be an elder one day if God wills it. I therefore don't see how polygamy can be encouraged from a discipleship standpoint.

Also, if polygamy is a morally legitimate choice for Christians, we have to ask what the standard Jesus set for adultery, including adultery of the heart is all about (Matthew 5:27-32, Matthew 19:4-9). These restrictions don't make sense if polygamy is acceptable. "It's not cheating, I just want another wife."

Now, if I personally could make only one exception for making polygamy acceptable, it would be for cases of conjoined twins. I really don't see how any conjoined twin could marry without sharing that spouse with the other twin.

 

[Tetra]

1. The Creation of Adam and Eve in a monogamous situation suggests that monogamy was the original design. Polygamy would then be a perversion of the original design. Lamech (seen as wicked and from the unbelieving line of Cain) is the first person to engage in polygamy.

This is generally is a very poor argument. You could also make the argument that God intended us to be vegans, and to eat meat is a perversion of His original design. I've talked about why this is an irrelevant argument here:
The "Original Design / Plan" Argument & Why It's Irrelevant

2. The subtext of the book of Genesis is that polygamy is a bad idea. It always causes problems for the people who engage in it (i.e. Abraham, Jacob, etc...)

Not proof polygamy is a sin.

3. The New Testament ideal for ordained officers is that they are the husband of one wife. Officers are not called to a different ethical standard than other Christians, but they are called to be good examples of the same ethical standard that all Christians are called to live up to.

A fallacious argument, you're making the presupposition monogamy is the "ethical standard" over polygamy. Sorry, this isn't proof.

4. The Bible also does not explicitly say that slavery is a sin. But there is enough biblical data, along with the thrust of redemptive history, to say that the Bible says that slavery is not consistent with the gospel. The same is true for polygamy.

False analogy.

 

[trophy33]

That's not proof against polygamy, it's a false analogy.

If its adultery to marry another woman while the first woman is still legally married to the man, then polygamy is not allowed, logically.

"I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery."
Mt 19:9

 

[Tetra]

If its adultery to marry another woman while the first woman is still legally married to the man, then polygamy is not allowed, logically.

"I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery."
Mt 19:9

No that doesn't logically follow. The issue is over the divorce, and the remarriage. Not simply multiple marriages. Again, this would be a separate topic.

 

[Tetra]

There were other requirements of church leaders, monogamy is just part of the set. My outlook is that I need to strive to be all of those things, and maybe I'll be an elder one day if God wills it. I therefore don't see how polygamy can be encouraged from a discipleship standpoint.

I don't know if I agree with this position, I'll think on it more. I think the issue is that you're presupposing certain things about God's will (which will open a new can of worms outside the scope of this thread).

Also, if polygamy is a morally legitimate choice for Christians, we have to ask what the standard Jesus set for adultery, including adultery of the heart is all about (Matthew 5:27-32, Matthew 19:4-9). These restrictions don't make sense if polygamy is acceptable. "It's not cheating, I just want another wife."

Can you please elaborate on what you mean by "adultery of the heart"?

Now, if I personally could make only one exception for making polygamy acceptable, it would be for cases of conjoined twins. I really don't see how any conjoined twin could marry without sharing that spouse with the other twin.

Interesting take, I suppose Christians who say polygamy is a sin (without exception) would just maintain the non-married conjoined twin must lay there while the other sibling is intimate??

 

[Mary Meg]

Now, if I personally could make only one exception for making polygamy acceptable, it would be for cases of conjoined twins. I really don't see how any conjoined twin could marry without sharing that spouse with the other twin.

Why can't they marry another set of conjoined joins?

 

[Sketcher]

I don't know if I agree with this position, I'll think on it more. I think the issue is that you're presupposing certain things about God's will (which will open a new can of worms outside the scope of this thread).

What do you think I would be presupposing?

Can you please elaborate on what you mean by "adultery of the heart"?

That would be looking lustfully (covetously, since the sin of lust is sexual coveting) at a woman other than your wife (Matthew 5:28).

Interesting take, I suppose Christians who say polygamy is a sin (without exception) would just maintain the non-married conjoined twin must lay there while the other sibling is intimate??

They'd have to define a demarcation point at which one of the twins ends and the other begins and say that Twin 1's spouse has to not do anything with Twin 2's side of the body that isn't appropriate. However, I don't know how that would be possible. In some cases, it's literally impossible.

 

[Tetra]

Why can't they marry another set of conjoined joins?

lol

This would literally be a nightmare of a situation for more conservatively minded Christians.