Polygamy.

[farout]

It is the result of sin, yes, but God never condemned polygamy as a sin. We view polygamy as a sin today because we have no reason for it anymore and thus every reason to run back to God's original model. Back then it wasn't so easy to maintain the correct model because there were far too many single and unprotected ladies; polygamy was a blessing to women, believe it or not. If a man today wanted to be polygamous it would mostly be out of lust, which is a sin, but back then it was a loving thing to do. Just think about how crappy the world was for women back then; they were vulnerable and all the men either died in war or just weren't strong enough to protect them. Solomon had so many wives and concubines because he was a king; he cared for all of those women in a world that would show no mercy to them. Was it condemned back then? No. Do we condemn it today? Yes.

Show me any place where God gave His approval? God said from the very beginning one man one wife. When man kind sins there are consequences, especially in marriage and sexuality, women always suffer when sexual sin happens.

 

[ClothedInGrace]

Show me any place where God gave His approval? God said from the very beginning one man one wife. When man kind sins there are consequences, especially in marriage and sexuality, women always suffer when sexual sin happens.

Friend, I never said God approved polygamy; I said He allowed it for various reasons. Read my other post, too. I personally believe polygamy is a sin but that doesn't mean the scriptures declare it as one.

 

[lismore]

As was mentioned earlier, most (if not all) of the time those relationships had negative consequences - not the least of which are the ongoing consequences of Abraham's offspring from multiple partners.

Hello. If David had been monogamous Solomon would not have been born. If Solomon had not been born Jesus would not have been born. Just a little aside, not a dogma though. God Bless

 

[dayhiker]

God giving approval for polygamy. If we had to have approval for everything we do, then we wouldn't be driving cars, listening to radios and going snow skiing.

The point for me is that God never tells the men of the men of the OT that they are sinning by having more than one wife even even that having a concubine is wrong.
I'd maintian that 2 Sam 12 where Nathan confronts David with his adultery and says that God gave David all his wives is God approval is God approval on poly relationships.

 

[ravindraneee]

I think polygamy falls in the same category of divorce. One could question, is divorce a sin if OT allowed it. God always intended one and one women. Polygamy was allowed by God probably because of below reasons
1) Ignorance of humans. The sanctity of marriage was not fully revealed. It is in NT we see marriage compared to Christ and Church. OT people did not have such revelation
2) A male dominated society worked better with polygamy. Women needed protection and security. Whereas in modern days, women are equally empowered.

Paul clearly tells Timothy that a deacon should have married only one wife. This clearly sets standards for people holding positions within Church. It does not mean common people does not to meet this standard. It simply shows the holiness that God would expect from his saints

 

[dayhiker]

I think the reason Paul says deacons can only have one wife is that it was Roman law that they could only have one wife. Paul didn't
want deacons getting in trouble with Roman authorities.
When that law was enacted Israel partitioned for an exemption and got one. So God's people Israel continued to have more than one wife
if they wanted. I guess I think God's people are closer to what God wanted than the Romans were.

 

[ravindraneee]

I think the reason Paul says deacons can only have one wife is that it was Roman law that they could only have one wife. Paul didn't
want deacons getting in trouble with Roman authorities.
When that law was enacted Israel partitioned for an exemption and got one. So God's people Israel continued to have more than one wife
if they wanted. I guess I think God's people are closer to what God wanted than the Romans were.

If that was the case, why would it be placed along with all the other things which are not necessarily Roman laws.

 

[dayhiker]

I don't know why Paul ordered his comments the say he did. He hasn't told me.
We know that Paul often based things on what the OT taught. There is not teaching in the OT that a man having more than one wife is wrong, sinful or against
God's intentions. So why did Paul say church leaders should have one wife. Only reason I know is because it was Roman law.

 

[MWood]

I don't know why Paul ordered his comments the say he did. He hasn't told me.
We know that Paul often based things on what the OT taught. There is not teaching in the OT that a man having more than one wife is wrong, sinful or against
God's intentions. So why did Paul say church leaders should have one wife. Only reason I know is because it was Roman law.

Some where in Paul's letters he explains why he said that the clergy should have only one wife. I can't tell you where, maybe you can find it, I can't. But he stated that it is better for a man not to marry because he would devote all his time to God and the preaching of the Word. Whereas if he were married he would have to divide his time with God and his wife. Help me out here will you?

 

[tturt]

"This is a true saying, if a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. 2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach; 3 Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous; 4 One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity;" I Tim 3

Is this it?

 

[dayhiker]

the verses that MWood is thinking of is in 1 Cor.7 ... which is speaking that its would be better to not marry at all. But then in that chapter Paul speaks of a trail that will be coming upon them. Would seem to indicate that Paul's advice wasn't for everyone at all times and all places.

 

[MWood]

the verses that MWood is thinking of is in 1 Cor.7 ... which is speaking that its would be better to not marry at all. But then in that chapter Paul speaks of a trail that will be coming upon them. Would seem to indicate that Paul's advice wasn't for everyone at all times and all places.

Thanks dayhiker.

 

[Sammy-San]

But, please don't get me wrong: just because there were good reasons for polygamy back then does not mean that polygamy is a good thing. The Bible never puts polygamy in a good light, and monogamy is always favored. For example, though Solomon had many wives and concubines, he was the one who wrote the Song of Solomon--a story about a monogamous relationship. It was because of polygamy that his heart started to turn away from God. Marriage is also compared to Jesus and the Church who are both described in the singular. Polygamy is never something God wants us to pursue, but back then He allowed people to for various reasons. Go and read the examples of polygamy in the Bible and you will find that it causes a lot of problems, but if you read a story like Song of Solomon or Ruth then you can see that monogamy was clearly something to be desired. I personally consider polygamy sinful because there is no need for it and monogamy is clearly God's intention, but is there any scripture that condemns polygamy? No, not explicitly.

Deuteronomy 17 17, and Romans 7 2-3.

 

[ClothedInGrace]

Deuteronomy 17 17, and Romans 7 2-3.

Those can be good verses to use, but I don't think they are as explicit as they need to be. For example, just saying that a man shouldn't multiply wives for himself is not the same as saying that polygamy is an abomination. A reader in the past could have said "okay, don't have too many wives, but I can still have some." You see what I mean? Monogamy is endorsed 100% by the scriptures but I don't think polygamy is condemned by God explicitly--perhaps implicitly.

 

[dayhiker]

I hope if one preaches from Dt.17 that we should only have one as opposed to many wives that they are consistent and also preach
that we should only have one horse and one piece of silver and gold.

 

[Sammy-San]

Those can be good verses to use, but I don't think they are as explicit as they need to be. For example, just saying that a man shouldn't multiply wives for himself is not the same as saying that polygamy is an abomination. A reader in the past could have said "okay, don't have too many wives, but I can still have some." You see what I mean? Monogamy is endorsed 100% by the scriptures but I don't think polygamy is condemned by God explicitly--perhaps implicitly.

The second verse is more explicit though.

 

[mmksparbud]

Act 17:30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:
Act 17:31 Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.

What God allowed at one time is not what He allows now. Abraham was married to his half sister, they married close relatives back then---at the time of Moses, that was then forbidden---and it was no longer needed. It had been at one time to grow the population, but then genetics made it not a good thing anymore. The NT writers made it plain--one wife. God doesn't go backwards, He didn't say it OK to marry close relatives again, and He didn't say it's OK to have more than one wife now.

 

[dayhiker]

At best the NT writers said church leaders can't have more than one wife.
Act.17:30-31 says nothing about polygamy. So I think that would be adding to scripture.

 

[mmksparbud]

At best the NT writers said church leaders can't have more than one wife.
Act.17:30-31 says nothing about polygamy. So I think that would be adding to scripture.

LOL!! You seriously think saying one wife says nothing about polygamy???!! And where do you think the leadership comes from--isn't it the laity??

 

[dayhiker]

yes, the leadership does come from the laity. But of course even the scriptures that speak of Christian leaders being the husband of one wife don't say its wrong to have more than one wife. There is no mention of concubines that were also part of the family relationships men had in those days.

When I read the history of how the church looked at marriage and women, remember that our attitude toward marriage is actually pretty new in church history, it appeared that most of the Roman church felt that marriage and sex should be very limited. Rules like no sex 24 hours before communion were the norm. Priests and nuns couldn't marry and there were a lot more of them thru most of church history than now. It was only with Martin Luther did marriage start to come back into vogue in the church.