Was it considered a sin in the Bible? It wasn't viewed as ideal, but was it viewed as immoral? Obviously in modern times it would be due to laws, but was it immoral in those times? The Book of Romans mentions that polyandry is a sin, but is polygamy viewed in the same way?
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Polygamy.
- Thread starter Sammy-San
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Sketcher
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Jesus said one man, one woman, for life (Matt 19:1-12). He quotes Genesis which makes no mention of polygamy being part of what God intends for marriage. Paul also said that leaders in the church should not be polygamous and this is mentioned among other moral demands which are not really in question (1 Tim 3:2-3). Every Christian should look at that list and aspire to become that kind of person.
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dayhiker
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Nothing in the OT says God is against it. Clearly the OT saints didn't consider it adultery.
Nathan says to David when he is confronting David about his adultery.
2 Sam.12;8 And I gave thee thy master's house, and thy master's wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things.
Often the church leaves a strong impression that by NT times polygamy was past. History tells us to was against Roman law for a man to have more than one wife.
Very few will also tell tell us that the Jews petitioned Roman for an exception to this law and received one. So the only people in NT times that could have
more than one wife were God's people the Jews. It was the heathen that made it agaisnt the law.
Nathan says to David when he is confronting David about his adultery.
2 Sam.12;8 And I gave thee thy master's house, and thy master's wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things.
Often the church leaves a strong impression that by NT times polygamy was past. History tells us to was against Roman law for a man to have more than one wife.
Very few will also tell tell us that the Jews petitioned Roman for an exception to this law and received one. So the only people in NT times that could have
more than one wife were God's people the Jews. It was the heathen that made it agaisnt the law.
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- Oct 17, 2015
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Our cultural/religious sexual mores have evolved both in biblical times and they continue to evolve even today.
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MWood
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It is in the OT, but Lord help me I can't tell you where. I think it is in the giving of the law that God told them that they should have only one wife. Jacob had two wives, two handmaids as wives, or maybe there was three handmaids? Search the giving of the law, it is there somewhere.
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I do not believe that there is any specific condemnation of polygamy anywhere in scripture.
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Teslafied
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I think this is worth a read.
http://creation.mobi/does-the-bible-clearly-teach-monogamy
It appears that polygamy has hindered many in the scriptures it has bore consequences, take Solomon for example his wives led him astray...
http://creation.mobi/does-the-bible-clearly-teach-monogamy
It appears that polygamy has hindered many in the scriptures it has bore consequences, take Solomon for example his wives led him astray...
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That's because it doesn't matter to a lot of Christians. Mans laws allow a lot of things that are not allowed by God....to some, Gods wants override mans laws.
You mean heathen made it against mans law? A lot of far from heathen people of the bible speak against it. If you want I can post a bunch of verses verifying that.
Best I can tell, it may not even be a damnable sin even today, but don't quite me on that, however we are told not to do it by some good people, as well as about the trouble it caused in the past. God created one Adam and one Eve for him as a help mate, man added more to that, but it was never forbidden back in the OT, not to my knowledge. Today, whether forbidden or not... it wasn't as God intended and he may or may not put up with it.
I'd be afraid to do it and I think God has his hand in making it illegal in the USA today..
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Mudinyeri
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The Old Testament is filled with examples of Godly men with multiple wives, concubines, etc. 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.
In Genesis, God instructs man to "be fruitful and multiply." One plus one is not multiplication; it's addition.
Many would bring up the concept of adultery as an argument against polygamy. Understanding Biblical adultery in today's context requires considerable study and prayerful seeking of truth.
In Genesis, God instructs man to "be fruitful and multiply." One plus one is not multiplication; it's addition.
Many would bring up the concept of adultery as an argument against polygamy. Understanding Biblical adultery in today's context requires considerable study and prayerful seeking of truth.
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ALoveDivine
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Jesus plainly commanded marriage as being only between one man and one woman. God's moral standard does not change. It is not as if he was cool with it in Old Testament times and then suddenly had a problem with it in New Testament times. Based on the plain teachings of Jesus I can only infer that polygamy is and always has been morally evil.
Now granted God certainly passed over the polygamy in Old Testament times. The book of Romans explains how God passed over the sins of old. And this is further proof that God's people have always been justified by faith and not by works. Many Old Testament saints, as has been noted, had multiple wives. This was certainly sin, yet those sins, like ours, were ultimately atoned for on the cross by the Lord Jesus Christ.
I fail to see how anyone can argue that Polygamy isn't morally evil, given what Jesus says about marriage.
Now granted God certainly passed over the polygamy in Old Testament times. The book of Romans explains how God passed over the sins of old. And this is further proof that God's people have always been justified by faith and not by works. Many Old Testament saints, as has been noted, had multiple wives. This was certainly sin, yet those sins, like ours, were ultimately atoned for on the cross by the Lord Jesus Christ.
I fail to see how anyone can argue that Polygamy isn't morally evil, given what Jesus says about marriage.
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farout
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God NEVER gave His blessing on multiple wives. This was not approved by God, nor did He ordain it, the same is true for adultery. Sex outside of marriage is and always has been a sin. God never approved of divorce, Moses permitted it, even Jesus said only for marital unfaithfulness was Divorce permitted. That is a very high standard which many do not agree with.
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God allowed Polygamy in the OT for various reasons. Back then women had little to no power and so they would marry men for protection and security among other things. For example, the reason why Solomon had so many concubines and wives is because of his wealth; marriage back then was a form of protection that wasn't always guaranteed in those times. Men also went to war often which would leave many women without a man. God certainly allowed Polygamy in the OT, there is no question, but it is not because Polygamy was God's intended design. Monogamy was the original design, but Polygamy crept up along with the violence of mankind.
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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.
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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.
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