faroukfarouk
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Polygamy.
- Thread starter Sammy-San
- Start date
Polygamy is a highly emotional subject.
It is therefore difficult to introduce cool reason to the topic.
However, for people such as MWood (Post #5), Teslafied (Post #7) and tturt (Post #15), I have some thoughts.
(Please understand I am not picking on those people – it's simply that their thoughts are representative of the thoughts of many.)
1. There is much ignorance regarding God's holy revelation to Israel.
That is a pity, because Paul said of the Hebrew Scriptures (2 Timothy 3:15-17):
2. God specifically provided for polygamy (polygyny actually) in His holy revelation to Israel.
For instance:
Exodus 21:10:
3. God actually ordered polygyny in at least one specific situation.
If you look, you will probably find more than one. As a test of the Reader's commitment to the relevance of truth, I will leave it to the Reader to find that instance (those instances). The Reader may choose not to look, if the Reader does not want to know.
Of course, someone may wish to make the Readers' lives easy by telling the Readers what and where.
4. In the “New Testament” there are direct statements regarding polygyny with regard to people being considered for a leadership position in the local church.
Those statements demonstrate three things: (a) that some believers had more than one wife, either multiple marriages entered into in their pre-Christian state, or marriages consummated following improper divorce; (b) those marriages needed to be maintained, because nothing is said about putting second and third etc. wives away; (c) anyone having more than one wife was disqualified from leadership positions in the church.
There are also statements that encourage believers to follow the example of their leaders (quite apart from other statements that employ the general singular with respect to female partners, and at least one specific statement from Paul). Therefore the entering into of multiple marriages by believers was frowned upon. Why? Because the marriage state among church members was supposed to be a type of Christ (singular) and His Church (future Bride - viewed as a single entity) – Ephesians 5:22.
Conclusion
The one-man-one-wife principle in God's eyes is an inseparable element comprised in the existence of the Church. One function of the Church's (married) members is to be living pictures of Christ and His Church. The importance of that cannot be over-emphasised.
However, that principle pertains only to the Church.
At other times and in other environments, the importance was not, is not, and will not be, relevant. Civil laws notwithstanding. If people are going to Hell anyway, what does it really matter?
It is therefore difficult to introduce cool reason to the topic.
However, for people such as MWood (Post #5), Teslafied (Post #7) and tturt (Post #15), I have some thoughts.
(Please understand I am not picking on those people – it's simply that their thoughts are representative of the thoughts of many.)
1. There is much ignorance regarding God's holy revelation to Israel.
That is a pity, because Paul said of the Hebrew Scriptures (2 Timothy 3:15-17):
2. God specifically provided for polygamy (polygyny actually) in His holy revelation to Israel.
For instance:
Exodus 21:10:
Leviticus 18:18:
Leviticus 18:18 was a specific exclusion to the generally permitted case. It was not the only specific exclusion.
3. God actually ordered polygyny in at least one specific situation.
If you look, you will probably find more than one. As a test of the Reader's commitment to the relevance of truth, I will leave it to the Reader to find that instance (those instances). The Reader may choose not to look, if the Reader does not want to know.
Of course, someone may wish to make the Readers' lives easy by telling the Readers what and where.
4. In the “New Testament” there are direct statements regarding polygyny with regard to people being considered for a leadership position in the local church.
Those statements demonstrate three things: (a) that some believers had more than one wife, either multiple marriages entered into in their pre-Christian state, or marriages consummated following improper divorce; (b) those marriages needed to be maintained, because nothing is said about putting second and third etc. wives away; (c) anyone having more than one wife was disqualified from leadership positions in the church.
There are also statements that encourage believers to follow the example of their leaders (quite apart from other statements that employ the general singular with respect to female partners, and at least one specific statement from Paul). Therefore the entering into of multiple marriages by believers was frowned upon. Why? Because the marriage state among church members was supposed to be a type of Christ (singular) and His Church (future Bride - viewed as a single entity) – Ephesians 5:22.
Conclusion
The one-man-one-wife principle in God's eyes is an inseparable element comprised in the existence of the Church. One function of the Church's (married) members is to be living pictures of Christ and His Church. The importance of that cannot be over-emphasised.
However, that principle pertains only to the Church.
At other times and in other environments, the importance was not, is not, and will not be, relevant. Civil laws notwithstanding. If people are going to Hell anyway, what does it really matter?
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- Oct 17, 2015
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The only prohibition of polygamy that I am aware of in the new testament is in an epistle where it is cautioned that a bishop is to be the husband of one wife. This is a qualification for a particular office not an absolute prohibition.
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The passage refers to a specific category of persons not to all Christians. I think that you are stretching things somewhat.
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dayhiker
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I've heard things like that as well ... but one can't find a verse that says that. Can't find a prophet that says having more than one wife is wrong. The ancient definition of adultery doesn't say having more than one wife is wrong. So I'd have to say to those who say polyamour is wrong that they are adding to the word of God. I good place to study for yourself.
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Didn't some of the rules change? for example, Abraham married his sister but it became forbidden later on.
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I agree. It is clear that that Paul is speaking of women only in these verses. It being a very patriarchal society that is entirely understandable. Polyandry is forbidden.
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Yes, there were in the very early years, more so with Paul's Gentile churches than with the Jewish churches centred in Jerusalem. This egalitarianism did not last long. By the time the Pastoral Epistles (1 and 2 Timothy and Titus) were written circa AD 130, patriarchy had reasserted itself and has not let go until about a century ago.
Incidentally, there is a strong tradition in southern France that Mary Magdalene was the first missionary to reach there. There is a stained glass window in the Cathedral in Marseilles depicting Mary Magdalene consecrating the first bishop there.
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dayhiker
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Yes and no on the rules. There are two rules, Love God and Love people. Those are the same for OT and NT. Some of the details change as society has changed a lot from Abraham's time to NT times.
The rules on incest are part of the Mosaic Law. Moses having grown up in the court of Pharaoh saw now much the inbreeding in the royal family for generations caused a lot of problems both genetically and leadership wise. So it was natural for God and Moses to not want that Israel to follow that path.
Also its good to understand that the purity laws of Israel are not rules of what is sinful and not sinful. There are there to separate the Jews from other nations around them. Ever other nation also had purity laws. It was how they knew which clam people belonged to. So as American's we have papers, a passport, birth certificate that says we are American. That is our purity law. We don't have rules around what we eat, how we dress and deal with bodily fluids. As Christians we also have a purity law. Act.20 is is a debate about those purity laws. Will Christians have to take on the 400+ laws the Jews had as purity laws or not. Would Gentiles have to become Jewish to be Christians? The decision is no, Jesus is our purity. We have to confess Jesus before men and be baptized. That means we don't worship idols. The list of 4 things in Act. 20 are dealing with idol worship. Galatians, Hebrews, 1 Cor. and Rom. also have messages about this.
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