Is polygamy ok to God?

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Jun 1, 2017
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#1
Hi everyone!

I honestly think polygamy wouldn't be good for anyone and it isn't God's will. (I'd never share my husband :p)

What's your opinion? :)
 
Jun 1, 2017
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#2
Can the fact that for example David and Salomon had many wives suggest that polygamy is ok?
 
S

SweetSentient

Guest
#3
Hey, Rochii, I'd have to say no. It's not alright. In the beginning, we learn from Genesis when God created man (Adam) and gave him dominion over animals and what not as time went on He noticed that Adam was lonely and thus he created a companion for him (Eve). Throughout the Bible, we learn that man had been disobedient again and again and had strayed from God's original intention for us...Polygamy not being a part of his original plan. I am saying all of this to say God's intention for marriage was meant to be between two persons. Specifically a man and a woman. It's a sacred covenant that we make to God not only just to the significant other.
 

graceNpeace

Senior Member
Aug 12, 2016
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#4
In general, polygamy is not an issue in western countries.
However in other parts of the world it can be encountered and some locales is actually a societal norm.

The WORST possible Christian response is aggressive and demeaning criticism, particularly against polygamous families who have recently become Christian. The damage that is done in forcing those women out of their homes and marriages is incalculable, both to them personally, and to the hopes for any further evangelisation of those communities.

Instead, a loving exposition of Scripture should be undertaken to build the notion of monogamy with these new Christians with the goal of ensuring that the next generation of marriages within this fledgling Christian community are monogamous!
 
Jun 1, 2017
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#5
In general, polygamy is not an issue in western countries.
However in other parts of the world it can be encountered and some locales is actually a societal norm.

The WORST possible Christian response is aggressive and demeaning criticism, particularly against polygamous families who have recently become Christian. The damage that is done in forcing those women out of their homes and marriages is incalculable, both to them personally, and to the hopes for any further evangelisation of those communities.

Instead, a loving exposition of Scripture should be undertaken to build the notion of monogamy with these new Christians with the goal of ensuring that the next generation of marriages within this fledgling Christian community are monogamous!
Nowadays there are so many Christians that are aggressive to anyone with a different opinion, and they're making so much damage!
We should reach other people trough love.
 

graceNpeace

Senior Member
Aug 12, 2016
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#6
Nowadays there are so many Christians that are aggressive to anyone with a different opinion, and they're making so much damage!
We should reach other people trough love.
Most Christians are not involved in missions.
Because these kind of issues are only dealt with on a theoretical level it is easy to criticise and condemn because real people are never directly affected.
However, in time past in parts of Africa, Asia, and Oceania Christians forced women living in polygamous relationships to leave their husbands. The result was that these women, and their offspring in many cases, became outcasts shunned by all.
The whole society was affected.
The deleterious affects of this and other really stupid interventions have blighted Christian witness in these places to this day!

So, yes, polygamy is far from God's ideal.
How we, as Christians deal with the issue, also says a lot about how close we are to God's ideal...
 
Jun 5, 2017
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#7
Hi everyone!

I honestly think polygamy wouldn't be good for anyone and it isn't God's will. (I'd never share my husband :p)

What's your opinion? :)
Hey Rochii welcome and nice to see you here posting. Great question! I think it was more a cultural thing in certain countries many years ago including those that did not follow God. I don't think it was something that God necessarily approved of though.
 

Roughsoul1991

Senior Member
Sep 17, 2016
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#8
Hi everyone!

I honestly think polygamy wouldn't be good for anyone and it isn't God's will. (I'd never share my husband :p)

What's your opinion? :)
Matthew 19:5-6New International Version (NIV)

5 and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’[a]? 6 So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”

His wife not wives, no longer TWO. Notice the Bible never says anything different from genesis to revelations. Jesus taught the same truth from the beginning. Did any of the OT men who had many wives benefited from it. It created problems with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob had issues with many wives, Joseph was disliked by the other wives sons, David had many sibling troubles, Solomon was led in to marrying pagan wives.

But we see God allows certain things at certain time periods. Sampson was a good example of a man who didnt live as Godly as one man we would expect to find his story in Gods written Word. But God allowed ir, Sampson paid for it with his life which God used to bring about his plan and glory. Just as any man who had more than one wife paid with all sorts of headaches and heartaches. Sometimes we dont understand how God worked in the OT but the NT only repeats what is said from the beginning one man and one wife become one flesh. Nothing is promoting that that one flesh should be shared with others also joining in to become 2 or 3.
 
May 13, 2017
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#9
Oh Wow. I have one wife, and one daughter living with us. Many times I feel like I'm drowning in estrogen. Why would two wives be better? LOL
 

OneFaith

Senior Member
Sep 5, 2016
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#10
Can the fact that for example David and Salomon had many wives suggest that polygamy is ok?
They did many things in the Old Testament that were not ok. For example, Jesus said Moses let you divorce because your hearts were hard, but I tell you you must not divorce except for marital unfaithfulness. So just because they divorced doesn't make it right. And just because they had more than one wife doesn't mean that it was a godly thing to do.

God made one wife for Adam in the Old Testament. And He made elders have but one wife in the New Testament. The elder qualifications were really for every Christian, it's just that an elder absolutely must meet them to qualify for eldership.

What is holy, pure, and right, is what God instituted. He made marriage to be one man and one woman. But mankind makes up his own rules.
 
May 13, 2017
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#11
They did many things in the Old Testament that were not ok. For example, Jesus said Moses let you divorce because your hearts were hard, but I tell you you must not divorce except for marital unfaithfulness. So just because they divorced doesn't make it right. And just because they had more than one wife doesn't mean that it was a godly thing to do.

God made one wife for Adam in the Old Testament. And He made elders have but one wife in the New Testament. The elder qualifications were really for every Christian, it's just that an elder absolutely must meet them to qualify for eldership.

What is holy, pure, and right, is what God instituted. He made marriage to be one man and one woman. But mankind makes up his own rules.
Because God allowed something does not mean He approved. He also allowed divorce. Why? Because of he stubbornness of His people.
 
Jun 1, 2017
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#12
Thanks for all the help!
Just asking for curiosity
In deuteronomio 17:17 its commanded to not have many wives.
In this case it's only applied to kings, am I right?
 

Roughsoul1991

Senior Member
Sep 17, 2016
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#13
Thanks for all the help!
Just asking for curiosity
In deuteronomio 17:17 its commanded to not have many wives.
In this case it's only applied to kings, am I right?
In context yes but the message from the whole bible never promotes many wives. So in context yes but also biblical throughout the whole bible. Its just as a King back in that day. The pagan kings had many wives so it probably seemed normal but God commanded this isnt his standard of normal and many wives could and did influence Godly Kings down not so Godly paths.
 
Dec 19, 2009
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#15
Hi everyone!

I honestly think polygamy wouldn't be good for anyone and it isn't God's will. (I'd never share my husband :p)

What's your opinion? :)
I say it's a sin. People will argue that certain Bible characters had more than wife. However, I'm unaware of any passage in the Bible stating the Lord approved of these arrangements.
 
Z

Zi

Guest
#16
After David had Uriah killed God said I gave you all Saul's wives and such, had that not been enough I would have given you more... 2 Sam 12:8
I say it's a sin. People will argue that certain Bible characters had more than wife. However, I'm unaware of any passage in the Bible stating the Lord approved of these arrangements.
 

trofimus

Senior Member
Aug 17, 2015
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#17
It was OK before Christ.

Now it is adultery.
 

J7

Banned
Apr 2, 2017
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#18
I guess it is a tricky one. Lots of tribal cultures are ok with it.

I suppose if a Tribesman had several wives, and then the missionary came, and he converted to Christ, he can still keep his wives.

Otherwise it cannot be seen as the behaviour of a Christian.
 

trofimus

Senior Member
Aug 17, 2015
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#19
I guess it is a tricky one. Lots of tribal cultures are ok with it.

I suppose if a Tribesman had several wives, and then the missionary came, and he converted to Christ, he can still keep his wives.

Otherwise it cannot be seen as the behaviour of a Christian.
Lots of tribal cultures are also ok with drinking blood, occultism, shamanism, pedophilia, stupid pagan rituals etc.

It really depends on the wisdom of missionaries how fast to change all of that dirt to make it workable for those people.

Some kind of a quick system change would practically destroy all of their culture. Which is what missionaries are frequently convinced of.

Tough problem for them to solve.

But for us in Europe/USA/Canada etc the answer is clear. It is not allowed.
 
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J7

Banned
Apr 2, 2017
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#20
Lots of tribal cultures are also ok with drinking blood, occultism, shamanism, pedophilia, stupid pagan rituals etc.

It really depends on the wisdom of missionaries how fast to change all of that dirt to make it workable for those people.
Well, if you make the King or whoever divorce his surplus ones, what becomes of them? I mean honestly, equating polygamy which God endorsed for king David, with all that other awful stuff. Please think before writing.