Polygamy

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L

LT

Guest
#1
#1
Modern society abhors the thought of polygamy, but I don't see a Biblical context for it being unlawful. Does anyone have any verses that condemn polygamy?
I know I am going to get flack from this... but I feel like it is a topic that needs to be aired out. Many of the patriarchs had multiple wives, or at least children from multiple women: Jacob, David, Solomon, etc...

I do not support this behavior. I'm just bringing it up. I believe in equal rights for women.
 
mystdancer50

mystdancer50

Senior Member
#2
Feb 26, 2012
2,522
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#2
The Patriarchs had multiple wives because they had adapted to the culture of those around them. If you look at them, they didn't exactly benefit from the multiple wives. :)

1 Timothy 1:3 and Titus 1 say that elders and deacons of the church should have one wife. Also, in the NT it says that a man should love his WIFE as Christ has loved the church, not wives. I'll look some more up later. I don't have time now to go into too much depth. :)

Honestly, it's hard enough making a standard marriage work. Why would anyone want to be married to more than one person at a time? Insane. :)
 
JesusChica1991

JesusChica1991

Banned
#3
May 9, 2012
1,514
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#3
I've never understood why a guy would put himself through the agony of having more than one wife XD Aren't we women just difficult with one of us being around? Why would a guy do that to themselves?
 
mystdancer50

mystdancer50

Senior Member
#5
Feb 26, 2012
2,522
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#5
HeRoseFromTheDead said:
It's a cultural thing. GOD doesn't care IMO.
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Thankfully, we don't abide by the world's culture, but by God's culture. In the New Testament it says one wife. When God made man and said that man should be alone, God didn't create multiple women for him (wives), but one woman (wife), Eve. I think by that statement alone we know what God prefers. Adam didn't have multiple wives, did he? Nope. It was only when the chosen people became influenced by the world's culture that they took multiple wives.

Plus, out of all the histories in the Bible, we only have a handful that had many wives. We must remember that these men were human and made choices based on their flesh, just like we do, and we shouldn't assume that because they had many wives, God was okay with it. I don't believe the Bible ever says "God is okay with many wives" or polygamy would be legal, right?

It is of course true that it was a worldly custom, in patriarchal times, and in the days of the Kingdom of Israel, for kings and wealthy men to take plural wives. A harem was one of the symbols of royalty.

But God FORBADE polygamy for the kings of Israel.

Here is God's LAW respecting polygamy by Israel's kings:

"When thou art come unto the land which the Eternal thy God giveth thee, and shalt possess it, and shalt dwell therein, and shalt say, I will set a king over me, like as all the nations that are about me. . . . Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away" (Deut. 17:14, 17). It is spoken of as "THIS LAW" in verses 18 and 19.

Israel's first king, Saul, had plural wives. But in this he disobeyed God and followed the custom of the kings of the worldly nations around Israel. It was SIN. It was not approved by God.
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Quote taken from: Here's the Plain Truth About OLD TESTAMENT POLYGAMY
 
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L

LT

Guest
#6
#6
Judging by the Bible alone, it looks like monogamy is more worldly because all the way back to Abraham, all the righteous men of God had children by multiple women....



XD I'm just messing with yall. I can't even handle one girlfriend, why would I support multiple wives?!
 
mystdancer50

mystdancer50

Senior Member
#7
Feb 26, 2012
2,522
50
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#7
LT said:
Judging by the Bible alone, it looks like monogamy is more worldly because all the way back to Abraham, all the righteous men of God had children by multiple women....



XD I'm just messing with yall. I can't even handle one girlfriend, why would I support multiple wives?!
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At least you can admit it. :)

I would say that all the way back to the first man and woman it was just that: one man and one woman. And from one couple, God began populating the earth. :)
 
R

reject-tech

Guest
#8
#8
The bible has some passages that seem to condone it and some that seem to condemn it.

It's my observation that having multiple wives is not the problem, it's wanting more wives for extra sex purposes, or for social status, that's the problem.

I imagine most of it that happens today is for the wrong reason, and justified with "verse extraction" rather than household need.
Certainly, it must come with problems unless all the wives have the mindset that sharing the man is acceptable.
I doubt many women today have that mindset.

I have seen media coverage of a few scenarios where all the wives boast in their mindset that it's all good, but you can tell that there is still a little jealousy.

Spiritually speaking, Christ has more than one person who makes up His "bride", and I guess none of those are jealous of each other, right?
And if we count the whole bride group as one "woman", He'll still have two wives in the end, a virgin and a reformed harlot.

Me personally, I don't know how I'd handle more than one.

UNLESS THEY ARE TWINS! lol jk
 
B

Bryancampbell

Guest
#9
#9
LT said:
Modern society abhors the thought of polygamy, but I don't see a Biblical context for it being unlawful. Does anyone have any verses that condemn polygamy?
I know I am going to get flack from this... but I feel like it is a topic that needs to be aired out. Many of the patriarchs had multiple wives, or at least children from multiple women: Jacob, David, Solomon, etc...

I do not support this behavior. I'm just bringing it up. I believe in equal rights for women.
Click to expand...
I've wondered this too. As I read the bible, that culture saw it as normal. But I think since culture change there is change to society. People back then use to drink from the fruit of the vine everyday, that would make you look like a drunk in today's time. People back then had numerous kids, now you have people who can't support one or two. People back then had concubines, slaves, and servants (same thing pretty much), and some to most were considered property. Things have changed greatly from the OT.
 
D

directline2iam

Banned
#10
Jul 25, 2013
1,329
19
0
#10
LT said:
Modern society abhors the thought of polygamy, but I don't see a Biblical context for it being unlawful. Does anyone have any verses that condemn polygamy?
I know I am going to get flack from this... but I feel like it is a topic that needs to be aired out. Many of the patriarchs had multiple wives, or at least children from multiple women: Jacob, David, Solomon, etc...

I do not support this behavior. I'm just bringing it up. I believe in equal rights for women.
Click to expand...
Does it say AND GOD MADE THEM MALE AND FEMALEs?

And please remember, the OT is full of sinners that God had patience with. And the Fourth Commandment says Honor thy Father and thy MOTHERs that it may be well with thee...
 
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J

John_S

Guest
#11
#11
Should a woman have more than one husband?
 
RedTent

RedTent

Banned
#12
Oct 31, 2011
8,200
182
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#12
HeRoseFromTheDead said:
It's a cultural thing. GOD doesn't care IMO.
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We have to go to God's word to find out how He created the world. God said that when man and woman unite they become one. God made our world so that the physical is a reflection of the spiritual. To become one has both a physical and spiritual meaning. You can't become one with more than one person.

Scripture never once says that God wanted anyone to have more than one wife. When you study the lives of the men who did have many wives, they paid dearly for this sin. The life of David shows, even when David asked for and received forgiveness, he still had to endure the consequences in this life. His son with Bathsheba died, and his relationships with sons he loved was troubled.
 
K

Kia123

Guest
#16
#16
I think is an interestng issue, because great men of the bible did have multiple wives and its not gone into great depth about why this that "allowed or supported" i think that in many ways more then one wife is helpful ( not just meaning sex) but in heloing to look after the children and other "wifely" duties. But my mum also told me that it was probably a lot harder to have a healthy baby back then and the morte wives you had the more chance of conceiving a healthy baby :) so thats my input
 
F

FORHISGLORY

Guest
#17
#17
God never approved of polygamy. Polygamy was a practice. The Bible gives us a description of their lifestyle. But, that description isn't a prescription on how to live life. God instituted the biblical model of marriage with Adam and Eve.
 
L

LT

Guest
#18
#18
I'm sure there is a solid answer out there,but I don't feel like you guys have made it yet.

The Adam and Eve argument will never stick for any topic. The starting position doesn't imply the intended end (this goes for all arguments, not just this one). God put all the animals on the ark 2 by 2, but very few animals mate for life. Saying that they were made man and woman does not have a logical pattern down to 1 woman for every man. He was the 1st man, and she was the 1st woman. The Bible doesn't state that he was never to marry another (although it would technically have to be his own daughter... very weird)

The argument for Bathsheba is not good either. David was not condemned for having multiple wives, but for adultery and murder. She was married already! They had relations without being married to each other. David then murders her husband so no one would find out.

I'm not sure how honoring our fathers and mothers has to do with polygamy.

It is against the law in the US, so that is a solid argument. We are to obey the law as followers of Christ.
 
S

SirLucan

Banned
#19
Oct 18, 2013
195
2
0
#19
LT said:
Modern society abhors the thought of polygamy, but I don't see a Biblical context for it being unlawful. Does anyone have any verses that condemn polygamy?
I know I am going to get flack from this... but I feel like it is a topic that needs to be aired out. Many of the patriarchs had multiple wives, or at least children from multiple women: Jacob, David, Solomon, etc...

I do not support this behavior. I'm just bringing it up. I believe in equal rights for women.
Click to expand...
Okay, I charge thee before God, turn to Matthew 19:8. Note the words referring back to the original ordination of marriage. One man, one woman.
Note also Romans 7:1-3.
Also, an elder is to be the husband of one wife.
You get married to a woman. Then you marry another woman (in Utah). That's adultery, the second person. In fact, the second person relationship is only a marriage according to the law of the land. According to God's law it is not a marriage, that's why it is adultery.
Perhaps you are merely wishing it were allowed. Thoughts?
 
mystdancer50

mystdancer50

Senior Member
#20
Feb 26, 2012
2,522
50
48
#20
Genesis says: The Man said,
“Finally! Bone of my bone,
flesh of my flesh!
Name her Woman
for she was made from Man.”
Therefore a man leaves his father and mother and embraces his wife. They become one flesh.
The two of them, the Man and his Wife, were naked, but they felt no shame.

Then, we see what happens when Abraham and Sarah decide to take things into their own hand, obey the customs of the world, rather than God, and produce an heir their way, by introducing a second wife. We also see how that second 'wife' becomes prideful and spiteful. We also see the constant enemy of the Jewish people due to this act.

I think those two examples seal it for us as followers of God. In the NT, never is it approved to have more than one wife. However, as with any sin and any compromise, we can make it right in our own eyes quite easily, which the Mormons have done, as those mentioned as having multiple wives did. It doesn't make it right.
 
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