Polygamy

[Nick01]

Hi L, At that time I wanted to discuss St Augustine and his decision to ban polygamy but it never seemed to get off the ground. Never mind.

See my reply.

 

[Drett]

If you want someone to actually deal with what you posted, I'll bite.

Jesus talks about one man, one woman. The Pastoral letters (Titus, 1 & 2 Timothy) all stipulate that potential elders must demonstrably only be the husband of one wife, and Justin Martyr, Tertullian, and Iraeneus all wrote against the practice of polygamy. All of which happened centuries before Augustine. It's also worth mentioning that Augustine didn't just make up an opinion, but attempted to reason from both Old Testament and New Testament to his position. I invite you to read some of what he wrote - parts of it will be floating around online, but most of the anti-nicene fathers works are in print and pretty easy to get a hold of.

Hi Nick

Explicit statements were made in the OT stating polygamy is acceptable. Even the prophets married more than one. Jesus made no explicit statement concerning polygamy. Jesus actually stated.

Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law (the Old Testament) or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.


Augustine wrote in The Good of Marriage (chapter 15, paragraph 17),

that polygamy …was lawful among the ancient fathers: whether it be lawful now also, I would not hastily pronounce. For there is not now necessity of begetting children, as there then was, when, even when wives bear children, it was allowed, in order to get a more numerous posterity, to marry other wives in addition, which now is certainly not lawful.

He did not mention that Jesus stopped polygamy. He stated he was banning it because they do not need so many children not because of law or Jesus banning it previously. So God stated it was allowed and man said it was not.

 

[4enlightment]

That sounds horribly unloving. Divorce them all but the one he loves most?!
To giving them the freedom to go... that I would understand. But divorce is NOT WHAT GOD WANTS!
You seriously think that divorce is better than polygamy?! READ YOUR BIBLE! God HATES divorce! Yet the Bible never condemns polygamy.

If learning Christs love for His Bride is the only purpose for marriage, then what Christian would ever get married? We already know the Love of Christ that He has shown us in the Greatest Work of all time: the PASSION of Christ.

The purpose of marriage is to "multiply and fill the earth", and "for those who are weak, and tempted by the lusts of flesh". Yes, there is an example of Christ in marriage, but that is not it's chief purpose.

My conscience still tells me that polygamy is wrong. But what you guys are saying is not Biblical.

Because Moses Had permitted them to practice this act doesn't mean that they were righteous. They had a custom also to cut the palms of their hands to signify that they're under a covenant and which doing harm to your body is unlawful. Jesus had the marking on His hands, but He didn't put them their because it would of made Him a blemish lamb.

John 20:27Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”

Isaiah 49:16 See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands;
your walls are ever before me.

Leviticus 3:17“‘This is a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you live: You must not eat any fat or any blood.’”

Matthew 26:28This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

The word covenant seems to come form an ancient Semitic word from the Middle East area where the Arab and Nomad people became blood brothers by cutting their wrists or palm of their hand, the blood of which ran into a cup and then it was mixed with wine and drank, signifying they were blood brothers by covenant. This introduced people into a tribe and also to the protection of the god that clan or tribe was under. This idea of blood being related to covenant is found throughout the world in various world religions.
The Blood Covenant

 

[Bushido8000]

Actually, it says one wife many times in the NT. Never does it say many wives. Always refers to one wife.

No it simply says wife. The European culture was against polygamy. Never in the Bible does it say "one wife". It refers to "wife". Using "wife" instead of "one wife" makes the language and lesson apply to anyone, whether you have 1 wife or 100. I will stand corrected if you can provide one spot in the Bible that mentions that men should have only "one wife"

 

[Tintin]

If it was more than one wife, the English translations would read 'wives'. But they don't.

 

[Drett]

It is explicitly stated that polygamy is ok in the OT. People are playing with words in the NT to try to get it to be banned in the NT. If Jesus wanted it banned he would have come right out and stated it. Polygamy still occurred up to Augustine. Augustine ended polygamy but the reason given were not biblical. I think he would have a better understanding of the Christian scripture than most.

 

[KohenMatt]

So, I've missed the majority of the posts on the subject. Instead of taking the time to go back and read them all, could someone summarize for me......

Do I get to take another wife?

 

[Drett]

So, I've missed the majority of the posts on the subject. Instead of taking the time to go back and read them all, could someone summarize for me......

Do I get to take another wife?

If you want to go to jail

 

[HeRoseFromTheDead]

Change of subject, and random, but it's funny that since I've changed my avatar, I always feel angry after I post, due to the face in my picture. I don't know if this is good or bad...but in case anyone ties that feeling into what I say, know that I'm not angry. Just saying. Sorry to interrupt. Carry on.

Did you change your avatar when you were angry?

 

[Huckleberry]

So, I've missed the majority of the posts on the subject. Instead of taking the time to go back and read them all, could someone summarize for me......

Do I get to take another wife?

Yes, but she lives inside a walled compound in the Salt Lake suburbs.

 

[Jullianna]

yea, I kinda regret starting this thread. It was purely out of curiosity because of a story I read about a Mormon.
If I had just done a solid search on google I could've found the sources I needed to counter his position.
The way the Bible portrays Lamech as the 1st bigamist is more than enough evidence to show that God disproves of this act. I'm sorry if I offended anyone on the way to this conclusion.
I still disagree with those who call for divorce in the RARE situation of a person coming to Christ with more than one spouse. If a commitment is made, I don't believe it should be broken.

I also want to apologize to leonard: you are right in saying that the example of Christ is the chief end of marriage, because all things are to be for the glory of God.

You have such a beautiful spirit. Refreshing thing to see in these forums. God bless you!

 

[mystdancer50]

Did you change your avatar when you were angry?

Nope. Anger had nothing to do with it. Still doesn't.

 

[Cobus]

If you want to go to jail

Not here is SOUTH AFRICA, our president ZUMA has seven wives, and if he is an example of what a person is like with more than one wife, may God spare me from that...

Also if God wanted more wives, maybe God would have made two or six EVES... Nope even from the day God made eve, there was one and one... I worked with a lot of groups of women, they the worst bunch of people to put in a group.... wow things can get complicated between women... Really, the managers in all big companies has the most problems with large groups of women together... I wonder how it goes when Zuma has a party?

 

[KohenMatt]

Yes, but she lives inside a walled compound in the Salt Lake suburbs.

Nice, then she lives just down the street from me!

 

[savedandhopeful]

My hubby says no way ...I am enough headache ...lol

 

[4enlightment]

Not here is SOUTH AFRICA, our president ZUMA has seven wives, and if he is an example of what a person is like with more than one wife, may God spare me from that...

Also if God wanted more wives, maybe God would have made two or six EVES... Nope even from the day God made eve, there was one and one... I worked with a lot of groups of women, they the worst bunch of people to put in a group.... wow things can get complicated between women... Really, the managers in all big companies has the most problems with large groups of women together... I wonder how it goes when Zuma has a party?

His nature says a lot about him, and Mandela nature says a lot about him also.

 

[maxwel]

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?

Polygamy has to be the single most masochistic thing I can think of.

: )

 

[StandStrong]

If it was more than one wife, the English translations would read 'wives'. But they don't.

however if i remember the right the greek word for wife and wives is the same word

 

[mystdancer50]

• God ordained one-woman, one-man marriage in the beginning (Genesis 2:20-24). Polygamy originated with the son of rebellious Cain (Genesis. 4:16-19) Although several biblical characters such as David were polygamists the Bible gives clear examples of the destructiveness of this practice. Polygamy resulted in much heartache and trouble (Gen. 16:1-6; 1 Sam. 1:2-8; 1 Kings 11:1-8). God forbid kings to multiply wives (Deut. 17:14,17). David, Solomon, and other kings who had multiple wives were living contrary to God's Word. Most men of God even in the Old Testament had only one wife. This is true for Adam (Gen. 2-4), Noah (Gen. 6:18), Isaac (Gen. 25:20-23), Joseph (Gen. 41:45), Moses (Exodus. 2:21), Boaz (Ruth. 4), Job (Job 1), Isaiah (Isa. 8:3), and Hosea (Hosea 3:1-3). There is no New Testament. example of a godly Christian having more than one wife and those who have more than one wife today are forbidden to hold church leadership positions (1 Tim. 3:2,12; Titus. 1:6). (David Cloud, Way of Life Encyclopedia of the Bible and Christianity, Ver. 2.0, 1219 North Harns Road, Oak Harbor, WA 98277, Electronic Version, "polygamy")
  
  Sorry it's bold...that's how it transferred over from here: 1 Timothy 3:2, 12 - What is the meaning of "Husband of One Wife?
  
  • and I couldn't undo it. I tried.

 

[Kerry]

Yeah its a flaw in text editor.