What's new
By:
Filters
Christian Forums

This is a sample guest message. Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

Was Polygamy encouraged...

Classik

Classik

Member
In the Old Testament days majority of the kings and ordinary people married more than one wives. Did God encourage that?
 
Classik said:
In the Old Testament days majority of the kings and ordinary people married more than one wives. Did God encourage that?
Click to expand...

The Bible will relate to you what happened without passing judgment. It might say someone had ninety wives. That doesn't mean the Lord approved of that. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Would you want your wife to have ninety husbands?
 
I can tell us that a man who divorces wives and keep marrying new ones is practising P in disguise.
 
...And what is the diffrence between a man who married 6 wives and a man who divorced 5 wives and just has one (which may probably be kicked out soon);)
 
I do not know if it was the number of wives that is the center of bible discussion or the type of wife. It was Solomons foreign wives that turned away his heart after other gods. Wives were selected for children that knew the true God.

The bride of Christ (the Church) should be made up of pure persons (no discussion of what is pure, because it quickly gets away from the thread too far).

eddif
 
eddif said:
I do not know if it was the number of wives that is the center of bible discussion or the type of wife. It was Solomons foreign wives that turned away his heart after other gods.
Click to expand...
I asked the same question in a Sunday School class. I didnt get a satisfactory reply. What if the 700 wives and girlfriends had come from Solomon's own land??? That was the question I asked. I summarised by saying Solom sinned because he married strangers - not because she married multiple women. The teacher said: YOU ARE WRONG.
 
In some cultures polygamy is a status symbol. You'd need a lot of money to provide for many wives and their children. So only kings and the very rich could have a harem of wives.

It seems to me that the huge number of wives Salomo or David had were just a way of showing off how successfull and blessed they were in terms of their day and age.
 
Classik said:
I asked the same question in a Sunday School class. I didnt get a satisfactory reply. What if the 700 wives and girlfriends had come from Solomon's own land??? That was the question I asked. I summarised by saying Solom sinned because he married strangers - not because she married multiple women. The teacher said: YOU ARE WRONG.
Click to expand...

The Lord looks on the inner man (or woman). In some cases genetics evidently do no make sure that faith is in the heart.

eddif
 
Well, if the old testament is anything to go by it certainly not encouraged, but it also did not cause a man to lose his salvation. See the example of Isaac who married two sisters.
 
Claudya said:
In some cultures polygamy is a status symbol. You'd need a lot of money to provide for many wives and their children. So only kings and the very rich could have a harem of wives.

It seems to me that the huge number of wives Salomo or David had were just a way of showing off how successfull and blessed they were in terms of their day and age.
Click to expand...

If we allow scriptures be read in different ways just because there are particular cultures, we may have a big problem!
 
I believe God only intended for man to have one wife, though it does seem that a blind eye was turned to polygamy in the Old Testament.

Notice it says "wife" in Genesis 2:24, not "wives".

Gen 2:24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

And we also have these verses...

1Ti 3:2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;

1Ti 3:12 Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.

Tit 1:6 If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly.

1Ti 5:9 Let not a widow be taken into the number under threescore years old, having been the wife of one man,

God didn't intend for there to be divorce either but because of the hardness of mans heart it was allowed.

Mat 19:8 He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so.
 
Savedbygrace3927 said:
I believe God only intended for man to have one wife, though it does seem that a blind eye was turned to polygamy in the Old Testament.

Notice it says "wife" in Genesis 2:24, not "wives".

Gen 2:24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

And we also have these verses...

1Ti 3:2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;

1Ti 3:12 Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.

Tit 1:6 If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly.

1Ti 5:9 Let not a widow be taken into the number under threescore years old, having been the wife of one man,

God didn't intend for there to be divorce either but because of the hardness of mans heart it was allowed.

Mat 19:8 He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so.
Click to expand...

Since we are a kingdom of priests a royal priesthood this may not apply.

Proverbs 31:1-10 (?)
31 The words of king Lemuel, the prophecy that his mother taught him.
2 What, my son? and what, the son of my womb?
And what, the son of my vows?
3 Give not thy strength unto women,
Nor thy ways to that which destroyeth kings.
4 It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine;
Nor for princes strong drink:
5 Lest they drink, and forget the law,
And pervert the judgment of any of the afflicted.
6 Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish,
And wine unto those that be of heavy hearts.
7 Let him drink, and forget his poverty,
And remember his misery no more.
8 Open thy mouth for the dumb
In the cause of all such as are appointed to destruction.
9 Open thy mouth, judge righteously,
And plead the cause of the poor and needy.
10 Who can find a virtuous woman?
For her price is far above rubies

Kind of a long quote, but the purpose is to show it is addressed to kings and priests.

Your text is mostly addressed to church leaders and those in authority.

We always have to look at who the instructions are given to.

Kings, princes, church leaders, even maybe the first man; are usually where you find instructions. Closely following that---the quality of the wife for those persons is given. To multiply wives is not suggested, but (?) adding one now and then is what we usually see in the OT. Solomon violated several things in his life (he without doubt---multiplied wives).

I have trouble keeping up with my life, and several wives would not probably work.

Seven women saying to one man give us your name. This is probably a type of the church members taking on the name Christian.
Seven by tradition is used to show completion (complete number of those saved.

A feller from Mississippi just does not know a lot about all this.
eddif
 
Last edited by a moderator:
llevvi said:
If we allow scriptures be read in different ways just because there are particular cultures, we may have a big problem!
Click to expand...

But we can't ignore the cultural background of the time when and the place where the bible was written.
If we want to ignore culture we would have to conserve the culture of the first century in the mediterranean area. But that sounds neither possible, nor desirable.

Are you in favour of polygamy?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top