I often try to stay away from confrontations with other religions on this blog, as there are far more suitable places on the internet to express such views. That being said polygamy came up in a conversation last night with a good friend who lives across the hall from me. Not simply polygamy but also the differences between the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints (LDS), often called Mormons and Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints (FLDS), often called Fundamentalist Mormons, Churches. As this topic raises a lot of confusion among both Christians and Mormons I have decided to write a short series of three possibly four part on the subject of polygamy, Christianity, the LDS, and FLDS. Today I will start with the biblical case for monogamy.
The Biblical case for Polygamy begins in of all places the book of beginnings, that is Genesis. We see in the Second Chapter that "a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh."1 Jesus cites this verse and Genesis 1:27 in Matthew 19:3-6. Note the wording, and the two shall become one flesh. Jesus is exhorting monogamy, yet some objectors will say, well yes they will become one flesh but that does not condemn polygamy.
Paul writes to us in Ephesians that a husband is to love his wife as Christ loved the Church and gave Himself up for her.2 This model for biblical marriage falls apart if men are to have more than one wife.
Furthermore Paul wrote "each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband...For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does."3 Here Paul uses singular nouns for wife and husband, then proceeds to explain the marital duties of men and women including giving your bodies wholly to each other. Also, it should be noted that polygamy is forbidden to elders of the church.4 Good examples of godly marriage include Adam and Eve, Isaac and Rebekah, Joseph and Asenath, Moses and Zipporah, as well as all eight the survivors of the Flood.
Now we must note that while polygamy is mentioned in the bible not everything mentioned in the bible is condoned by the bible. The stoning of Stephen5 and Murder of James6 are mentioned in the bible, however they are not condoned by it. Therefore we must look at it's origins to learn how it was introduced.
In Genesis Four we find polygamy being started from the line of Cain. Lamech, a murdering son of Cain is the first polygamist mentioned in the bible.7 The next mention of this is Esau whos pagan polygamy caused great grief in the hearts of his parents.8 Some will argue that Abraham was a polygamist I will get to him in a few lines.
God did forbid kings from practicing polygamy in His Holy Law.9When David disobeyed this it lead to fighting among his sons from different wives for the kingdom,10 and Solomon was lead into idolatry due to his.11 Hannah, Samuel’s mother, was humiliated by her husband Elkanah’s other wife Peninnah.12
Now it is true that some men who were considered Godly were "polygamous." First I Abraham. Yes Abraham was a polygamist, more specifically a bigamist. However we must note that the root cause was sin, or lack in faith in God.13 Thus Abraham's bigamy was not ordained by God but the result of sin against Him. Jacob the other bigamist patriarch of Judaism was actually conned into marrying Leah, though he had wanted Rachel,14 not that it was an excuse but also Jacob was not the most spiritual of people at that time either. Likewise David was no epitome of holiness when he took Abigail and Ahinoam of Jezreel to be his wives,15 and Lord knows he took Bathsheba in sin.16
God often allows the sinful practices and choices of men, and often uses them for His good and His glory.17 He also tolerates the sinfulness of men and their hardness of their hearts. This is seen when Jesus explains divorce, though God hates it,18 He has permitted it, though that was not the way it was intended in the beginning.19 Ironically this teaching on divorce by Jesus condemns polygamy, because if polygamy is legal then this argument fails. Jesus' entire argument is that if one divorces one's spouse without valid grounds, the marriage is not truly dissolved and subsequent marriage is adulterous.20 While God tolerates polygamy and has made provision for it,21 it was never encouraged. God put numerous stipulations on polygamy to discourage it and after the Babylonian exile it was virtually unheard of in Jewish culture, and monogamy was the rule.
Please note while I do believe polygamy is a sin I also believe that the blood of Christ cleanses all the sins of a believer. I also am not simply trying to slam Mormon's who often take offense to such posts, and will openly admit that there are as many, if not more people claiming to be Christians today living in polygamy than there are Mormons practicing it. This is of course one of the sad states of men who do not understand the Gospel in America. To see the utter depravity of men who no longer wish to keep with the sound doctrine of our Lord and would rather give way to their youthful passions click here. Please note sites promoting "Christian Polygamy" are not Christian but are heretical, or at best heterodox.
Footnotes:
1) Genesis 2:24 - Return to text
2) Ephesians 5:22-33 - Return to text
3) 1 Corinthians 7:2;4 - Return to text
4) 1 Timothy 3:2 - Return to text
5) Acts 7:54-60 - Return to text
6) Acts 12:1-2 - Return to text
7) Genesis 4:23 - Return to text
8) Genesis 26:34 - Return to text
9) Deuteronomy 17:17 - Return to text
10) See the Books of 1 and 2 Kings - Return to text
11) 1 Kings 11:1-3 - Return to text
12) 1 Samuel 1:1-7 - Return to text
13) Genesis 16:1-3 - Return to text
14) Genesis 29:20-25 - Return to text
15) 1 Samuel 25:42-43 - Return to text
16) 2 Samuel 11 - Return to text
17) Genesis 50:20 - Return to text
18) Malachi 2:13-16 - Return to text
19) Matthew 19:8-9 - Return to text
20) Mark 10:11-12 - Return to text
21) Exodus 20:10 - Return to text
The Biblical case for Polygamy begins in of all places the book of beginnings, that is Genesis. We see in the Second Chapter that "a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh."1 Jesus cites this verse and Genesis 1:27 in Matthew 19:3-6. Note the wording, and the two shall become one flesh. Jesus is exhorting monogamy, yet some objectors will say, well yes they will become one flesh but that does not condemn polygamy.
Paul writes to us in Ephesians that a husband is to love his wife as Christ loved the Church and gave Himself up for her.2 This model for biblical marriage falls apart if men are to have more than one wife.
Furthermore Paul wrote "each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband...For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does."3 Here Paul uses singular nouns for wife and husband, then proceeds to explain the marital duties of men and women including giving your bodies wholly to each other. Also, it should be noted that polygamy is forbidden to elders of the church.4 Good examples of godly marriage include Adam and Eve, Isaac and Rebekah, Joseph and Asenath, Moses and Zipporah, as well as all eight the survivors of the Flood.
Now we must note that while polygamy is mentioned in the bible not everything mentioned in the bible is condoned by the bible. The stoning of Stephen5 and Murder of James6 are mentioned in the bible, however they are not condoned by it. Therefore we must look at it's origins to learn how it was introduced.
In Genesis Four we find polygamy being started from the line of Cain. Lamech, a murdering son of Cain is the first polygamist mentioned in the bible.7 The next mention of this is Esau whos pagan polygamy caused great grief in the hearts of his parents.8 Some will argue that Abraham was a polygamist I will get to him in a few lines.
God did forbid kings from practicing polygamy in His Holy Law.9When David disobeyed this it lead to fighting among his sons from different wives for the kingdom,10 and Solomon was lead into idolatry due to his.11 Hannah, Samuel’s mother, was humiliated by her husband Elkanah’s other wife Peninnah.12
Now it is true that some men who were considered Godly were "polygamous." First I Abraham. Yes Abraham was a polygamist, more specifically a bigamist. However we must note that the root cause was sin, or lack in faith in God.13 Thus Abraham's bigamy was not ordained by God but the result of sin against Him. Jacob the other bigamist patriarch of Judaism was actually conned into marrying Leah, though he had wanted Rachel,14 not that it was an excuse but also Jacob was not the most spiritual of people at that time either. Likewise David was no epitome of holiness when he took Abigail and Ahinoam of Jezreel to be his wives,15 and Lord knows he took Bathsheba in sin.16
God often allows the sinful practices and choices of men, and often uses them for His good and His glory.17 He also tolerates the sinfulness of men and their hardness of their hearts. This is seen when Jesus explains divorce, though God hates it,18 He has permitted it, though that was not the way it was intended in the beginning.19 Ironically this teaching on divorce by Jesus condemns polygamy, because if polygamy is legal then this argument fails. Jesus' entire argument is that if one divorces one's spouse without valid grounds, the marriage is not truly dissolved and subsequent marriage is adulterous.20 While God tolerates polygamy and has made provision for it,21 it was never encouraged. God put numerous stipulations on polygamy to discourage it and after the Babylonian exile it was virtually unheard of in Jewish culture, and monogamy was the rule.
Please note while I do believe polygamy is a sin I also believe that the blood of Christ cleanses all the sins of a believer. I also am not simply trying to slam Mormon's who often take offense to such posts, and will openly admit that there are as many, if not more people claiming to be Christians today living in polygamy than there are Mormons practicing it. This is of course one of the sad states of men who do not understand the Gospel in America. To see the utter depravity of men who no longer wish to keep with the sound doctrine of our Lord and would rather give way to their youthful passions click here. Please note sites promoting "Christian Polygamy" are not Christian but are heretical, or at best heterodox.
Footnotes:
1) Genesis 2:24 - Return to text
2) Ephesians 5:22-33 - Return to text
3) 1 Corinthians 7:2;4 - Return to text
4) 1 Timothy 3:2 - Return to text
5) Acts 7:54-60 - Return to text
6) Acts 12:1-2 - Return to text
7) Genesis 4:23 - Return to text
8) Genesis 26:34 - Return to text
9) Deuteronomy 17:17 - Return to text
10) See the Books of 1 and 2 Kings - Return to text
11) 1 Kings 11:1-3 - Return to text
12) 1 Samuel 1:1-7 - Return to text
13) Genesis 16:1-3 - Return to text
14) Genesis 29:20-25 - Return to text
15) 1 Samuel 25:42-43 - Return to text
16) 2 Samuel 11 - Return to text
17) Genesis 50:20 - Return to text
18) Malachi 2:13-16 - Return to text
19) Matthew 19:8-9 - Return to text
20) Mark 10:11-12 - Return to text
21) Exodus 20:10 - Return to text
3 comments:
David is one of the worst cases of this, upon reflection. He appeared to have been completely driven by lust - 300 wives and 700 concubines, I believe. That's 1000 women he had to rotate. Good grief.
And the results of that were horrendous. Amnon raped his sister...Absalom killing the Amnon...Absalom losing all respect for his father and leading a war against him. Not to mention his child by Bathsheba dying. Just imagine how different his life would have been if he'd suck with one wife.
Kli,
I agree David is a great example of the fruits of polygamy, as well as a wonderful example of how God justifies by grace apart from works. Also just for clarification and to be fair David had 8 wives according to the biblical account. It was Solomon, David's son, who had 700 wives and 300 concubines.(1 Kings11:1-3)
Matthew Lautensack
whoops, I meant "stuck" with one wife! ;)
and whoops on mixing up Solomon and David.
You would think that Solomon would have learned a lesson from David's messes. It's still hard to believe he collected 1,000 women for his sexual use, and yet God still favored him so much.
Grace is mind-boggling!
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