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Polygamy & Christendom

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Tetra

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Interesting to quote old testament as support for the position of accepting polygamy. The old testament kills sinners (stones them to death) including homosexuals. Has slaves, and gives out sentencing for legal disputes.

None of the old testament in those instances are OK anymore. Jesus clearly disregarded it openly, and so did the disciples of Jesus.

Therefore I could suggest that polygamy is not following Jesus the Christ, but rather is following the Jews that didn't accept Jesus as their savior? Probably :(
I'm confused by your argument, so when can I use the practices outlined in the OT as evidence for a position?
 
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Athanasius377

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Luther Said: Polygamy Is Permissible
"I confess that I cannot forbid a person to marry several wives, for it does not contradict the Scripture. If a man wishes to marry more than one wife he should be asked whether he is satisfied in his conscience that he may do so in accordance with the word of God. In such a case the civil authority has nothing to do in the matter." (De Wette II, 459, ibid., pp. 329-330.)

You might think who was Martin Luther to say such a thing?? If you have to ask that, time to read up on church history. Regardless, there is a truth to what Luther is saying here, and that is the Bible never explicitly says polygamy is a sin. In this, there is no debate.

Here is what we know to be the case:
  • The Bible never explicitly states polygamy is a sin
  • Some significant figures who had more than one wife were, Abraham, Jacob, Solomon, and David.
  • Some had concubines, Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines (Not a wife, rather, an additional women to have sex with) Link
  • In the NT we see that church leaders should be a husband of one wife (1Timothy 3:2, 1Timothy 3:12 and Titus 1:6) but say nothing regarding the general congregation.
This leaves all other arguments as forms of implicit arguments most of which I find are based in conjecture, and not sufficient to conclude something is, in fact, a sin. Personally, I try not to make statements where God has not.

What are your thoughts CF?
Tetra

NOTE: For the record, I am not in any way attacking monogamy here. I myself am in a monogamous relationship and have been for 16 years.

Here is a good discussion of the above quote.

Beggars All: Reformation And Apologetics: Luther's Polygamy? A Response to Mormon Apologists
 
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Dave-W

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Dave-W

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Are you also saying that Jesus didn't have a stricter view of adultery than the Roman Empire?
Jesus’ view had nothing to do with Rome and everything to do with the Law of Moses.
 
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Tetra

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Thanks for the link, I'll check it out.

For the record, I'm not suggesting that just because Luther said something makes it okay. I used that quote to emphasize the legitimacy of the position that the polygamy may not necessarily be a sin. Protestants sometimes tend not to value a position unless someone they admire also holds the position (I suppose that's true for humans in general though).
 
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devin553344

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I'm confused by your argument, so when can I use the practices outlined in the OT as evidence for a position?

Here: John 8:7 for one. Also I added the section: Matthew 22:24-30 for the other ("thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven"?). But there are many more abolished practices like the burnt offerings, stoning, slavery, polygamy, etc.
 
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Sketcher

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Jesus’ view had nothing to do with Rome and everything to do with the Law of Moses.
But you said we need to follow the laws of the land, and Roman law was the law of the land.

If then, you're saying it's the Law of Moses that's the standard, are Gentiles not obligated to follow his commands on marriage and adultery?
 
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lsume

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1. The Creation of Adam and Eve in a monogamous situation suggests that monogamy was the original design. Polygamy would then be a perversion of the original design. Lamech (seen as wicked and from the unbelieving line of Cain) is the first person to engage in polygamy.

2. The subtext of the book of Genesis is that polygamy is a bad idea. It always causes problems for the people who engage in it (i.e. Abraham, Jacob, etc...)

3. The New Testament ideal for ordained officers is that they are the husband of one wife. Officers are not called to a different ethical standard than other Christians, but they are called to be good examples of the same ethical standard that all Christians are called to live up to.

4. The Bible also does not explicitly say that slavery is a sin. But there is enough biblical data, along with the thrust of redemptive history, to say that the Bible says that slavery is not consistent with the gospel. The same is true for polygamy.
One way or another, after major wars where a fair number of men die, somehow the ratio between men and women seems to stay the same.
 
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Danielwright2311

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"I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery."
Mt 19:9

Marrying another woman, while the original marriage is still valid, is adultery.

No, it says if you divorce your wife to marry another, it says nothing about having 2 wives with out divorce.
 
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Tetra

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Here: John 8:7 for one. Also I added the section: Matthew 22:24-30 for the other ("thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven"?). But there are many more abolished practices like the burnt offerings, stoning, slavery, polygamy, etc.
Of course, there are many abolished practices, however, I don't see where the Bible explicitly says polygamy is one of those practices.
 
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Dave-W

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But you said we need to follow the laws of the land, and Roman law was the law of the land.
Pay attention. Follow the law of the land until it forces you to violate God’s command.
 
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Dave-W

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I don't see that having a girlfriend would necessitate bigamy.
This discussion is on polygamy - multiple marriage.
 
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Sketcher

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Pay attention. Follow the law of the land until it forces you to violate God’s command.
Right - so if I were married, and if I were living in New Hampshire, Colorado, or West Virginia where it is legal, it would not be a sin for me to have a girlfriend on the side, as long as she wasn't married to someone else? Is that your position?
 
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Dave-W

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Right - so if I were married, and if I were living in New Hampshire, Colorado, or West Virginia where it is legal, it would not be a sin for me to have a girlfriend on the side, as long as she wasn't married to someone else? Is that your position?
Are you having sex with her? Having sex outside of marriage is a sin against God. So you have to marry said girlfriend. THat is bigamy and against the law even in those states.
 
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devin553344

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Of course, there are many abolished practices, however, I don't see where the Bible explicitly says polygamy is one of those practices.

This was already quoted by @myst33 but the logic implies that marrying two or more wives is adultery: Luke 16:18. If polygamy was OK then it would not be adultery.

It's pretty clear.
 
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Epthediah

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I don't understand the desire to ensure that everything currently illegal should be a sin. Polygamy is a disgusting concept to me, personally, and the only people that practice it in a modern context seem to crazy cultists. But historically, polygamy was viewed as harmless and even merciful towards women that might otherwise struggle to feed themselves.
 
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