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Greetings from the south!

L

lovinglyrenewed

New Member
Female
Hello everyone!
I am new here and very new to the idea of biblical polygyny - I started deeply researching this topic several months ago. Being from the south, you can imagine how I was raised to think growing up in an Assembly of God church. I am currently exploring the idea of biblical polygyny as I have an opportunity to join this sort of relationship. I am also a single mom - my child’s father is not present and was abusive in multiple ways to me. (My situation is a bit more complicated, but I digress!)
While I have been digging in and doing research, I have found there are guidelines for polygyny and regulations in the OT, so I feel polygyny was allowed in order to care and protect women. However, as a Christian who believes in Jesus’ resurrection, I am having a difficult time finding confirmation of these practices in the NT that does not have me fearing for eternal damnation in hell - especially when it comes to obeying the laws of the land and the true interpretation of Greek scripture when it comes to sexual immorality.
With all that said, I would love to be able to dive into some valid research that exposes the Ancient Greek translations and how it’s held up with opposing arguments, healthy experiences of this family structure, and just some general support on this journey.
I definitely see the value in this structure of relationship when it can be executed with integrity and the love that God commands us to have for one another, and in my situation it can be a very logical, sound choice for me. I am just struggling with reconciling this idea with the westernized view of monogamy and what the church teaches.
I appreciate you all welcoming me here and offering support <3
 
Greetings and welcome to Biblical Families. Thanks for the intro. It sounds like you are where a lot of us have been in the past, wondering about biblical marriage. You are correct in your understanding of the laws and instructions about marriage in the Old Testament Scriptures. The simple truth is those laws and instructions haven't changed. Otherwise the great heroes of the faith who had multiple wives in the past, and stood righteous before Almighty God, suddenly became condemned. But Jesus said the righteous would sit with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom (Matt. 8:11). Paul wrote saying that adulterers and fornicators would not be in the kingdom (1Cor. 6:9-10), so the monogamy-only advocates have to prove either Jesus or Paul is wrong and God did change His laws and instructions. That is something they cannot do! Shalom
 
Matthew 5:18 is the most widely cited verse regarding the permanence of God's law: [1]

"For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished." [1]
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(Note: An "iota" or "jot" represents the smallest letter in the alphabet, and a "dot" or "tittle" is the smallest pen stroke. Jesus is emphasizing that even the absolute smallest detail of the law will remain as long as the earth exists.) [1, 2]
Luke 16:17 mirrors this declaration:

"But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one dot of the Law to become void." [1]
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From the Old Testament (The Psalms)
The Old Testament—particularly the Psalms—repeatedly declares the eternal nature of God's commandments:
Psalm 119:160

"The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever."
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Psalm 111:7–8

"The works of his hands are faithful and just; all his precepts are trustworthy; they are established forever and ever, to be performed with faithfulness and uprightness." [1]
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Psalm 119:152

"Long ago I learned from your testimonies that you have founded them forever." [1]
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The only versus I can see that add on to the directions are as follows Note: New Testament passages such as 1 Timothy 3:2 and Titus 1:6 state that church leaders must be the "husband of one wife," interpreted variously as a universal prohibition or a specific qualification for office.
 
Multiple wives is defiently still biblical and has been changed from the its true purpose because of evil in this world. If you have any other questions please do not hesitate to ask.
 
Welcome to greater understanding!
The bottom line is that the NT isn’t new instructions. Yah didn’t feel the need to reiterate what He established previously.
 
moonwalker5 said:
This is just for bishops showing that everyone else is allowed to have multiple wives
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There are multiple ways to translate this word mia, which was translated as one.
It can also mean first or “a” wife.
The only thing that we can be positive of is that a deacon or bishop must be married.

There have been extensive discussions on this issue over the years on this platform.
 
frederick said:
Greetings and welcome to Biblical Families. Thanks for the intro. It sounds like you are where a lot of us have been in the past, wondering about biblical marriage. You are correct in your understanding of the laws and instructions about marriage in the Old Testament Scriptures. The simple truth is those laws and instructions haven't changed. Otherwise the great heroes of the faith who had multiple wives in the past, and stood righteous before Almighty God, suddenly became condemned. But Jesus said the righteous would sit with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom (Matt. 8:11). Paul wrote saying that adulterers and fornicators would not be in the kingdom (1Cor. 6:9-10), so the monogamy-only advocates have to prove either Jesus or Paul is wrong and God did change His laws and instructions. That is something they cannot do! Shalom
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Thank you for the welcome! I have also been doing deep dives on the translation of porneia and how it was interpreted during that time, and I’m not sure that fornication was interpreted in the same way that we know it to be today.
 
moonwalker5 said:
Exodus 21:10: "If he takes another wife to himself, he shall not diminish her food, her clothing, or her marital right
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Yes! This was reaffirming to me however as I have been still seeking and praying, I have wondered how that is able to be translated today as this was in the context of maidservants and slavery. Since this is not a current cultural context, I have become leery of using that as a current affirmation. However I would love to understand more how that can be applied universally.
 
steve said:
There are multiple ways to translate this word mia, which was translated as one.
It can also mean first or “a” wife.
The only thing that we can be positive of is that a deacon or bishop must be married.

There have been extensive discussions on this issue over the years on this platform.
Click to expand...
I am most interested in the Matthew 19 and Genesis 2:24 arguments. While I agree/understand the Matthew 19 argument is talking strictly about divorce, Jesus pointed to the original design on Genesis 2:24 where there was one man and one woman. Also, with the great flood, Noah and his family were monogamous and I question if that is the design we should follow based on some of those instances.

I don’t buy in to the “multiple wives caused strife” argument because that is all dependent on one’s attitude, behaviors, emotional regulation, how the man leads, etc. and monogamous relationships are not exempt from those feelings either.
 
lovinglyrenewed said:
Thank you for the welcome! I have also been doing deep dives on the translation of porneia and how it was interpreted during that time, and I’m not sure that fornication was interpreted in the same way that we know it to be today.
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Fornication back then was sleepimg with a lady who was not a virgin. When a virgin sleeps with a man they are one flesh.
 
lovinglyrenewed said:
I am most interested in the Matthew 19 and Genesis 2:24 arguments. While I agree/understand the Matthew 19 argument is talking strictly about divorce, Jesus pointed to the original design on Genesis 2:24 where there was one man and one woman. Also, with the great flood, Noah and his family were monogamous and I question if that is the design we should follow based on some of those instances.

I don’t buy in to the “multiple wives caused strife” argument because that is all dependent on one’s attitude, behaviors, emotional regulation, how the man leads, etc. and monogamous relationships are not exempt from those feelings either.
Click to expand...
Nothing new. As Paul stated, you can also become one with a whore.
All of the polygynists became one with each of their wives.

If you truly want original intent, it was Yah’s intention that every woman have a husband.
Because that was the original intent of making her.
 
@Stuckinthewoods has done a lot of research on this subject. Maybe he'd be willing to share what he's written about it. It was very thorough.

I love the idea of a family taking in a single mother. I don't think the bible addressed this situation specifically, but it does mention adopting widows into a marriage to take care of them. I wish our society was more accepting of this because I think it's a wonderful thing, especially when you consider how small the dating pool becomes by the time women become widowed.
 
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