FAQ: Didn't Jesus Teach Monogamy?

[CecilW]

Didn't Jesus teach that Monogamy Is God's Ideal when He said in Matthew 19 that the two become one, and that whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery?

Well ... here's the actual quote:

(3) The Pharisees also came unto him, testing him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?

(4) And he answered and said unto them, Have you not read, that He who made them at the beginning made them male and female,
(5) And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they two shall be one flesh?
(6)Therefore they are no more two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man put asunder.

(7)They said unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away?

(8)He said unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts allowed you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so.
(9)And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, commits adultery: and whoever marries her who is put away does commit adultery.

Notice what was the topic under discussion. Divorce, right? Not plural marriage at all.

With respect, I just hate it when I talk about one topic and later someone quotes my words, claiming I was talking about something else entirely. Don't you?

The fact is that Jesus never directly addressed the question of plural marriage at all. Why not? It was a non-issue to the Jews of His day. It was accepted, was in the Bible as they had it that far, many of the Biblical heroes whom God blessed and praised were polygamous, and it was just plain not in question. Nothing needed to be said.

Divorce, however, was a hot topic of debate, with rival schools of thought.

One interpreted Moses' decree as very restrictive -- no divorce except for adultery.

The other group interpreted it very liberally. "Divorce your wife cause she burns the toast" kinda thinking.

Jesus was simply coming down on the conservative side, and affirming the fundamental, God designed, durability of the marriage covenant. Nothing was being said about it's exclusivity. That simply was not the topic under discussion.

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