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Polygamy what's God view.

What is the position of the bible on issues of marriage and polygamy. Is the bible against a Christian marrying a second wife, if need be. Pls. I need bible references.

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Permalink Reply by Tammy on January 3, 2013 at 10:28am

2 Nevertheless, because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband. 1 cor 7:2

 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach 1 Tim 3:2

Mark 10:6-8: "But from the beginning of the creation, God 'made them male and female.' 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, 'and the two shall become one flesh'; so then they are no longer two, but one flesh.

Permalink Reply by Tammy on January 7, 2013 at 12:41pm

lolol

Permalink Reply by Colby on January 7, 2013 at 1:07pm

Char -- True.  Just because the Old Testament mentions men with multiple wives doesn't mean God condoned or promoted pluralism.  Read the stories of those men; they ended in disaster.  The best argument is the one you made, which comes from the opening verses of Scripture: God made Adam and Eve.  Referencing Genesis, Jesus said marriage is the joining together of one man and one woman.

Permalink Reply by Colby on January 3, 2013 at 12:44pm

Here's a well-written article on polygamy that I'd like to share with you.  The gist of it is that contrary to widespread belief, God didn't endorse polygamy in the Old Testament.

Polygamy in the Bible: A sordid tale

by Lionel Windsor

There was, of course, a question behind the question: Since the Old Testament says polygamy is OK, why should we listen to it on any moral issue? 

Why did this interviewer think the Old Testament condones polygamy? Clearly he’s expressing a common point of view. Where has it come from? I reckon it stems from the fact that a lot of people in our world don’t really know what the Bible is about. 

        Off the top of my head, here are some of the stories about polygamy in the Bible: 

  • The first polygamist, Lamech, calls a family conference so he can boast about his inordinate vengeful violence. He’s clearly not a nice man (Gen 4:19-24).
  • Jacob has two wives and two concubines, a situation which creates family heartbreak, envy and, ultimately, attempted murder (Gen 29-37).
  • Gideon has many wives and many sons (Judges 8:30). This results in civil war and wholesale slaughter in Israel (Judges 9).
  • David has a seemingly insatiable appetite for women. He has many wives (2 Sam 5:13), and in the end steals another man’s wife and murders him (2 Sam 11-12). The resulting, big family was not a happy one: they ended up committing incestuous rape (2 Sam 13) and rebellion which almost destroyed David’s kingdom (2 Sam 14ff).
  • Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines. They led his heart away from the Lord, and led to the break-up of his kingdom (1 Kings 11:3-4).

        The stories tell the story all by themselves, don’t they? Polygamy, according to the Bible, is a disaster.

        Furthermore, there are other pretty clear indications in the Bible that polygamy is wrong.

  • The Bible begins with an explicit affirmation that marriage is between one man and one woman (Gen 1-2), an affirmation which is later confirmed by Jesus himself (Matt 19:4-6).
  • There are, furthermore, laws limiting some of the worst effects of polygamy (Deut 21:15-17).
  • And then, in the New Testament, Paul’s command to Timothy that church leaders must be, alongside exemplars of other moral virtues, “the husband of one wife” (1 Tim 3:2, 12; cf. 1 Tim 5:9) implies that polygamy is not a desirable thing.

        And that’s why, in most modern Western societies (which still draw much of their moral understanding from biblical principles) polygamy is illegal.

Permalink Reply by Colby on January 3, 2013 at 12:50pm

Following are links to articles online that substantively address your question from a Biblical standpoint.

Permalink Reply by CHIMEREZE on January 3, 2013 at 8:29pm
Greetings to you all in the incomparable name of our Lord Jesus Christ. From all the rsponoses it is obviose that God is from the bible point of view is not in support of polygamy. But from a realistic poin what is a believer suppose to do if faced with a challenge in his marriage where his heart has gone off from the wife. Should he devouse and remarry or just stay in the marriage and be unhappy, which in the long run makes it impossible for him to serve God faithfully.
Permalink Reply by Tammy on January 3, 2013 at 9:34pm

The Lord united you & only death should separate you unless one has committed adultery. I'm not sure the Lord tells us to make ourselves happy and He wouldn't go against His own word. You should pray fervently for Him to restore to you the love that you once had for your wife.  Being unhappy has nothing to do with serving the Lord faithfully. You serve Him because He saved you not because you're marriage is good & you're happy. As far as going off from the wife, are you talking to another woman? 

Permalink Reply by Colby on January 3, 2013 at 11:34pm

Taminator,

        What you've said is a demonstrably Biblical and realistic point of view for the Christian to hold regarding the sanctity of the marriage covenant, which was ordained by God between one man and one woman.
        God says no to all three: polygamy, adultery and divorce.  God wants us to take marriage very seriously.  Jesus said, "What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate," (Mark 10:9 - see also, 1 Cor. 7:10-11; Heb. 13:4.).  

        There is only one exception. Jesus said, "And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery" (Matt. 19:9).

 

Permalink Reply by CHIMEREZE on January 4, 2013 at 1:05pm
Enestly it not that am talking to another woman but I would love to marry another wife. Even though I love my wife. But there are things she dose not know and dose not put intreste on them. And these are very necessary factor to a smooth running marriage. Pls. Just be praying for me.
Permalink Reply by Charles Burwell on January 5, 2013 at 9:43am

Chimereze

 

   I can somewhat relate to your thinking from a standpoint of personal experience.  Leaving one marriage to enter another one does not work . EVER!!!   I have known several people who have done this and none have worked out. I'm not saying that a second marriage CANNOT work out because there are simply too many varying circumstances to make such a statement.

 

    The point I am addressing is leaving one to enter into another.  The things that God speaks against He speaks against for good reason. We have seen very relevant scriptures concerning this. After my divorce (one that my ex wife", If there is such a thing, initiated) I figured that a second marriage to a more ' compatable ' woman would work out better. I have spent over 30 years regretting that decision.

 

Much hurt has resulted from my unscriptural assumption. God was trying to get me to 'hold off ' the idea but I was unwilling to listen.  There was much I needed to 'get right' before entering any other relationship off this nature. I was very reluctant to listen because I figured that I had the answer.  Needless to say, I DIDN'T"".

 

We had a child by this second marriage. After a few years my wife dies suddenly from an anyurism (sp?).

You see, my friend, God knew what was coming and what a disaster things would become and tried to warn me. But I knew best(yeah right!!).  That has been one of the greatest 'guilt trips' that I have experienced in my Christian walk. I have found it incredibly hard to forgive myself for all the hurt that this very poor (to say the very least) decision has caused.

 

I learned a few  lessons the hard way ( an unbelieveable understatement). 

 

1) divorce is NOT  the answer.

2) When considering remarriage - drown it in prayer.

3) Never trust your 'feelings'. Always get God's mind on the matter, both through scripture and prayer.

4) the grass in rarely greener on the other side of the fence.

5) Don't allow yourself to be deceived in thinking you 'know what is best'.

6) This is the most important of all. Life is not about you and what you think will bring you the most pleasure and work out the best. 

 

   God knows what is best and we will experiece true happiness and peace only when we surrender to His will.  It is not 'about us' but about God. As long as we put our desires above God's will we are heading for deep trouble.  I know this from too much personal experience.

 

You say you love your wife but would love to marry another woman. You really need to think on what you have said there. By having thoughts about another 'marriage' you are showing an incredible amount of disrespect for your wife.

 

My friend , a ' smooth running marrige' does not depend on people having all of the same interests. It depends on surrendering our will to God and working with our spouse on learning to grow together in the Lord. I love the scripture ( I'm sorry that I can't remember exactly where it is) that says " When a man's ways please the Lord He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him".

 

Now I'm not saying that yur wife is your 'enemy' by any stretch of the matter. I'm simplysaying that we will experience tha most peace and joy when our greatest concern is living a life pleasing to the Lord. And we can only do that through obedience to Him.

 

Please don't think that I am in any way condemning you because I have experienced much of what you are talking about only I was foolish enough to go through with it. Believe me 'another wife' in not now, norwill it ever be the answer.

 

I have had to learn the very hard and painful way that God's way is the ONLY way. Please don't make any decisions without genuinly knowing the mind of God. I say that with earnesty and love towards you in hopes that you will be warned away from any foolish decisions and possibly avoing the hurt that I have caused in others and experienced in myself due to making decisions without the approval of the Lord.

 

God bless you as you seek to draw closer to Him and find the answers to all of your questions.

Permalink Reply by Tammy on January 6, 2013 at 5:30pm

One other thing that was said that he was not talking to another woman & then turned around & asked how to tell her that he wasn't going to see her anymore.

Permalink Reply by CHIMEREZE on January 6, 2013 at 12:42am
Thank you for ur wonderful counsels and above all it is from personal experiences. Now tell me how do I build a true , sincere and deep love for my wife. Her people came to my house and practically fought me and since then i have kept quite to so many issues I consider limitations in her. And how do I let off the girl that I have been with since I started having issues with my wife. I sincerely want to serve and honor God but dealing with the above situations have been a major resistance. Pls, pray and counsell more.

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