Is polygamy a sin?

[webdog]

Webdog, not having a specific verse condemning something is not silence. Silence means the Bible does not address the issue. Haven't you ever heard of using biblical principles and concepts?

My point exactly. Scripture is silent on polygamy, but you insist Scripture states it's sin. The "biblical principle" would be to NOT say something's a sin where Scripture is silent.

 

[webdog]

Could you please post one in the NT. We all know they had cocumbines and wives and a little bit of everything back then, but this is the new and living way.

You are right that there is no NT reference to polygamy...either for or against. Since 2 Tim 3:16 states all Scripture is useful for teaching, rebuking, etc., and there is no condemnation of it in either the NT or OT, we cannot assume the practice is sin where Scripture is silent.

 

[lbaker]

Is it the ideal? No.

Is it a sin? No.

Les

 

[LeBuick]

Brother Bob, I'm coming up on 11 years of marriage in September and I know better than to ask a question like that. How long have you been married? :smilewinkgrin:

What, September = 11??? raying: raying:

Congrats!

 

[npetreley]

Brother Bob, I'm coming up on 11 years of marriage in September

Congratulations to you and your wife!!!

 

[tinytim]

Is it the ideal? No.

Is it a sin? No.

Les

It is a sin in the United States at least as it is against the law, and if we break the law, we are sinning.

 

[ccrobinson]

What, September = 11???

September 16th will be 11 years of marriage to my gorgeous bride. :love2:

 

[npetreley]

It is a sin in the United States at least as it is against the law, and if we break the law, we are sinning.

This is true, and as I said in my original post, I wouldn't be interested in polygamy even if it were legal. In fact, even if it was legal, and a common practice in our culture and in the church, it still wouldn't appeal to me. I am truly a one-woman-man (well, technically, I'm a zero-woman-man since I'm not married and I don't even date, but you get the idea). That's just the way I'm built, thanks to the grace of God.

But my question was whether or not the Bible explicitly stated that it is a sin. It appears that the Bible does not.

 

[ccrobinson]

In fact, even if it was legal, and a common practice in our culture and in the church, it still wouldn't appeal to me.

Me either. Can anybody who's married imagine having more than one mother-in-law?

 

[Marcia]

You said "Silence means the Bible does not address the issue." And since by this you are opposed to polygymy, then to be consistent you should be opposed to the other topics mentioned.

You are miunderstanding or misinterpreting what I said. There are also 2 issues here.

1. Whether the Bible is silent or not on a topic is one issue.

2. Whether the Bible's silence on any given topic means we should be silent on that topic is a second issue.

I didn't voice a view on the 2nd issue - my response was related to the first issue. Your post relates to the 2nd issue and is therfore a non-sequiter to the point I was making.

 

[Karen]

You are right that there is no NT reference to polygamy...either for or against. Since 2 Tim 3:16 states all Scripture is useful for teaching, rebuking, etc., and there is no condemnation of it in either the NT or OT, we cannot assume the practice is sin where Scripture is silent.

I don't get where you say that. The New Testament has a lot to say about men being "one woman " men for leadership.
So there was no particular reason that was said?
And men who don't aspire to leadership can be polygamists?

There are a number of topics that are not tidily addressed in the form you seem to desire, such as abortion, infanticide, slavery. Yet all of them and polygamy are addressed by principle and sometimes more explicitly and are wrong.

 

[npetreley]

Me either. Can anybody who's married imagine having more than one mother-in-law?

Oh, this just begs for mother-in-law jokes. One of my favorites:

Man hears a knock on the door and opens it to see who's there. It's his mother in law. She says, "Like it or not, I'm going to stay here for two weeks." He responds, "Okay", and then shuts the door.

 

[Marcia]

You are right that there is no NT reference to polygamy...either for or against. Since 2 Tim 3:16 states all Scripture is useful for teaching, rebuking, etc., and there is no condemnation of it in either the NT or OT, we cannot assume the practice is sin where Scripture is silent.

So I can go on record saying that several Baptists believe that polygamy is not a sin? (There are many "Christian" sites advocating polygamy -- and I don't mean Mormon sites).

In that case, we need to apply some biblical principles to a polygamous marriage.

In that case, does this mean that in a marraige of one man married to 3 women, let's say, the 3 women have authority over his body?

The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does; and likewise also the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does.
1 Cor 7.4

Since polygamy is not a sin, according to several of you, then we should be able to apply all the NT teachings concerning marriage to a man with more than wife, right?

 

[Karen]

All I know is David was doing fine with all his wives until he had to have a woman that was already married. Solomon who was wise, well, you know the story...

I doubt that all his wives were doing fine with David. What sad lives they had! They, I presume, had food and clothing in relative abundance, but not the kind of marriage that would meet their real needs as a wife.
God designed marriage to be far more than wives being property for men to acquire.

 

[webdog]

So I can go on record saying that several Baptists believe that polygamy is not a sin? (There are many "Christian" sites advocating polygamy -- and I don't mean Mormon sites).

No you cannot go on record saying that. Read my first response in this thread.

In that case, does this mean that in a marraige of one man married to 3 women, let's say, the 3 women have authority over his body?

The Scripture you posted is dealing with the relationship between a man and a woman in marriage, as I have stated with the other Scripture you posted. I fail to see from that an argument either for or against polygamy.

 

[Karen]

You are right, Marcia. I have been astonished lately at the number of "Christian" sites advocating polygamy.
You can say about anything strongly and get a following.

 

[Marcia]

Also, as Karen pointed out, the "one woman kind of man" requirement for an overseer (1 Tim 3.2) means that if you are not in church leadership, it's okay to have more than one wife. Right?

I just want to get this straightened out by those of you who do not think it's a sin to have more than one wife.

 

[webdog]

I doubt that all his wives were doing fine with David. What sad lives they had!

And you know this...how?

They, I presume, had food and clothing in relative abundance, but not the kind of marriage that would meet their real needs as a wife.

And you presume this...how? We weren't there during that age and culture. We don't know this, and cannot know this.

 

[npetreley]

In that case, does this mean that in a marraige of one man married to 3 women, let's say, the 3 women have authority over his body?

I can imagine 3 women fighting over my body.

"You get it tonight."

"No way. You get it tonight."

"Not me. You two duke it out."

 

[webdog]

don't get where you say that. The New Testament has a lot to say about men being "one woman " men for leadership.
So there was no particular reason that was said?

Yeah, one woman takes plenty of your time!

And men who don't aspire to leadership can be polygamists?

Does Scripture say either way?