Was polygamy commanded by God in the Bible?

[pinay]

Funny. So there are times that when a LDS Bishop performs marriage, it may not be a ‘sealed marriage’?

That is correct. Sealings can only be made at the temple. An LDS member may not have met requirements to enter the temple before wanting to be married, therefore, a Bishop in the USA can marry two people to be legally married according to the law of the land outside of the temple. In the UK, for example, marriages performed by LDS bishops, including marriages sealed in the temple, are not considered legally binding, therefore, LDS members get married through the courts in addition to getting married in the temple. Marriages outside of the temple is only an earthly marriage. It is important to understand the difference between this and a sealed marriage when it comes to LDS polygamy practices in the 1800’s.

Sorry but I disagree with you. If there is anything such as a ‘sealed marriage’ in the OT, it was for Adam and Eve. God formally pronounced it. None such command was given to the polygamous marriage of the patriarchs and kings though. I agree there might be instances of such command and approval for their normal (monogamous) marriage – I have to look for such example, but none for polygamous marriage.

God simply did not command any prophet to take more than one wives. You mistake the fact that because some patriarchs and kings had more than one wives that such marriages were commanded by God. Actually God never commanded them to.
I accept everything that you say if it is meant to be LDS belief. Just don’t suppose that Christianity believe the same or that the Bible teaches polygamy.

If LDS thinks that just because patriarchs and the ancient kings had more than one wives, they were commanded by God to do so, well, they were not. Solomon also had concubines; God obviously did not allow concubines.

I can’t find any prophets who practiced polygamy though.

See Genesis 29 in regards to Jacob (Israel), a prophet. By the way, I use the KJV, so I’m not sure what scripture you use and if it is translated the same.

But, I think the most relevant scripture passage is Jacob 2:27-30. In this passage, God clearly commands in 27-29 that he is disallowing multiple wives. In verse 30, he clarifies that if needs to “raise up seed”, he will command it.

This clearly states (according to LDS doctrine) that the number of wives a person is allowed is given by way of commandment.

At this point I am rather confused in all this. I do not have any background in your religion and I may not appreciate the terms you use like you do. Reading posts from more knowledgeable members on this subject; your explanation seems to be different. So I won’t be commenting on LDS unless it is to clarify misnomer about Christianity/Bible belief.

Rueben, I’m sorry, I don’t know any other LDS here. I’m still trying to get familiar with the site. What I mentioned is common LDS knowlege, so I don’t know what terms other LDS members here are using. I am going by doctrinally simplistic responses. I don’t intend to get too deep into doctrine because, frankly, I’m not an “expert” on it and secondly, I don’t want to get too far from what is common between Catholics and LDS. It is much better to understand the differences between us if we keep in mind that in the midst of it all, we are all just trying to get back to our Heavenly Father according to our own understanding.

I do understand that 2 people can read the same exact passage of scripture from the same exact Bible and have 2 different understanding of it. I will not say you are wrong or I am right. What I will say is that this is how I understand it so you can see where I’m coming from.

Peace be with you.

 

[pinay]

Hello lax. It’s nice to meet you. I understand this is addressed to chris. And I understand chris is the resident LDS on this forum. Hi Chris! Nice to know you too!

If I may, I’d like to answer your questions.

chris - are you aware that Abraham and Jacob came BEFORE Moses?

What does “Thou shall not commit adultry” and “Thou shall not covet they neighbor’s wife” mean to you?

Your OP asks “Was polygamy COMMANDED by God in the Bible?” You have yet to prove it yet claim those of us who can prove otherwise are uncomfortable and have to twist and distort the truth?

Thou shalt not commit adultery means you should not have sexual relations (in thought or in deed) with anybody you are not married to.

Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife means that men cannot take to wife a woman who is married to somebody else.

Both commandments do not contradict the practice of polygyny that is under discussion on this thread.

Thank you for bearing with my interruption.

 

[Jay53]

Hello lax. It’s nice to meet you. I understand this is addressed to chris. And I understand chris is the resident LDS on this forum. Hi Chris! Nice to know you too!

If I may, I’d like to answer your questions.

Thou shalt not commit adultery means you should not have sexual relations (in thought or in deed) with anybody you are not married to.

Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife means that men cannot take to wife a woman who is married to somebody else.

Both commandments do not contradict the practice of polygyny that is under discussion on this thread.

Thank you for bearing with my interruption.

With regard to what I have bolded above, how do Joseph Smith’s multiple marriages factor into that, particularly the ones that involved women who were already married?

In identifying 33 well-documented wives of Smith – other researchers have placed the figure as high as 48 – Compton found that in the case of 11 women, Smith’s polygamy was polyandrous. That is, the women were married and cohabiting with their husbands, who mostly were faithful Mormons, when Smith married them.
Yet not one divorced her ``first husband’’ when Smith was alive. Indeed, they continued to live with their civil spouses while married to Smith.lds-mormon.com/12117.shtml

 

[pinay]

With regard to what I have bolded above, how do Joseph Smith’s multiple marriages factor into that, particularly the ones that involved women who were already married?

Hello Jay!

That’s why it is important to understand the difference between earthly marriage and eternal marriage in the LDS doctrine. I mentioned this in a previous post.

 

[Jay53]

Hello Jay!

That’s why it is important to understand the difference between earthly marriage and eternal marriage in the LDS doctrine. I mentioned this in a previous post.

I understand the difference. That doesn’t explain Joseph Smith’s situation and how it affects the other women’s first husbands - either in this life or the next.

 

[pinay]

I understand the difference. That doesn’t explain Joseph Smith’s situation and how it affects the other women’s first husbands - either in this life or the next.

Hello Jay. That’s a good comment. I’ll try to address it as far as my own understanding of the matter.

Out of all the wives Joseph Smith had that are polyandrous (earthly marriage terms), none of them were married to their first husbands eternally. Okay, there is a question on one of them - I can’t remember her name, but she was married to this guy Orson (can’t remember his last name) who is a faithful LDS priest. From what I understand she got sealed to Orson after Joseph’s death, so it is possible that she was never sealed to Joseph (although some are questioning this. LDS doctrine does not allow a woman to be eternally married to more than 1 husband, so something is not right with this historical account).

In LDS teaching, earthly marriage ends in death. It is not “acceptable” in the eternities. Okay, Roman Catholic (don’t know about other Catholics) and LDS have a slightly different interpretation of this scripture in Matthew 22:30:

30 For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven.

In LDS teaching - this is interpretted as Jesus’ instruction that earthly marriage ends in death so that in the resurrection, they are not married nor given in marriage. This does not apply to eternal marriages. This interpretation was taken from the fact that Jesus was addressing the Sadduccees who do not believe in eternity. The 10 commandments, on the other hand, is God’s doctrine, therefore, it is eternal. Any mention of wife in the 10 commandments apply to eternal marriages.

Therefore, in the case of the polygamy practices of the early LDS church, it is the eternal marriage that is considered because that was the basis for which it was instituted.

 

[Jay53]

Hello Jay. That’s a good comment. I’ll try to address it as far as my own understanding of the matter.

Out of all the wives Joseph Smith had that are polyandrous (earthly marriage terms), none of them were married to their first husbands eternally. Okay, there is a question on one of them - I can’t remember her name, but she was married to this guy Orson (can’t remember his last name) who is a faithful LDS priest. From what I understand she got sealed to Orson after Joseph’s death, so it is possible that she was never sealed to Joseph (although some are questioning this. LDS doctrine does not allow a woman to be eternally married to more than 1 husband, so something is not right with this historical account).

In LDS teaching, earthly marriage ends in death. It is not “acceptable” in the eternities. Okay, Roman Catholic (don’t know about other Catholics) and LDS have a slightly different interpretation of this scripture in Matthew 22:30:

30 For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven.

In LDS teaching - this is interpretted as Jesus’ instruction that earthly marriage ends in death so that in the resurrection, they are not married nor given in marriage. This does not apply to eternal marriages. This interpretation was taken from the fact that Jesus was addressing the Sadduccees who do not believe in eternity. The 10 commandments, on the other hand, is God’s doctrine, therefore, it is eternal. Any mention of wife in the 10 commandments apply to eternal marriages.

Therefore, in the case of the polygamy practices of the early LDS church, it is the eternal marriage that is considered because that was the basis for which it was instituted.

What is your understanding of the need for polygamous marriages in Heaven?

 

[JohnAlexander]

Do you know what the punishment is for polygamy? … More than one wife.

I think people have to realize that just because the bible says “God commanded” doesn’t mean that is what God commanded. You have to read the Bible and understand the Spirit of what it says.

Do you think God commanded Abraham to sacrifice his son? What happened is the same thing that still happens today. Abraham was a bit of a kook (crazy) when he thought God was commanding him to sacrifice his son. God allowed this to prepare the world for what was to come. That it is written down as God commanded Abraham… is simply a literary device. God does not play sick mind games with people.

The point of Abraham and the sacrifice story is

1. The idea of a man sacrificing his son is a meme. Plenty of times in history has this concept shown up.
2. God will never demand that we sacrifice our sons.
3. Not only that but God will actually sacrifice his own Son.

I believe that God’s sacrifice of his own Son is such a momentous event that it traveled back in time and entered the consciousness of people there. Any occurrences of a father sacrificing a child is a foreshadowing, a hinting, of what was to happen.

As for polygamy - the rich and powerful wanted wives, sex and more children. They had the power to do it and they did. None of them did it kicking and screaming because God commanded them to. They just write it that way.

 

[Benadam]

Do you know what the punishment is for polygamy? … More than one wife.

I think people have to realize that just because the bible says “God commanded” doesn’t mean that is what God commanded. You have to read the Bible and understand the Spirit of what it says.

Do you think God commanded Abraham to sacrifice his son? What happened is the same thing that still happens today. Abraham was a bit of a kook (crazy) when he thought God was commanding him to sacrifice his son. God allowed this to prepare the world for what was to come. That it is written down as God commanded Abraham… is simply a literary device. God does not play sick mind games with people.

The point of Abraham and the sacrifice story is

1. The idea of a man sacrificing his son is a meme. Plenty of times in history has this concept shown up.
2. God will never demand that we sacrifice our sons.
3. Not only that but God will actually sacrifice his own Son.

I believe that God’s sacrifice of his own Son is such a momentous event that it traveled back in time and entered the consciousness of people there. Any occurrences of a father sacrificing a child is a foreshadowing, a hinting, of what was to happen.

As for polygamy - the rich and powerful wanted wives, sex and more children. They had the power to do it and they did. None of them did it kicking and screaming because God commanded them to. They just write it that way.

Jesus said that Abraham saw His Day and was glad. I’ve often wondered if the resurrection was being revealed to Abraham and in the process he thought he was supposed to sacrifice his son and that Isaac would resurrect. God stopped him but his faith in the resurrection became the archetype of human faith in God.

 

[pinay]

What is your understanding of the need for polygamous marriages in Heaven?

Hello Jay. You have great questions! Unfortunately, I don’t have all the answers. When it comes to what happens to man after exaltation, there’s really not much doctrine there - LDS or otherwise.

We do have something different between Catholic and LDS as far as the spirit of Elijah is concerned. In LDS doctrine, we believe in the literal gathering of the tribes of Israel.

Consider these scripture verses for example:
Genesis 25:8
8 Then Abraham gave up the ghost, and died in a good old age, an old man, and full of years; and was gathered to his people.

and

Genesis 35:29
29 And Isaac gave up the ghost, and died, and was gathered unto his people, being old and full of days: and his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.

and

Genesis 49:33
33 And when Jacob had made an end of commanding his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed, and yielded up the ghost, and was gathered unto his people.

In all these 3 verses, the common theme was that after Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob died, they were gathered unto his people. The LDS interprets this as a gathering of the family in “heaven”.

It is quite common in the Roman Catholic church to say, “he is now with his family in heaven” after somebody dies, so it is not so alien an interpretation.

So, when LDS doctrine combines that “gathering” with the doctrine that what is bound on earth is bound in heaven, you will start to have some sort of understanding that there is such a thing as Eternal Families.

So, back to your question of what role does polygamy have in eternal families, I don’t have a direct answer except to say that it must have some function in the gathering of the people. Some LDS members would say that it could be that there are more faithful women than men in exaltation, but that is purely speculation and has nothing to do with revelation.

I hope this opens up some more understanding on the LDS perspective.

 

[Jay53]

Hello Jay. You have great questions! Unfortunately, I don’t have all the answers. When it comes to what happens to man after exaltation, there’s really not much doctrine there - LDS or otherwise.

We do have something different between Catholic and LDS as far as the spirit of Elijah is concerned. In LDS doctrine, we believe in the literal gathering of the tribes of Israel.

Consider these scripture verses for example:
Genesis 25:8
8 Then Abraham gave up the ghost, and died in a good old age, an old man, and full of years; and was gathered to his people.

and

Genesis 35:29
29 And Isaac gave up the ghost, and died, and was gathered unto his people, being old and full of days: and his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.

and

Genesis 49:33
33 And when Jacob had made an end of commanding his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed, and yielded up the ghost, and was gathered unto his people.

In all these 3 verses, the common theme was that after Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob died, they were gathered unto his people. The LDS interprets this as a gathering of the family in “heaven”.

It is quite common in the Roman Catholic church to say, “he is now with his family in heaven” after somebody dies, so it is not so alien an interpretation.

So, when LDS doctrine combines that “gathering” with the doctrine that what is bound on earth is bound in heaven, you will start to have some sort of understanding that there is such a thing as Eternal Families.

So, back to your question of what role does polygamy have in eternal families, I don’t have a direct answer except to say that it must have some function in the gathering of the people. Some LDS members would say that it could be that there are more faithful women than men in exaltation, but that is purely speculation and has nothing to do with revelation.

I hope this opens up some more understanding on the LDS perspective.

I appreciate you trying to explain, but it doesn’t really help. I have no problem with everyone, including families being together in Heaven. I certainly hope to be with my family in Heaven. You often see in funeral notices “Together again” under pictures of husbands and wives that have both died (at least in my area).

What I don’t understand is the role that polygamy plays in the LDS understanding, given that LDS also believe in eternal increase - (which other Christians do not.) Being all together as one family in Heaven is one thing (I think all Christians have no problem with that belief); being eternally sealed as husband and wife to multiple partners is quite another.

BTW, I don’t expect you to have all the answers; I certainly don’t! I just post questions/opinions that I think of - sometimes it’s just food for thought.

 

[pinay]

I appreciate you trying to explain, but it doesn’t really help. I have no problem with everyone, including families being together in Heaven. I certainly hope to be with my family in Heaven. You often see in funeral notices “Together again” under pictures of husbands and wives that have both died (at least in my area).

What I don’t understand is the role that polygamy plays in the LDS understanding, given that LDS also believe in eternal increase - (which other Christians do not.) Being all together as one family in Heaven is one thing (I think all Christians have no problem with that belief); being eternally sealed as husband and wife to multiple partners is quite another.

BTW, I don’t expect you to have all the answers; I certainly don’t! I just post questions/opinions that I think of - sometimes it’s just food for thought.

I understand what you’re saying. Sometimes it gets frustrating when I read the scriptures and have to remember to “trust in God with all of my heart and lean not on my own understanding”. It wouldn’t be any problem at all if God would just say to me, “Pinay, this means there is a possibility that you will have to share your husband in eternity because the children of John next-door needs an eternal family.”. Because, right now without me physically hearing the voice of God on the matter, and being the mortal woman that I am, my instinctive answer is, “No way, Jose!”.

I do appreciate our discussion on the subject. It is too often that we end up disparaging each other’s beliefs instead of just agreeing to disagree. For this I am very grateful to you.

 

[Jay53]

I understand what you’re saying. Sometimes it gets frustrating when I read the scriptures and have to remember to “trust in God with all of my heart and lean not on my own understanding”. It wouldn’t be any problem at all if God would just say to me, “Pinay, this means there is a possibility that you will have to share your husband in eternity because the children of John next-door needs an eternal family.”. Because, right now without me physically hearing the voice of God on the matter, and being the mortal woman that I am, my instinctive answer is, “No way, Jose!”.

I don’t think God would ever say that to you; I believe we will all be one big family in Heaven with no need for “sealings” etc etc. God and His Love will be all we need in Heaven. Of course that would be one of those “agree to disagree” moments.

I do appreciate our discussion on the subject. It is too often that we end up disparaging each other’s beliefs instead of just agreeing to disagree. For this I am very grateful to you.

No problem. I appreciate your kindness and your attempts to educate me about your faith!!

 

[KathleenGee]

Hamba, some how I see Muhammed contradicting his own teachings of the Koran…that he can have many wives…how did it all start?..

Before he had his visions, he was married to an older woman…and he didn’t look at women…he was faithful to one.

After he experienced his revelations…he wanted many women. Where is the chastity?

So what about the clothes???..it didn’t prevent him at all to be chaste and holy…it was the revelations that somehow got him to go…and the robes made him more holy???

What kind of holiness???

whereas in Christianity, founders are inspired to be chaste, and many go the opposite direction–they choose to be celibate.

I don’t see how you can understand Christianity and tell us about it when your interpretation many times goes the opposite direction of Our God and His teachings.

 

[seraphime2008]

Hello Jay. That’s a good comment. I’ll try to address it as far as my own understanding of the matter.

Out of all the wives Joseph Smith had that are polyandrous (earthly marriage terms), none of them were married to their first husbands eternally. Okay, there is a question on one of them - I can’t remember her name, but she was married to this guy Orson (can’t remember his last name) who is a faithful LDS priest. From what I understand she got sealed to Orson after Joseph’s death, so it is possible that she was never sealed to Joseph (although some are questioning this. LDS doctrine does not allow a woman to be eternally married to more than 1 husband, so something is not right with this historical account).

In LDS teaching, earthly marriage ends in death. It is not “acceptable” in the eternities. Okay, Roman Catholic (don’t know about other Catholics) and LDS have a slightly different interpretation of this scripture in Matthew 22:30:

30 For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven.

In LDS teaching - this is interpretted as Jesus’ instruction that earthly marriage ends in death so that in the resurrection, they are not married nor given in marriage. This does not apply to eternal marriages. This interpretation was taken from the fact that Jesus was addressing the Sadduccees who do not believe in eternity. The 10 commandments, on the other hand, is God’s doctrine, therefore, it is eternal. Any mention of wife in the 10 commandments apply to eternal marriages.

Therefore, in the case of the polygamy practices of the early LDS church, it is the eternal marriage that is considered because that was the basis for which it was instituted.

Sorry to interrupt, Pinay
I just need some clarification whether the sealed marriage and the earth marriage do have the differences in practices as far as the concept of two becomes one body interpretation regarding sex and mind?
Who has more authority in the family earthy life? The sealed or the earthy marriage? I just don’t capture why marriage still lasts in heaven? Does it mean we will have the same concept of marriage we have on earth involving passion and fleshy desires???

 

[zaffiroborant]

I understand what you’re saying. Sometimes it gets frustrating when I read the scriptures and have to remember to “trust in God with all of my heart and lean not on my own understanding”. It wouldn’t be any problem at all if God would just say to me, “Pinay, this means there is a possibility that you will have to share your husband in eternity because the children of John next-door needs an eternal family.”. Because, right now without me physically hearing the voice of God on the matter, and being the mortal woman that I am, my instinctive answer is, “No way, Jose!”.

I do appreciate our discussion on the subject. It is too often that we end up disparaging each other’s beliefs instead of just agreeing to disagree. For this I am very grateful to you.

But John’s children have John, what do they need with your husband???

This is where “eternal families” gets to be a mess. Like Zina Huntington Jacobs Smith Young, married to Henry has his children but is sealed to Joseph for eternity (why not Henry he served the church as a missionary?) so in the CK Zina goes with Joseph (or maybe BY she was married to him after Joseph died while still married to Henry)? And Henry’s kids where do they go, which eternal family, which eternal father do they get? Not their own father it would seem. No matter what poor Henry is left out in the cold in the CK, (if he even gets there since Joseph snarfed his wife) no eternal family for him, another man gets his wife and kids for all eternity. But then maybe he’ll get lucky and some other woman who’s husband didn’t make it will be his wife and he’ll get her and her kids while that poor man loses his eternal family. And what about all the wives, husbands, kids, grandkids, brothers, sisters who don’t make it to the CK? How are those families re-organized?

Your Celestial Kingdom sounds like a place filled with broken families, very sad. I’m with Jay on heaven and one big family. Quite frankly I have no idea why the LDS idea of this divisive heaven would have any appeal what so ever.

 

[seraphime2008]

Hamba, some how I see Muhammed contradicting his own teachings of the Koran…that he can have many wives…how did it all start?..

Before he had his visions, he was married to an older woman…and he didn’t look at women…he was faithful to one.

After he experienced his revelations…he wanted many women. Where is the chastity?

So what about the clothes???..it didn’t prevent him at all to be chaste and holy…it was the revelations that somehow got him to go…and the robes made him more holy???

What kind of holiness???

whereas in Christianity, founders are inspired to be chaste, and many go the opposite direction–they choose to be celibate.

I don’t see how you can understand Christianity and tell us about it when your interpretation many times goes the opposite direction of Our God and His teachings.

Yeap, the only limit for muslims are 4 wives while Muhammad could enjoy as many as he wanted to, that’s why by limiting himself to 11 wives, that must have shown some “control” over his lust!? …

These are verses from the Kuran exposing that Muhammad had all the privileges for him not to refrain from taking and enjoying “his rights”:

*Qur’an (33:37) - “But when Zaid had accomplished his want of her, We gave her to you as a wife, so that there should be no difficulty for the believers in respect of the wives of their adopted sons, when they have accomplished their want of them; and Allah’s command shall be performed.” *

*Quran (33:50) -"O Prophet! surely We have made lawful to you your wives whom you have given their dowries, and those whom your right hand possesses out of those whom Allah has given to you as prisoners of war, and the daughters of your paternal uncles and the daughters of your paternal aunts, and the daughters of your maternal uncles and the daughters of your maternal aunts who fled with you; and a believing woman if she gave herself to the Prophet, if the Prophet desired to marry her-- specially for you, not for the (rest of) believers; We know what We have ordained for them concerning their wives and those whom their right hands possess in order that no blame may attach to you; *

*Qur’an (33:51) - “You may put off whom you please of them, and you may take to you whom you please, and whom you desire of those whom you had separated provisionally; no blame attaches to you; this is most proper, so that their eyes may be cool and they may not grieve, and that they should be pleased”
*

Qur’an (4:24) - “And all married women (are forbidden unto you) save those (captives) whom your right hands possess.”

While David and Solomon were not given any guidance whatsoever from God regarding taking many wives, it’s clear that Muhammad were ordained to by Allah…

 

[Reuben_J]

That is correct. Sealings can only be made at the temple. An LDS member may not have met requirements to enter the temple before wanting to be married, therefore, a Bishop in the USA can marry two people to be legally married according to the law of the land outside of the temple. In the UK, for example, marriages performed by LDS bishops, including marriages sealed in the temple, are not considered legally binding, therefore, LDS members get married through the courts in addition to getting married in the temple. Marriages outside of the temple is only an earthly marriage. It is important to understand the difference between this and a sealed marriage when it comes to LDS polygamy practices in the 1800’s.

Can I ask another question: Were all Joseph Smith marriages with all his wives were sealed marriage?

How many wives did Joseph Smith have altogether? (Just for information only)

What do you think about Mohammad (prophet of Islam), were his marriages to his wives ‘sealed marriages’ according to LDS?

See Genesis 29 in regards to Jacob (Israel), a prophet. By the way, I use the KJV, so I’m not sure what scripture you use and if it is translated the same.

But, I think the most relevant scripture passage is Jacob 2:27-30. In this passage, God clearly commands in 27-29 that he is disallowing multiple wives. In verse 30, he clarifies that if needs to “raise up seed”, he will command it.

This clearly states (according to LDS doctrine) that the number of wives a person is allowed is given by way of commandment.

You should read this as a whole chapter (29) which you did but you have to understand it in that context.

The context was injustice – specifically to Leah the older daughter whom Jacob did not love but was forced into marriage to Jacob by Leah’s father Laban through deceitful means. When Jacob finally married Rachel after being ‘blackmailed’ to servitude to Laban for another seven years, the first wife (Leah) was not loved. God made Leah fruitful in order for Jacob to love her.

That does not mean polygamy was commanded to Jacob. If you read properly, the polygamous marriage to the two sisters was done because Jacob was cheated by Laban.

God’s action was for the sake of the victim (Leah) who got involved in the marriage which was not through her doing.

Similarly the Law of Moses – provides care for the second wife’s children. This is simply an act of justice for the wife concerned and her children; not because polygamy was commanded. There is no such commandment whatsoever in the Bible and this is logical because to do otherwise would contradict God’s commandment of husband and wife becoming one flesh in Genesis. God did not say that the man can become many fleshes with many wives (whatever that means except that it has never been abrogated).

 

[KathleenGee]

Reuben, good explanations…I recall the nuns explaining the purpose of the Law from Moses in that the second wife with her children were being provided for, not an issue of polygamy.

Hamba, I worked for a refined gentleman a number of years ago…who totally cared for his wife while she was dying of cancer. She had been a housewife, and former pianist, a graduate of Stanford University. They adopted three girls.

He told me if he were to marry anyone again, it would only be her. And he began to weep. He could only love her. No one else. He was faithful to her beyond the grave.

I can’t see a Muslim man loving any wife like this Christian man did.

 

[Reuben_J]

Reuben, good explanations…I recall the nuns explaining the purpose of the Law from Moses in that the second wife with her children were being provided for, not an issue of polygamy.

To us Christians, it is obvious that polygamy was never commanded by God. There is no precedent to it thus those (Joesph Simtih & Mohammad) who claimed that it is commanded by God is always questionable.

I have thrown these questions in post #138
":

Please tell how God gave Abraham Hagar, Jacob Leah and Rachel, David Bathsheba. I also want to know why did David needed to undergo such deep repentance if God really commanded this marriage? Thank you very much.

But they are not answered yet and I know why, because we cannot justify polygamy in those circumtances without doing something really wrong about God’s commandment.

Hamba, I worked for a refined gentleman a number of years ago…who totally cared for his wife while she was dying of cancer. She had been a housewife, and former pianist, a graduate of Stanford University. They adopted three girls.

He told me if he were to marry anyone again, it would only be her. And he began to weep. He could only love her. No one else. He was faithful to her beyond the grave.

I can’t see a Muslim man loving any wife like this Christian man did.

You can never see a Muslim man loves that way because likeHamba said, quote, “unlike Muslim women, Muslim men are not required to be chaste”. Unquote.

You will think it it the biggest joke of their lives when they claim that Muslims actually are true followers of Jesus rather than Christians. And Paul was a fake who hijacked Christianity. I am sure that Jesus will take Paul (rather than Mohammad) anytime when Paul wrote these:

Sinful Nature
“19The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.” Galatians 5:19-21

Fruits of the Holy Spirit.
“22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. 25Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other”. Galatians 5:22-26

I would go for Paul anytime rather than Mohammad’s polygamy and other sinful nature as in Gal 5:19-21

So we can understand when Hamba said that Muslim men do not have to be chaste because actually they cannot if they are controlled by their human nature and not the Holy Spirit to produce the fruits.

An obedient Christian has to follow the teaching of Jesus and so we see its fruit in his marriage. We hear stories upon stories of sacrificial love of spouses for each other among Christians. They did it of course out of their love for each other but also because of the Biblical teaching of the sacredness of marriage. When they take up this belief in faith it will invariably become part of their mentality and thinking not to mention the fact that God will bless such marriage because it is something that He commands and likes.