Polygamy in the Bible

Originally Posted by MissBrattified

Look, here's my honest injun opinion, and YES, I am playing semantics:

You know the allowance for divorce based on adultery? In my opinion, the biblical ideal is for a person to FORGIVE their errant spouse and remain with them. BUT, I believe God understands that a person may have the inability to remain in such a relationship and makes allowance for it, since the covenant has been broken. He does not always expect us to live up to His ideals, and even makes rules for how we should handle ourselves when we do not.

I believe polygamy lies outside God's ideal and plan for the home and marriage. I believe the same about slavery. I do not understand why God didn't condemn either practice, and I acknowledge that He did not, but I do not believe either practice falls into line with other commandments given by God in both the OT AND the NT.

You're honest opinion is acknowledged and appreciated.. if in fact more people could state as you have that "this is my opinion" and "not the Word of God"

For us to judge people in Polygamy as sinners... when we have no scripture for it.... is very dangerous

[Hoovie]

Originally Posted by Dr. Vaughn

The same idea applies to all gay marriages before now... they were not viable relationships because they were ILLEGAL... now in many states they are legal.. so with the stroke of a pen in a legislative branch in ONE SECOND an "unviable relationship" becomes viable

Now the difference being that gay marriage has never been in ANY SOCIETY in history.. Polygamy has been in EVERY society in History and LEGAL

When it once again becomes legal in this nation.. then all of the persecution against it will stop just like people are beginning to no longer look at two gay men with the stares we did many years ago......

Its all WESTERN mentality....

Well that pretty much puts this thread up over the top for me!

Originally Posted by LUKE2447

Are we not still slaves to Christ as Paul points out? Does he not OWN us? Where we not paid for and had a price?

as Scooby Doo would say,, ruh roh

[TK Burk]

Originally Posted by Dr. Vaughn

So you believe that he took 5 bridesmaids for the marriage and left five bridesmaids.... wonder if he ever planned to get the actual bride

What?? "Get the actual bride"? Where do you get this stuff from??

They were accompanying the bride and groom. IT IS A PARABLE DR. VAUGHN!

And since you like commentaries so, here is the remainder of Barnes'....

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible
Some of them had lost their lights and were unprepared, but it was then too late to seek them, and the cavalcade moved forward to the house of the bride, at which place the company entered a large and splendidly illuminated area before the house, covered with an awning, where a great multitude of friends, dressed in their best apparel, were seated upon mats. The bridegroom was carried in the arms of a friend, and placed in a superb seat in the midst of the company, where he sat a short time, and then went into the house, the door of which was immediately shut and guarded by sepoys. I and others expostulated with the doorkeepers, but in vain. Never was I so struck with our Lord’s beautiful parable as at this moment - ‘And the door was shut.’”

[Dora]

Originally Posted by Stephen Hoover

Well that pretty much puts this thread up over the top for me!

In what way?

[Aquila]

Originally Posted by TK Burk

So you think the virgins where waiting for their shared husband? Oh my.

Have you ever watched Fiddler on the Roof? Remember the marriage when the townsfolk walked with the groom to meet the bride? They carried lights as they walked with him. This is the type Jewish wedding Jesus is referring to.

The parable's virgins are the female attendants of the bride. We would call them “bridesmaid” today. They were there to prepare the bride and accompany the groom to her side.

The parable of the ten virgins is speaking of being ready for the Kingdom of God. Not about a polygamous marriage between One God and multiple brides.

I suggest you read this parable in context with the other parables around it (See Matthew 25).

Good call. That's the interpretation I was taught. I was only relating something I had read.

I do have a question though...how do we know about this marriage custom you're speaking of? I have a book on things in the Bible people "think" but have no foundation in historical reality. For example, I believe Bro. Ensey wrote a book on hermeneutics that illustrated how the "eye of a needle" wasn't a gate as is commonly taught....according to his research there never was such a gate.

Either way....the parable is about being ready for Christ's coming even if it does depict a polygamous union.

Originally Posted by Stephen Hoover

Well that pretty much puts this thread up over the top for me!

Dont read more into that that I meant.. GOD DESPISES a GAY MARRIAGE... but he does not despise a Polygamous marriage.. and in fact made provisions for them.. the point was LEGALLY... LEGALLY just as the Gay Marriage is becoming legal and as such will remove alot of the stigma from Gay Marriage the same will soon be true with Polygamy... and once it is no longer Illegal and they start filling our churches.. who will then preach it is a sinful lifestyle?

[Hoovie]

Originally Posted by Dora

In what way?

The idea that my aversion to "two gay men" is a "WESTERN mentality".

[Aquila]

Originally Posted by Dora

If this is the mindset of the majority of men on this site, then I don't want any part of it.

Dora don't freak out. Be a grown up about this. If you were a woman in biblical times you'd understand what I'm trying to explain. Biblical polygamy was the more moral option compared to the alternatives women had back then. From a male perspective....it seems women are spoiled today and don't realize how rough it really was for unmarried women in biblical times. So they gross out at the idea and condemn men who have studied the practice for it's merits in it's historical context.

[TK Burk]

Originally Posted by LUKE2447

Are we not still slaves to Christ as Paul points out? Does he not OWN us? Where we not paid for and had a price?

Yep! When a person is Born Again, they trade masters. They no longer are slaves to sin, but become slaves to righteousness. The Church is also called "SERVANTS" of Jesus Christ.