General Discussing the Concept of Polygyny in the Bible with My Son

[MichaelZ]

I began discussing the concept of polygyny in the Bible with my son. He is a young man who frequently attends the church youth fellowship, and naturally, his church does not support polygyny. When I talked with him, he asked a question: Why do so many people in the church, and so many who study the Bible deeply, seem unaware of such an obvious truth about polygyny? I told him it is a sad reality, but I also don’t understand why people can be so blind.

What do you think?

 

[MemeFan]

It's culture. It's not that they don't see.

It's excuses like Lord didn't really mean it or monogamy is His real intent.

And don't forget what others will think of me. If most think that others will consider polygyny supporters are bad what will happened? Run away such people.

 

[frederick]

Why do so many people in the church, and so many who study the Bible deeply, seem unaware of such an obvious truth about polygyny?

I don't know that it's being unaware, but rather they're schooled to be unquestioning. Every person who reads the Bible knows polygyny is in there. However, there is a distinct influence among religious leaders to not rock the boat, and especially the boat that keeps so many women happy. Happy women, prosperous preachers.

 

[Joleneakamama]

Why do so many people in the church, and so many who study the Bible deeply, seem unaware of such an obvious truth about polygyny?

I think it is explained best in Proverbs 18:17 NKJV. "The first one to plead his cause seems right, Until his neighbor comes and examines him."

Since the council at Trent when the church at Rome made a man having more than one wife religiously/politically incorrect, there have been lame and shallow explanations for how and/or why YHWH allegedly either changed the law, or revealed to an imagined to be more enlightened population this higher and better way....His alleged "Original intent" for marriage called monogamy! (Because the people werent ready for it back then so YHWH "tolerated the sin of polygamy" ..appealing to man's vanity I think)

This really doesnt often change because, as @frederick said, people don't want to rock the boat. Most people who go to church have never heard this doctrine we call "monogamy only" challenged. They have never heard a counter argument because most people crave acceptance and don't want others to judge their motives for asking those kind of questions.

My husband used to wonder what others might think or assume about him believing polygyny was a moral why to live, and really didn't want everyone to know. Now he has another wife and that relationship and her becoming his was very natural and there was nothing strange about it. The result? He really no longer cares what others may think or assume about him. Our children have all accepted her, her son, and their new little sister too.
That's my two cents worth.

 

[Earth_is-]

2 Timothy 4:2-4 NLT
2 Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching. 3 For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will reject the truth and chase after myths.

What is truth?

Psalm 119:160 NKJV
The entirety of Your word is truth, And every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever.

Matthew 4:4 NKJV
But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ ”

John 17:17 NKJV
17 Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.

So Paul says that a time is coming when people will reject what's actually written in the torah, writings, and prophets (the truth); and look for teachers that are telling them what they want to hear. We see that today in full force.

The word "truth" is another word for the Holy Scriptures. So these people claim to love Jesus Christ, but reject (and in some cases insult) parts of his character; since he is the Word made Flesh (John 1:14). Teaching deception and rejecting the truth leads to lawlessness, which leads to judgement if un-repented.

 

[steve]

It is interesting how there is actual animosity towards polygyny yet none towards divorce, which Yah has expressed hatred of.
The root of this is that the enemy of our souls both hates and fears it. Where two or three are gathered together is a microcosm of the real church. He is trying to destroy the family, how much more the increased family?

I, like most people, grew up accepting that it was an OT thing and had somehow become adultery in the NT. I never questioned it until someone pointed out that it would be happening again in the end times. (Isaiah 4:1) That blew it open for me because Yah is not a flip-flopper. That was just too many changes.

 

[MichaelZ]

Thank you all for answering my question. I like your answers!

I like @steve 's comment about comparison between polygyny and divorce. As I often tell my friends, the argument is never about how many wives you can take, it's about whether you should divorce or abandon the former wives in order to take a new wife.

The Bible says: You SHOULD NOT divorce a wife and take another. (Exo 21:10, Mat 19:9)
The world says: You MUST divorce a wife and then you are free to take another.

The Bible is always against divorce (Mal 2, Mark 10, Mat 19, etc), but people tend to ignore the true meaning and turn it into the idea against polygyny. Because it matches their culture. as @MemeFan says, it's culture.

Talking against polygyny is safer than talking against divorce. It shows that people don't want to shake the boat (@frederick) so that they intentionally/unintentionally twist the bible scriptures.