G'day to all at BF
I'm very glad I've found this site, and that the forum is active and full of Christ-centred, thought provoking conversations. I've snooped around for a few weeks, but am keen to start chatting too!
I'm a married Christian guy with a beautiful, faithful wife and a three kids. I've also never been afraid to follow the forgotten paths of Biblical truth, no matter how much they diverge from orthodox tradition. I've lost a few friends along the way because of that, too. But I consider it an honour to suffer shame on behalf of Christ, and I will continue to lead my family in ways that bring the most glory to our Heavenly Father and his Son, Jesus the Messiah.
You could say I've come to a favourable view of Plural Marriage by beginning from the opposite end to most. That is, a personal situation of the heart has led me to consider polygamy, and then my mind has had to scramble to catch up, by examining (indeed, agonising) over the scriptures in an effort to understand what it is the Lord wants to teach me. I will explain:
My wife and I have a very close friend whom we have known since the very earliest days of our marriage. She is a single mum and a committed Christian sharing many of the same doctrinal views as us, but is very isolated in her faith and has no Christian support (my wife and I have moved away from the city in which we met her). Sometime last year, the three of us made a mutual decision to hold a weekly phone call, which would help our friend receive regular Christian support, prayer, and fellowship. After a few months of this, I began noticing that the emotional reactions I was having to my friends needs were similar - if not the same - to those I have for my wife, AND THE LORD DID NOT CONVICT ME for having these feelings. I didn't really know what to do or think, but it lead me to wonder what the New Testament said about polygamy. I began a fairly intensive search, and found no outright prohibitions against polygamy, except for 1 Timothy 3:2, which I now understand to say, 'the husband of A (ie at least one) wife', which certainly does not preclude having more than one wife. Further studies in the Old Testament confirmed polygamy in a favourable light.
In my thinking then, I began to consider the possibility (it was still pretty strange to my mind, but I was completely at peace in my heart/spirit) that perhaps the best kind of long-term support I could offer our friend was to 'throw my cloak over her' in marriage. Our weekly phone calls continued to strengthen already strong bonds between the three of us, and I know that she and my wife love each other as sisters. I also love her - but not in a Hollywood cliche lustful romantic way, but with a deep love of Christ that wants the very best for her. Anyway, about two months ago, I thought the honourable thing to do - before I let the idea get too developed in my mind - was to share these thoughts with my wife.
It was not well received. Although my wife loves our friend as a sister, she was mortified at my unorthodox ideas and felt hurt, betrayed, etc that I could have thoughts about another woman - even one that we both love as a dear sister. It was tough for a few days, and I instinctively trod very lightly and showed bucketfulls of humility and compassion. I have since read about the 'love-not-force' philosophy and am very glad that I did not try to ram home any arguments from scripture. I know that would have only made my wife feel as if I was using my more developed Bible knowledge to coerce and manipulate her.
Since then our friend has developed a serious illness, and my wife and I would like nothing more than to have her here with us so we can care for her. But moving from one city to another is hard, especially as a single mother.There is now an urgency to her situation, and I feel rather helpless, knowing that my covering as her spiritual head would bring much needed healing - emotional/spiritual as well as physical. I have not brought up Plural Marriage with my wife again, but it is constantly in my thoughts, and I know that it IS God's will for this situation. I have spent my time reading many of the eBooks mentioned on this site (eg, 'Eros made Sacred' by J Wesley Stivers) and making sure my knowledge of Plural Marriage is sound. I trust my Father completely, that in His timing there will be opportunity to lead these two women into the fulness of His plan for our lives.
I'm very glad I've found this site, and that the forum is active and full of Christ-centred, thought provoking conversations. I've snooped around for a few weeks, but am keen to start chatting too!
I'm a married Christian guy with a beautiful, faithful wife and a three kids. I've also never been afraid to follow the forgotten paths of Biblical truth, no matter how much they diverge from orthodox tradition. I've lost a few friends along the way because of that, too. But I consider it an honour to suffer shame on behalf of Christ, and I will continue to lead my family in ways that bring the most glory to our Heavenly Father and his Son, Jesus the Messiah.
You could say I've come to a favourable view of Plural Marriage by beginning from the opposite end to most. That is, a personal situation of the heart has led me to consider polygamy, and then my mind has had to scramble to catch up, by examining (indeed, agonising) over the scriptures in an effort to understand what it is the Lord wants to teach me. I will explain:
My wife and I have a very close friend whom we have known since the very earliest days of our marriage. She is a single mum and a committed Christian sharing many of the same doctrinal views as us, but is very isolated in her faith and has no Christian support (my wife and I have moved away from the city in which we met her). Sometime last year, the three of us made a mutual decision to hold a weekly phone call, which would help our friend receive regular Christian support, prayer, and fellowship. After a few months of this, I began noticing that the emotional reactions I was having to my friends needs were similar - if not the same - to those I have for my wife, AND THE LORD DID NOT CONVICT ME for having these feelings. I didn't really know what to do or think, but it lead me to wonder what the New Testament said about polygamy. I began a fairly intensive search, and found no outright prohibitions against polygamy, except for 1 Timothy 3:2, which I now understand to say, 'the husband of A (ie at least one) wife', which certainly does not preclude having more than one wife. Further studies in the Old Testament confirmed polygamy in a favourable light.
In my thinking then, I began to consider the possibility (it was still pretty strange to my mind, but I was completely at peace in my heart/spirit) that perhaps the best kind of long-term support I could offer our friend was to 'throw my cloak over her' in marriage. Our weekly phone calls continued to strengthen already strong bonds between the three of us, and I know that she and my wife love each other as sisters. I also love her - but not in a Hollywood cliche lustful romantic way, but with a deep love of Christ that wants the very best for her. Anyway, about two months ago, I thought the honourable thing to do - before I let the idea get too developed in my mind - was to share these thoughts with my wife.
It was not well received. Although my wife loves our friend as a sister, she was mortified at my unorthodox ideas and felt hurt, betrayed, etc that I could have thoughts about another woman - even one that we both love as a dear sister. It was tough for a few days, and I instinctively trod very lightly and showed bucketfulls of humility and compassion. I have since read about the 'love-not-force' philosophy and am very glad that I did not try to ram home any arguments from scripture. I know that would have only made my wife feel as if I was using my more developed Bible knowledge to coerce and manipulate her.
Since then our friend has developed a serious illness, and my wife and I would like nothing more than to have her here with us so we can care for her. But moving from one city to another is hard, especially as a single mother.There is now an urgency to her situation, and I feel rather helpless, knowing that my covering as her spiritual head would bring much needed healing - emotional/spiritual as well as physical. I have not brought up Plural Marriage with my wife again, but it is constantly in my thoughts, and I know that it IS God's will for this situation. I have spent my time reading many of the eBooks mentioned on this site (eg, 'Eros made Sacred' by J Wesley Stivers) and making sure my knowledge of Plural Marriage is sound. I trust my Father completely, that in His timing there will be opportunity to lead these two women into the fulness of His plan for our lives.
