Polygyny as gateway

[MemeFan]

When lurking in forum I have noticed that several people have said that polygyny doctrine was intro into "deeper mysteries" of scripture and finding new truth about scripture.

I'm interested what have you found?

Can you, please, with several sentences describe newly found teaching?

Thanks in advance

 

[PeteR]

Many of us believe that, like the monogamy-only teaching, Chistendom has a number of traditions not found in Scripture. For some, finding polygyny opens a door to investigate other things like Christmas, Easter, Sunday worship, feminism, etc... the 'rabbit hole' can get pretty deep.. approach with caution and study both sides...

 

[MeganC]

Numbering the chapters and verses of the Bible is a Roman tradition and not a Christian tradition. I have an NIV that I read that doesn't have chapter and verse and for me it's easier to read the Word as a story and not mentally chop it up into separate pieces.

 

[frederick]

When lurking in forum I have noticed that several people have said that polygyny doctrine was intro into "deeper mysteries" of scripture and finding new truth about scripture.

I'm interested what have you found?

Can you, please, with several sentences describe newly found teaching?

Thanks in advance

Like @PeteR has said, the discovery of the truth concerning polygyny causes one to re-examine other long held beliefs. It has been an eye-opener for me in my understanding of God Himself as He presents Himself as polygynous, and I grow in a more intimate knowledge of Him. And that's always a blessing.

 

[eye4them]

Continuing on from poly....
One finds that God's law/s concerning marriage are quite different from what the church teaches. The extent of it, and the implications thereof are quite a rabbit hole. In particular, one can realize just how destructive the monogamy only doctrine, a doctrine of demons, really is. God-only knows how much misery and suffering that evil doctrine has inflicted on humanity.

Also...
Understanding the depth of the meaning of Paul's remark noting that the Christ/church relationship is mirrored in the Husband/wife relationship... this can lead to a rather significant understandings of how a man ought to conduct himself to be effective in his interactions with women. Worldly men have empirically studied these things, and have, thru observation, uncovered much of what one can find in the bible, but their understanding is still incomplete, and they don't know the "Why". The why is because men and women are naturally driven to play out the Christ/church relationship. The more a man imitates Christ, the more women ("church") will be attracted to him.

 

[aineo]

I think the others have already said it well, but I’ll add my support to their statements: it opens doors because it makes you more closely evaluate what you believe and why you believe it. Is it biblical or is it tradition, and, more importantly, does the traditions you believe conflict with the Bible?

 

[The Revolting Man]

Continuing on from poly....
One finds that God's law/s concerning marriage are quite different from what the church teaches. The extent of it, and the implications thereof are quite a rabbit hole. In particular, one can realize just how destructive the monogamy only doctrine, a doctrine of demons, really is. God-only knows how much misery and suffering that evil doctrine has inflicted on humanity.

Also...
Understanding the depth of the meaning of Paul's remark noting that the Christ/church relationship is mirrored in the Husband/wife relationship... this can lead to a rather significant understandings of how a man ought to conduct himself to be effective in his interactions with women. Worldly men have empirically studied these things, and have, thru observation, uncovered much of what one can find in the bible, but their understanding is still incomplete, and they don't know the "Why". The why is because men and women are naturally driven to play out the Christ/church relationship. The more a man imitates Christ, the more women ("church") will be attracted to him.

This.

 

[Madeline]

Continuing on from poly....
One finds that God's law/s concerning marriage are quite different from what the church teaches. The extent of it, and the implications thereof are quite a rabbit hole. In particular, one can realize just how destructive the monogamy only doctrine, a doctrine of demons, really is. God-only knows how much misery and suffering that evil doctrine has inflicted on humanity.

Also...
Understanding the depth of the meaning of Paul's remark noting that the Christ/church relationship is mirrored in the Husband/wife relationship... this can lead to a rather significant understandings of how a man ought to conduct himself to be effective in his interactions with women. Worldly men have empirically studied these things, and have, thru observation, uncovered much of what one can find in the bible, but their understanding is still incomplete, and they don't know the "Why". The why is because men and women are naturally driven to play out the Christ/church relationship. The more a man imitates Christ, the more women ("church") will be attracted to him.

I am interested to learn how this might apply to widows

 

[Keith Martin]

I am interested to learn how this might apply to widows

As long as widows continue to be women, they will be just as susceptible to being more attracted to men who more closely imitate Christ.

Of course, as long as widows continue to be women, they will also probably continue to be highly susceptible to being manipulated to behave in whatever ways will ensure that they don't receive condemnation from the world, no matter what Scripture says.

Thus, the average widow is just as lonely as the average non-widowed single woman.

On the other hand, if any given widow were to recognize that YHWH provided for them through biblical polygyny, she would discover that all of the godly men looking to create or expand plural families know that they are supposed to give widows special consideration, and most of them even follow through and do give them that consideration.

The surrounding culture, though, is currently ahead in the World Series of Marriage contest, so the current state of affairs is that the number of men willing and able to bring widows into their families far outnumber the amount of widows willing to consider being a sister wife over life-long loneliness.

 

[Madeline]

It is an interesting concept as I, myself, am widowed. I have to sound of my Christian peers counseling me to either "remain as I am"(single), or marry due to my youth. I married very young, so I cannot be sure, but I suspect that having been widowed is lonelier than simply never having been married.

 

[Madeline]

Oh goodness, my typos!!!! Oof. *Face plant* I am way too sleepy to be chatting online. My apologies, sweet friends! Lol

 

[Keith Martin]

It is an interesting concept as I, myself, am widowed. I have to sound of my Christian peers counseling me to either "remain as I am"(single), or marry due to my youth. I married very young, so I cannot be sure, but I suspect that having been widowed is lonelier than simply never having been married.

Don't worry about the typos, @Madeline.

In a general sense, your Christian peers are giving you sensible advice, at least as far as the unspoken thing you're supposed to avoid is concerned: just sleeping around as if being one-flesh is a reality-show sport.

I suspect your suspicion that being widowed is lonelier than never having been married is something that is absolutely true for almost everyone in your situation. You know some things that the always-single simply don't know, including the enhanced communication, passion and sense of belonging that they can only imagine beyond knowing what it was like to be children in an intact family growing up. You know what it is to be bonded, and you would have to be vacuous to not feel a hole in your life. Right now you are very likely fully immersed in mourning, but even when you get to the point where the mourning isn't so palpably painful, you will still very likely feel that hole, and it will be an absence that demonstrates just how valuable the presence of your husband was in your life.

 

[Madeline]

Don't worry about the typos, @Madeline.

In a general sense, your Christian peers are giving you sensible advice, at least as far as the unspoken thing you're supposed to avoid is concerned: just sleeping around as if being one-flesh is a reality-show sport.

I suspect your suspicion that being widowed is lonelier than never having been married is something that is absolutely true for almost everyone in your situation. You know some things that the always-single simply don't know, including the enhanced communication, passion and sense of belonging that they can only imagine beyond knowing what it was like to be children in an intact family growing up. You know what it is to be bonded, and you would have to be vacuous to not feel a hole in your life. Right now you are very likely fully immersed in mourning, but even when you get to the point where the mourning isn't so palpably painful, you will still very likely feel that hole, and it will be an absence that demonstrates just how valuable the presence of your husband was in your life.

This is beautiful. And so very true.

 

[Bartato]

This is beautiful. And so very true.

Madeline,
My heart goes out to you in your loss of your husband. I have very little understanding of the grief you suffer. I've seen a loved one go through it, but never suffered it directly myself. My sister was unexpected widowed a few years ago when her husband of seventeen years (and former highschool sweetheart) was unexpectedly killed in a car accident on his way to work. He was a truly wonderful husband, father, and friend. We all grieve his loss, but the loss was truly devastating for my sister.

God was gracious to her, and a couple years later brought another wonderful Christian man into her life, and they were married last year. We are all very thankful for his addition, but all still also greatly miss the one who went to be with Christ.

We pray that in due time, God will bring you man after His own heart, to love, provide for, lead and protect you, and that God will bless that union and make it fruitful.

In all likelihood, it will be a monogamous marriage (and that is wonderful). Though I think it is also good that you are potentially open to the thought of polygyny.

 

[cnystrom]

When lurking in forum I have noticed that several people have said that polygyny doctrine was intro into "deeper mysteries" of scripture and finding new truth about scripture.

I'm interested what have you found?

It is well known that the apostle Paul equates the relationship of marriage as representing the more true relationship of Christ and the church, or in a more general sense the relationship between God and man. For that reason, as one learns the deeper truths of what the Bible really says about marriage, and about what God really requires of those in a married relationship there are clear implications of how we should behave toward each other in the church and how we relate to God as individuals and as a church.

There are no secret truths that only the insiders know. It is more like obvious truths that people miss because they do not read the Bible carefully enough.

And you thank God every day that he has blessed you to open your eyes to see them, even though they can cause hardship as you are no longer in sync with the majority. Once you see God's truth you can no longer un-see it, nor would you want to, if your heart is in the right place.

I hope that helps.

 

[cnystrom]

I am interested to learn how this might apply to widows

Good news! Widows are eligible!

1 Cor 7:39 "A woman is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, but he must belong to the Lord."

Feel free to re-marry!