Given Paul was talking to Greeks, they only ever have 1 wife. So it likely is 'first' or 'a'. Although it could be 'one' in that he hasn't divorced and remarried several times. But 'first' would have that meaning as well.
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Thoughts on Polygamist Pastors?
- Thread starter rtidwell
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Given Paul was talking to Greeks, they only ever have 1 wife. So it likely is 'first' or 'a'. Although it could be 'one' in that he hasn't divorced and remarried several times. But 'first' would have that meaning as well.
While its true that Paul was addressing Timothy who was half Greek and raised in a Greek culture, it is also pertinent to note that Timothy was raised to be fluent in the scriptures by his Jewish mother and grandmother. To assume that Paul is catering to a Greek culture in his address to Timothy is most likely incorrect.
The Greek word for the fig tree is feminine in gender however the fig (fruit) is neuter in gender. So yes, using a feminine word is appropriate in references to the tree but neuter in references to the fruit. Cheers
So then the verse would mean that an elder or deacon must be married to at least one wife. Single men (those without families or a track record) would be excluded. That would seem to make a lot of sense in the context.
That is true. I remember from college that French is like this. Some words are masculine, and some are feminine. Not clear who or when it got decided, but that is just the way it was.
German is like that and in the little bit of it I took in an aborted college attempt it seems like they made sense when you thought about it. Doors are masculine and that made sense. It seemed like anything phallic was masculine. I don’t remember finding any of them that didn’t fit somehow.
He deleted it and also my podcast post that was up for weeks and blocked me until the end of the month! lol!!
Actually, the Greek culture, though monogamous in form, was excessive in its divorce and remarriage. Therefore, 'first' actually carries a lot of weight!
Coward.
Good point. I guess what I was trying to say was... the audience most likely didn't have people with multiple wives. Paul and Timothy were apostles to the Greeks after all.
My take was that he’s pretty insecure in his theology. He was also pretty open that he has personal issues with BF.
Who is R Lee Tyler? A quick search didn’t turn anything up.
To the Gentiles. The Church of Ephesus altough it had Greeks in it also had those native to Turkey who also came from a cultral background that practiced polygyny as well. It like the Church in Galatians was comprised of many ethnic Groups with some coming from cultrues that practised Polygyny, monogamy, perpetual celibacy (in some cases, state of being unmarried), etc. Paul addressed them all.
Good point. I would just wonder though, did the Gauls in Turkey practice their native polygyny or were they Roman law and monogamous in legal marriage? They were under Roman rule afterall.
He is long time polygamy guy out of San Diego. He runs a very large Christian polygamy group on Facebook. I am a co-moderator. I agreed to help him out I think in 2018.
Yes. I pinged him privately about that, specifically this quote, "I am unwelcome by some in the leadership of BiblicalFamilies.org because I believe that the bisexuality of wives while they are together being sexually intimate with their own man is the sin of homosexuality."
I find this very hard to believe with all of the diverse opinions we have here. We shall see what he says. It is not right for him to slander the leading Christian polygamy ministry, especially without facts.
I expect my days as co-moderator are numbered.
I heard something similar from someone else but I got the impression that the underlying was more along the lines of "they wouldn't listen to me" then any actual censorship or ill treatment.