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When bringing up the subject of PM, what's the first verse you would use?

C

Cap

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So, you have decided to bringing up the subject of PM to your, family, your children, your parents, or your church. What's the first verse you use? Would it be different depending on the audience?

What's the best way to initiate the conversation?
 
Yeah, life of David. Man after God's heart, perfect in all his ways but for that one thing. Polygamist. Should at least raise an eyebrow....
 
I like to point out that YHWH used polygyny to set up the twelve tribes of Israel.
And that polygyny hadn’t even been Jacob’s intention, it was his father-in-laws choice. But one that YHWH accepted and used.
 
I like the approach of universal church versus local church. It’s a relatively safe beginning point but cannot be explained using a mono only approach as that would come back to which local church is His bride. And yet it’s not completely solved by the universal church model either if viewed thru the mono only structure because we know that the universal church is made up of many members, either individuals or individual churches/assemblies

IMO it’s a good lead into Why would Christ structure His Bride this way? Segue into the parable if the 10 Virgins and you’re off (provided you don’t high center on the church thing)
 
Cap said:
What's the best way to initiate the conversation?
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With low expectations for the outcome.

ha ha

I kid.

ok not really.

Let's see with my son I just kinda told him what was up. I didn't quote a verse so much as reference them, and it was all in the same conversation of "How Men and Women Ought To be". It wasn't a discussion, it was a lecture, and I didn't even camp on poly very long. In my view the best way to bring it up with children is as part of a discussion on biblical gender roles. By itself, poly is weird and not terribly applicable to a 12 year old. But in a talk about how "You're in Training to become a Man and Thou Shalt Rule Your House" it provides context and utility.

With my mom I don't really remember where i started. It was difficult because she truly did not want to discuss it, so in the end I don't think it would have mattered which verse I led with.

If I had a church I was going to, I dunno. I'd probably write a paper/manifesto and deliver it to my pastor and ask to speak with him about it. Eh. I dunno. I suppose if I was giving a talk in front of people I'd lead off with Deut 21:15-17. I like to start off by disorienting my audience. It's a character flaw that I probably won't prioritize correcting any time soon.



I don't know about what the 'best way' to initiate the conversation is, but my preferred method is to say something weird but true and see if they disbelieve me. I am mostly invested in getting people to get interested in looking into what the bible actually says for themselves, so i like to bring out stuff that they haven't heard in church to pique their interest. I am so thankful that the bible is so weird.
 
Slumberfreeze said:
I am mostly invested in getting people to get interested in looking into what the bible actually says for themselves
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Amen to that!

My parents had a friend who tried to convince my dad that plural marriage was biblical. My dad agreed that scripture doesn’t forbid it. But, then the guy brought a divorced woman into the home, committed adultery, didn’t help his wife get on board, and the household imploded. The woman he committed adultery with ended up committing suicide. Then the exhusband got angry and came after him, to kill him. Last i heard the guy was living on some island in the South Pacific hiding out for his life. That was my first taste of seeing PM in the modern world. You couldn’t have convinced me of the good of PM by just coming and trying to convince me. My dad’s words from 14 years ago still echoed in my head and it peaked my interest and I had to see once and for all what Scripture truly said about it.
 
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Slumberfreeze said:
With low expectations for the outcome.

ha ha

I kid.

ok not really.
Click to expand...
@Slumberfreeze is on point as usual!

@Cap, one of the reasons I like David is because that "man after God's own heart, perfect in (almost) all his ways" thing is not time bound, and the idea that God gave multiple wives to David and would have given him more on demand takes it out of the "God tolerated sin" zone. God gave the wives, and God doesn't change, amIrite?...
 
andrew said:
@Slumberfreeze is on point as usual!

@Cap, one of the reasons I like David is because that "man after God's own heart, perfect in (almost) all his ways" thing is not time bound, and the idea that God gave multiple wives to David and would have given him more on demand takes it out of the "God tolerated sin" zone. God gave the wives, and God doesn't change, amIrite?...
Click to expand...

I agree with you and the main reason is that everyone in the new testament era can not find fault with a man after God's on heart. And so polygamy in his life, sanctioned by God has to be considered.
 
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