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Acts 10 and Polygyny

PeteR

PeteR

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I have been enjoying Don Milton's reprint of Martin Madan's Thelyphthora reviewed by @Jennifer in this thread.

Madan, brings lots of pieces together to support his 1780's argument for polygyny. This morning, in support of one point, he cites Acts 10:15 in the middle of Peter's famed vision of clean and unclean animals in the sheet.

As we know from Peter's explanation in 10:28 that the vision is NOT about food, but about people. Jewish tradition taught that Gentiles were unclean and therefore untouchable, a concept never taught in Scripture. The voice in his vision (v.15) states, 'what God has cleansed, do not call unclean.'

Madan says that to limit 'God's immutable laws' that are 'for all times, places, and ages of the world' on a 'pretense of greater purity and holiness' is to deserve the same response and chastisement Peter got: 'What God hath cleansed, that call thou not common or unclean.'

He hits the nail on the head. Christendom ( Christen-dumb?) paints monogamy as somehow 'more righteous' or polygamy as straight up 'unclean' when God does the opposite. Just as in the example with Peter, tradition rules in how even righteous men view polygyny.

'What God has cleansed (marriage, mono or poly) do not call unclean.'
 
This passage may have some relevance here as well...

1 Timothy 4:1-3
[1] Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; [2] Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; [3] Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.
 
Pacman said:
[3] Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats
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I totally get the forbiddinghto marry, I finally got it after studying PM, but the other part, commanding to “abstain from meat.”

Can anyone enlighten me on that part? I’m having trouble understanding what it’s saying. In fact, I never did get it and I used to just pass over it.
 
Just observing today's modern feminist movement, it seems self centeredness, immorality and jealousy is cloaked in a veil of purity and holiness, and that which is moral and right is deemed immoral because it forces women to come outside of themselves and they don't like that. Its arrogant to claim our ways above God's. Usually if you look deep enough it is selfishness behind the fake morality. I am almost to the second volume. I try to get reading in on my lunch breaks or weekends. No pressure on you busy guys, but if anyone of you have any spare time on your hands, I feel the message in this book has great potential to reach outsiders if summarized into an easy read for the common non-reader.
 
Phillip said:
I totally get the forbiddinghto marry, I finally got it after studying PM, but the other part, commanding to “abstain from meat.”

Can anyone enlighten me on that part? I’m having trouble understanding what it’s saying. In fact, I never did get it and I used to just pass over it.
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Could it be that these are two statements that cover the broad range of false teaching? This would cover Catholicism and the Judaizers, the biggest affronts to the simplicity of the Gospel of Christ.
 
Phillip said:
I totally get the forbiddinghto marry, I finally got it after studying PM, but the other part, commanding to “abstain from meat.”

Can anyone enlighten me on that part? I’m having trouble understanding what it’s saying. In fact, I never did get it and I used to just pass over it.
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OT, but Paul is throwing a list of different false teachings. One such item that he addresses elsewhere is eating meat sacrificed to idols. He is not saying any meat can be eaten, but that is a different debate for another day. He is saying that those teaching that clean meats (beef, lamb, etc) meat acquired in the marketplace could be eaten, even if having been prepared for offering to an idol. Modern application would be going to the grocery store and buying a meat with a hallal stamp on it. Some teach we shouldn't buy it, Paul said eat and give thanks to the Creator of all things.
 
Phillip said:
I totally get the forbiddinghto marry, I finally got it after studying PM, but the other part, commanding to “abstain from meat.”

Can anyone enlighten me on that part? I’m having trouble understanding what it’s saying. In fact, I never did get it and I used to just pass over it.
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I love @Ancient Paths explaination. I happened to believe there is another teaching there. This is what I've come to understand. Others my disagree. That's fine.

"Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth."

I look at it with milk and meat on my mind. Milk is the nourishing Love, mercy and Grace of God that gives us salvation. The love we are to show to our neighbors. The meat, As we grow as beleivers there are things we learn about our releastionship with and our responsibility to God. When I came to really understand this it changed the way I looked at 1 Timothy 4:1-3. All of God's teachings are created to be received with a thankfully heart by the faithfully who are in covenant with Adonai and know the truth about our responsibilities to God. There will be those who will forbide marriage and comand abstaining from our responsibilities to God.

Just my understanding. If it helps great if not toss it away.
 
Jennifer said:
Just observing today's modern feminist movement, it seems self centeredness, immorality and jealousy is cloaked in a veil of purity and holiness, .
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Amen! Self centerdeness is the biggest issue in the modern woman, Christian or otherwise. The bible studies and focus on being a "Christian woman" is all about...self. It's kind of gross to walk into a Christian bookstore or look online for women's bible studies. Yuck.
 
cnystrom said:
I believe it is a fundamental point that it is just as wrong to say something is a sin when it is not, as it is to say something is ok when it is a sin. Which is why the polygyny argument is so important even if one does not practice it personally.
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Agreed. Both cases violate Deu. 12:30ish that says do not add to or subtract from the commandments.

Making up new ones, like mono only, does both. It is the equivalent of standing judgment over God's law.
 
I have a feeling that we will see a strong “Christian vegan” movement in the near future.

#abstainfrommeat
 
Asforme&myhouse said:
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Funny! I told our children, as they were growing up, 'never name anything you plan to eat... unless the name reminds you of their purpose.'

We had steers named Sir Loin and Chuck. Chickens named Baked, Broiled and Tretrazini, but it was the dairy goats that became the favored pets because they stayed with us for years.
 
Ancient Paths said:
Funny! I told our children, as they were growing up, 'never name anything you plan to eat... unless the name reminds you of their purpose.'

We had steers named Sir Loin and Chuck. Chickens named Baked, Broiled and Tretrazini, but it was the dairy goats that became the favored pets because they stayed with us for years.
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Sir Loin, now that’s a name! Lol
 
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