Featured Wives

It is a bit of a problem that the thread has wandered off topic.

What I desire is that the wisdom of the BB be brought to this topic that the issue which I perceive will soon impact the local assembly be well thought through and the assembly schooled in advance that there be no opportunity for confusion.

 

no doubt - what a father allows in minor, the child will usually take to excess.

I agree

Certainly, and often the consequences are far more sever.

 

This was my initial thinking, too.

I would think that the person who immigrated from that culture to the US would need to be guided into how this culture views the issue, too. Not only from the "legal" side of the matter, but the practical, of just doing business in the US. The assembly can be vital to the new believers in this process.

But, the assemblies throughout the world need (IMO) to begin a process of thinking through this issue, and perhaps even including written guides (guidelines) to prevent the enemy from gaining a foothold through confusion and disruption.

 

Addiction is really not the issue of this thread.

It isn't even truly about the multiple wives.

It is supposed to be about the assemblies response to new believers who don't have our standards, our culture, and our values - as most new believer do not.

It is about the impact upon the assembly and what steps need to be taken to guide, warn, educate, and extend believer fellowship to all of the assembly - including new believers who have yet to associate with the assembly.

It is about how those who are from different culture or backgrounds might be brought into the assembly in full fellowship that they may grow in wisdom and knowledge of Christ.

It isn't about trying to clean up what may in fact be doubtful as a disqualifying sin as you perceive it to be.

Certainly, a marriage to one person is the best, and personally, I think that is the most God honoring. But that is very far from stating the Scriptures consider that the patriarchs had broken and disqualifying fellowship with God because they were in some cases multiple wived.

Folks, the law given by God and written down by Moses was presented by a man who had ONE wife. Moses did not have multiple wives!

In my thinking, this is another indication of why Paul was so specific that the office of deacon and elder/bishop not be held by a person with multiple wives. The culture of the ancients did not hold as sinful multiple wives, but the church did not allow for those men to be in leadership.

 

I am so glad you "speak for God" seeing that you already agreed that the Scriptures are basically silent concerning the subject.

As far as what is legal - already dealt with in the OP.

As far as addiction issue - not an issue - The OP did not present an addiction issue. It is your assumption that there is some perversion (addiction) attached, the assumption is not given in Scriptures (again using your own admission of what the Bible does or doesn't address).

As far as cultural - no one gives one culture authority to establish the rightness and wrongness of another culture's practice. Only the Scriptures have that authority - and as you have admitted there is none on this issue.

As far as values - again, not your call. Paul had values conditioned by his experiences and upbringing that I do not and vice versa. For instance, Paul stated that there was to be no consideration given as to were the food and drink came, but frankly I value a kitchen that has passed health and safety codes.

As far as moral values - again, not your call. Scriptures have placed no moral "law" for one to claim superiority of view on this matter - at least none that has be shown so far.

As far as Spiritual values - that is the what this thread is attempting to address. What should the assembly and staff already prepare if they encounter new believers in this life style.
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The suggestions so far (that I recall) are:

To bust up the family unit and reeducate them to our cultural standard and what we consider is righteous in our eyes.

To allow the family unit to remain intact, teach them the Scriptures, and mold the young to understanding that the best is monogamy with a life long single partner.

To keep the family away from the assembly expressing fear that the youth might be "polluted" and not able to withstand some temptation.

To present the facts to the assembly, allow the family unit to grow in wisdom and knowledge of God and let the Holy Spirit do the work of molding everyone's life according to His purpose.

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I may have missed someone's offering, if I did please let me know.

Again, this thread is primarily to gather suggestions as to how folks are or do handle (missionaries for instance) the situation. Knowing that the trend is already emerging in the country (the US) the scenario will eventually be brought as an real issue before the assembly. Perhaps it is already a part in how the divorced classes are being taught by the acceptance of two divorced people getting married. (Which for those who have followed this thread know that I consider Christ gave no permission to allow but actually spoke against such)


Folks,

Unless someone misunderstand, in no way am I endorsing or suggesting that multiple partner marriages should be allowed, or acceptable for the believer. That is NOT God's desire any more than divorce and remarriage is His desire as expressed by Christ "Because of your hardness of heart Moses permitted you to divorce your wives; but from the beginning it has not been this way."

In my opinion, divorce happens because of a hardness of heart(s) rather than submission to God. But that is for another thread.

Also, although this thread has wandered off topic a bit, I would still like to hear from some of you who either have actual experience in your part of the world with the issue, or have some Scriptural insight to help in building the wisdom and knowledge of the believers.

Perhaps you have suggestions of literature in which wisdom may be gathered.

This thread isn't meant to cause division and separation, but to edify and encourage a preemptive work that the assembly not be caught "unaware."

 

Not long after posting the OP, I was reminded of an occasion in which the scenario was brought up.

I was visiting with a fellow believer a few years ago who discovered that one of the members and her husband were actually in this situation. The husband had an "African wife" who remained in Africa with the children. When he came to America he met the woman (not a believer at the time) and with the two's permission married they married. At that time, the couple were discussing bring the other wife to the US and what arrangements needed to be made.

Unfortunately for this thread, I have no idea what became of the situation. Other matters have long pressed the issue off the stove.

 

Really???

Show me the multiple wives of patriarchs were not family units.

By your statement, you are obligated to reconcile what you would then call their children.

You would label Solomon a what????

How about Joseph (one sold to traders), you would call him a what????

In fact does not the Scriptures state that Solomon had how many "wives" at the same time - and not one word of condemnation other than they were not all devout Jews.

Your statement about not being a "family unit" is Scripturally unsupportable, and your way of handling the situation presented in the OP has been to cause trauma and hurt to innocent children, denigrate the family as second class believers by actions that present them as not meeting some imposed and supposed standard of "being right with God," and placing unbelievable financial hardship and grief upon the adults.

Doubt that one, any or all those items are in any way righteous solutions to the OP.

 

Yep, and I bet if you asked Israel if he and Leah were "one flesh" he would say, "Certainly."

And if you asked him if Rachael and he were "one flesh" he would say, "For sure and for certain."

The Scriptures state that Jacob "AND HIS HOUSEHOLD" journeyed.

The attempt to use the words of the Lord Jesus Christ does not support what is intend in the above quote. Especially, when I posted that whole section Scripture and showed the appropriate application.

Settle your argument upon this Scripture about uniting with prostitutes.

1 Corinthians 6:

15Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take away the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? May it never be! 16Or do you not know that the one who joins himself to a prostitute is one body with her? For He says, “THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH.”
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Folks, I am not arguing against a single partner marriage being the best, however, some on this thread would actually deem as sin what the Scriptures do not declare a sin.

Throughout the Scriptures there has been shown not one passage of condemnation as sin the scenario of the OP.

Granted multiple partner marriage it is not the best, it is not the most preferred, but such statements are definitely not the same as proclaiming something or someone as abiding in sin.

Now, on the other hand, one who divorces and remarries is called an adulterer, and that is most certainly a sin.

 

You have yet to prove your point, and have actually admitted the Scriptures are silent.

This is no "gray area" and I am not flirting with heretical statements.

Can you actually show me any Scriptures that state folks in a polygamous marriage are to be separated when they become believers?

I would even accept some example given in the Scriptures - other than Ezra which is a completely different matter, and Paul's statement make Ezra's actions not applicable to the believer.

Unless you can show me by Scriptures that any of my statements are not Scriptural, your claims are nothing but froth.

Show me by Scriptures that I am wrong, and do not assume to claim as sinful what the Scriptures do not proclaim as sin.

No doubt! But that hasn't got much to do with the OP.

I do see that, and have seen it in action, too many times when the assembly takes your attitude. It is not only destructive to the life of new believers, but generally the assembly degenerates into scars that never heal.

Truly sorry you feel that way.

I'm not to worried about credibility on the BB - it doesn't mean much in the broad scheme of life.

What I am concerned about two areas:

1) that this thread spur the assemblies to at least consider how to handle the OP,
2)that the assembled to not take your attitude and assume to purchase Scriptures to proclaim as sinful, what the Scriptures don't state as sinful. In so many words, that the Assemblies remain aligned with the Word of God as truly their final authority.
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Unless you can show clear Scriptures for your view, it remains unsupported.

I have offered and shown Scriptures, and apparently that are ignored in assuming you are correct.

Show me by Scriptures that I am wrong, and I just might "drop it" I would even consider your suggestion as considerable.

But until then, the OP needs to be addressed by more than what you have offered, which would result in sever and horrible damage to the family unit.