WHY POLYGAMY IS UNACCEPTABLE! A response to the pro-polygamist statements at www.bfree.org by James Arthur Johnson 29 August 1997 *** NOTE ALL BIBLE REFERENCES ARE NIV-ENGLISH The Bible speaks of the one bride -- the collective of belivers. Each believer is not each a bride. All believers form ONE bride for Christ. Revelation 19:7 says, "Let us rejoice and be glad and give Him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready." All of her parts are belonging to the husband -- that is, to Christ, but she is one body and many parts. We are one body and many parts. In 1 Corinthians 12:12 the Bible says, "The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ." Notice, "one body" and "unit" are the words used. The believers -- the BRIDE of Christ -- are many, but are ONE UNIT -- ONE BRIDE, not one of many brides. A few verses later in 1 Corinthians 12:20, it says, "As it is, there are many parts, but one body." To the pro-polygamists, I ask, "What about commitment?" That is, what about one man committing to one woman and vice versa? Polygamy is when one man has many wives or one woman has many husbands. Christ (husband figure) has His ONE bride, His church (bride figure) -- all of those who believe. Polygamy would suggest a Christ with more than one collective of believers. Certainly there are different Christian churches, but we are united in ONE body -- ONE collective -- ONE bride. The flip side would be the idea of the spiritual bride -- the Church -- with many husbands -- a church with many "Christ's" or gods -- WHOAH! Now, that is wrong. Ephesians 4:4-6 states, "There is one body and one Spirit-- just as you were called to one hope when you were called--one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all." Further, there is neither Greek nor Jew, slave or free in Christ. God shows no favoritism (cannot remember verse). If a man had many wives, he would certainly show some favoritism of one wife over another. The man, unlike God, is imperfect. God does not have collectives from which He favors one over the other. God loves His people all equally. He loves non-believers just as much, but the non-believers are not His bride. The believers are His ONE bride. Where do I get the idea of the Church as the bride and Christ as the bridegroom? Continue on. Ephesians 5:21-33 says, "Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church--for we are members of his body. "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh." This is a profound mystery--but I am talking about Christ and the church. However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband." I EMPHASIZE: "This is a profound mystery--but I am talking about Christ and the church." The mystery, as you read above, is how the husband and wife become one. Genesis 2:24 states, "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh." Note that is refers to a singular man and a singular wife. The TWO (not many) shall be as one. Pro-polygamists argue that God's model is 1+1=1. This is sound spiritually, but they don't understand the 1+1. They take 1+1+1=1 because (1+1)+1=1 is (1)+1=1 based on the definition. What they miss is that the 1+1=1 or the (1+1) is exclusive. Two wives and one husband cannot become one. The two wives are not biologically made to be one with one another. Only one man and one woman in a given moment can become one (sex). Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 states, "Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken." The best is with three. This allows room for three: Christ, the husband, and the wife. If there is husband, wife 1, and wife 2, then where is Christ? Paul says that it is better not to marry, so why would marrying multiple times be promoted? 1 Corinthians 7:1 says, "Now for the matters you wrote about: It is good for a man not to marry." But Paul is not against marriage in that he was inspired to write in 1 Corinthians 7:2, "But since there is so much immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband." This verse says some interesting things that could be applied against polygamy. First, "each man . . . his own wife . . . each woman . . . her own" suggests one man for each woman and one woman for each man. A one man - one woman marriage relationship is monogamy, not polygamy. Proverbs 18:22 states, "He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the LORD." Note: He who finds A WIFE -- one, singular person. Further in 1 Corinthians 7:3-4, it says, "The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband. The wife's body does not belong to her alone but also to her husband. In the same way, the husband's body does not belong to him alone but also to his wife." This further promotes monogamy in that one wife belongs to the one husband and vice versa. If there were multiple wives, then the one husband would be divided in who "owned" his body. This is disunity! And according to the Bible, a house divided against itself will not stand. See the words of Jesus in Mark 3:24. 1 Corinthians 7:27-34 does not seem to speak in a tone that is favorable of polygamy: "Are you married? Do not seek a divorce. Are you unmarried? Do not look for a wife. But if you do marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. But those who marry will face many troubles in this life, and I want to spare you this. What I mean, brothers, is that the time is short. From now on those who have wives should live as if they had none; those who mourn, as if they did not; those who are happy, as if they were not; those who buy something, as if it were not theirs to keep; those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away. I would like you to be free from concern. An unmarried man is concerned about the Lord's affairs-- how he can please the Lord. But a married man is concerned about the affairs of this world--how he can please his wife--and his interests are divided. An unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the Lord's affairs: Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world--how she can please her husband." The pro-polygamists speak of Adam and Eve being husband and wife and not having the government interfere with their marriage. They argue this because they see the government's ban on polygamy as man putting his own law above God's. This is preposterous! Adam and Eve were monogamous, so I don't see why they are referring to them for an argument. Adam and Eve lived in Eden--a practically perfect paradise. No government was needed because God was the government so to speak. After the fall of man, mankind rebelled against God (including His government). The pro-polygamists further use the truth that God is the same yesterday, today, and always, for their own gain. It is true that God is constant (cannot recall verse right now). Pro-polygamists, however, cannot soundly use this to support polygamy that occurs in the Old Testament culture. Adam and Eve were a monogamous couple, so you have monogamy versus polygamy, NOT full support of polygamy as pro-polygamists say. Adultery is having sex with someone else's spouse or having sex with someone who is not your spouse. Polygamists would say they satisfy the second part of that definition, but they definitely do not satisfy the first part of the definition (having sex with someone else's spouse). Let me show you why: If wife 2 has sex with her husband who is also married to wife 1, then wife 2 has had sex with wife 1's husband. Thus, wife 2 has had sex with another woman's husband and according to definition, has commited adultery, something the Bible clearly states throughout its pages as wrong. Pro-polygamists argue that the number of women is greater than the number of men. This is true. But the idea of those women *all* wanting sex, children, marriage, etc., is not only false, but it does not justify polygamy. What about self-control? What about independent women? What about those called to celibacy? What about God's plan? What about the shorter lifespan of men and widows remarrying? Polygamy is NOT the answer. Polygamy is NOT a law of God. Pro-polygamists say that the law furthers polygamy because when a married man has sex with an unmarried woman, he must marry her. Further they say that if a man dies, he is to take care of his brother's wife. I can agree with that, but taking care of her does not mean that the surviving brother (who is married) has to marry her. Yet, they say this demands polygamy. The Bible states that we are not to repay evil for evil (cannot remember verse). Shall I give into temptation that it will then be gone? No, I resist the devil that he may flee from me (See James 4:7). Shall I sin that grace may abound? Absolutely NOT! See Romans 5:20-6:2. If my father told me to murder my neighbor, what would I do? Would I honor my father and kill my neighbor or would I spare my neighbor and dishonor my father? I would spare my neighbor and dishonor my father. Have I done wrong? The law demands that I honor my father, and the law demands that I not kill. Yet, either way I go on this one, I have broken a law, or have I? Would sparing my neighbor and thus dishonoring my father be sinful in God's eyes? Somehow I doubt it! Regarding the married man who has sex with an unmarried woman: Don't make excuses for polygamy or be bound by the law in a way to forsake the greater good as one would have done if he or she had not kept the mind of God in the example where the father said to kill the neighbor. How about the married man NOT have sex with an unmarried woman in the first place, and IF he does, what about forgiveness and repentance? Why resort to polygamy! Forgiveness and repentance are the types of things that save (ultimately grace through faith in Jesus Christ), NOT POLYGAMY. AGAIN: POLYGAMY IS NOT THE ANSWER! Pro-polygamists speak of polygamy as beneficial in that it allows one man to have many wives. It is one-sided and unfair! What about the feelings of the woman? What about a woman who does not what to share the husband's body (which belongs to her as supported by scripture above) with another woman? What about a woman who wants affection but must yield to another wife! What about the wife's feelings? The pro-polygamists futher say that the Bible does not say anything about polygamy being wrong. This is a poor argument. The Bible never says anything about drug abuse being wrong either, but as I have stated, there are verse which answer questions about both polygamy and drug abuse. Drunkenness is abusing alcohol -- a form of substance abuse. Ephesians 5:18 and many other verses speak against being drunk, which means the Bible speaks against substance abuse. Further, the Bible refers to the body as the temple of the Holy Spirit in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20: "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body." So, the Bible does not directly say anything about drug abuse, but it says enough to conclude that it is wrong. The same is true for polygamy. The Bible never obviously condones polygamy. Yet, there is still a question for some. The Bible, however, calls us to flee from even the sight of evil. Ephesians 4:27 states, "and do not give the devil a foothold." Well, what about Moses, Solomon, and the others who had many wives? First, polygamy is not some unforgiveable sin. Second, they had slavery back in those days which is deemed as unacceptable now. But God doesn't change. Yes, He does not change. What changes is our relationship to Him. When mankind fell, we chose to go our own way -- slavery, polygamy, our governments, our sin. Am I condemning Moses and Solomon? NO! But they have sinned and fallen short just as we all have. I am putting forth that polygamy is unacceptable and should be strived against.