FOR OUR MUSLIM FRIENDS
ONE WIFE? OR MORE THAN ONE?
First of all the Bible teaches that we are to obey the laws of the land
(I Peter 2:13). As I understand the laws of some nations, a man may take
more than one wife legally. So by taking more than one wife a Christian
is not in violation of man's law.
Secondly, the Bible teaches that we are to keep the covenants and vows
that we make (Ecclesiastes 5:4-5, Numbers 30:2, Deuteronomy 23:21, Malachi
2:14-16.
To answer the first question, should a man with three wives divorce two
of his wives? NO. HE SHOULD NOT DIVORCE ANY OF HIS WIVES. HE SHOULD STAY
WITH ALL THREE OF HIS WIVES.
He has made a covenant with all three of his wives before God and he
should pay his vows that he has made before God and stay with all three
of his wives and take care of them and his children. He is not violating
any law of man , and therefore he should keep his covenant he has made
with each wife before God.
We do know that the Jews in the early church had more than one wife as
the Old Testament Scriptures show that Solomon and others had more than
one wife. This was allowed by God but was not the Divine pattern as divorce
was not the divine pattern either but was allowed by God because of the
hardness of their hearts (Matthew 19:1-8).
The divine pattern is one man for one woman. The Lord made them male
and female, two became one flesh.
In the New Testament we see Paul saying in 1 Corinthians 7:2, "let
every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband."
Here we see one wife to one man, and one man to one wife.
We also see that the qualification for an Elder,Presbytery, Bishop, Overseer,
Pastor, Shepherd of the Church (These terms are all used interchangably
in Scripture) that he is to be the "Husband of one wife" (1
Timothy 3:2, Titus 1:6). The Elder or Bishop is leading the way as an
example to the church of what they are to be as a Christian. And the example
of what they are to be if they are married is the husband of ONE WIFE.
As we read in the New Testament Scriptures of the early church we know
that there were Jews who had more than one wife as they did so under the
law of Moses. As we read in the pages of the New Testament we do not see
the Apostle Paul telling them to divorce all of their wives and just keep
one of their wives. We do see the Apostle Paul saying that if any man
does not take care of his family he has denied the faith and is worse
than an infidel (1 Timothy 5:8). And we see the Apostle Paul teaching
that a man is to have ONE WIFE in order to be an Elder or Bishop.
So the conclusion to me seems to be this. If a man presently has more
than one wife he should not divorce any of his present wives but stay
married to them and take care of them and his children. He should keep
his vows and covenant he has made to them and to God. He should not take
any one else to be his wife if he is already married to a wife because
the pattern is to have but one wife. Under the New Covenant marriage is
to teach the relationship between Christ and the Church. There is one
Christ Savior and there is one church (Ephesians 5:31-32). So a man should
stay with the wives he has and not take any more as he is now striving
to follow the pattern of the New Testament.
If a man has more than one wife, he cannot be an Elder or Bishop or Pastor
in the church as the qualification fo that office is to have but ONE WIFE.
The Elder or Bishop or Pastor is to be a man with one wife therefore setting
the right example to the church of how marriage is to be, one man for
one woman.
Once eggs are scrambled it is hard to get them back together as one egg.
I understand the Scripture to be saying if you are married to more than
one wife stay in your present situation and keep your vows and covenants
you have made. And do not take anyone else as a wife and now follow the
New Testament Pattern of having One Wife. Teach your children to just
be married to one wife. And have your Elders in the church married to
one wife. Begin now to teach and practice the New Testament pattern, and
pay your vows that you have already made.
Posted on
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
by Scott Yearton