Bible On Polygamy | Allowed or Not?

Bismillah Hir Rehman Ir Raheem
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In today's society the polygamy is banned in many Christians countries some of the countires which prohibits polygamy are:

1. America
2. Ghana
3. Poland
4. Germany
5. United Kingdom and many other countries had banned or restrict polygamy in their terrtiory

United States: The practice is illegal in all 50 states. Over a century ago, citizens of the self-governing territory of what is present-day Utah were forced by the United States federal government to abandon the practice of polygamy through the vigorous enforcement of several Acts of Congress. They eventually complied. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints formally abolished the practice in 1890, in a document labeled 'The Manifesto'. Among American Muslims, a small minority of around 50,000 to 100,000 people are currently in illegal polygamous relationships.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legal_status_of_polygamy#Countries_that_recognize_polygamous_marriages

Despite the fact that Bible allowed polygamy, it is banned in many christian countries let me proof the biblical polygamy today.

Bible Allowed Polygamous Marriages: (Old Testeament)

Genesis 4:19 And Lamech took unto him two wives.


Deuteronomy 21:15 If a man have two wives, one beloved, and another hated....


Judges 8:30 And Gideon had threescore and ten sons of his body begotten: for he had many wives.


1 Samuel 1:1-2 Elkanah ... had two wives; the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah.


1 Chronicles 4:5 And Ashur the father of Tekoa had two wives, Helah and Naarah.


2 Chronicles 11:21 Rehoboam ... took eighteen wives, and threescore concubines.


2 Chronicles 24:3 Jehoiada took for him two wives....


2 Chronicles 13:21 But Abijah waxed mighty, and married fourteen wives..


We can conclude from the above verses that Bible allowed Polygamy without any restrictions more over, King Solomon had 700 wives according to the Bible

1 Kings 11:3 "He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines, and his wives led him astray."


As we clearly see in 1 Kings 11:3, the marriage of multiple wives by itself is not sinful and was never condemned.  It was Solomon's marriage from the pagan women that was prohibited by GOD Almighty, because they were idol worshipers, and it resulted for him to be led astray and follow their pagan gods.  I don't see any specific condemnation of polygamy in general in this verse what so ever!  I mean the Bible's Old Testament (since 1 Kings 11:1-4 exist in the Old Testament) is crystal clear about allowing polygamy: "If a man has two wives, and he loves one but not the other, and both bear him sons" (From the NIV Bible, Deuteronomy 21:15)  How much more clearer can it get?

Do Paul's 1 Timothy 3:2 and 1 Timothy 3:12 prove that polygamy is prohibited for all Christains in Bible?


"Now the overseer [some translations have it as "bishop"] must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach"  Bible, 1 Timothy 3:2

"A deacon must be the husband of but one wife and must manage his children and his household well" Bible, 1 Timothy 3:12

As we clearly see in those two verses, only church ministers and religious leaders are prohibited from practicing polygamy according to the Bible. There is no mention for ordinary people or general population. So unless every Christian in Christianity is considered a "bishop", "deacon", "priest" or a "minister", then these two verses are without a doubt irrelevant!

They do not disprove polygamy in the Bible at all! In fact if anything, they prove my point about polygamy being allowed in the Bible for the ordinary! Here we clearly see Paul indirectly addressing the practice of polygamy among the "believers", who are the religious leaders so that perhaps they can have better time and dedication for the church. A man with 10 wives would be too busy for anything and everything.

Some Christians believe that the Old Testament prohibited Polygamy. Is it true?


Bible States in Deuteronomy 17:16-17 (From New American Version)
" Only he must not acquire many horses for himself or cause the people to return to Egypt in order to acquire many horses, since the Lord has said to you, ‘You shall never return that way again.’  And he shall not acquire many wives for himself, lest his heart turn away, nor shall he acquire for himself excessive silver and gold. "


According to some Christians, They belief that the particular verse prohibited Polygamy among Christians but they are absolutely wrong, It only prohibited King not to marry many womans, it doesn't states the limit nor it provide the numbers of wives he can marry. It prohibited the king to marry many but on the other hand he can get marry to few woman.
"Many wives" clearly proves: (1) The person can have multiple wives, but not too much; and (2) It doesn't limit marriage to only one wife.  I don't know where do you see the verse limiting marriage to only one wife.

Polygamy in New Testeament:


Quoting verses from KJV version :
Source : http://www.biblegateway.com/

Ephesians 5:22
Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.


Ephesians 5:25
Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;


Remember wives means plural and it doesn't condemn it to have where as bible commands wives to submit themselves to their husbands.

Now let us Examine some verses which Christians think prohibit polygamy
"But because of immoralities, each man is to have his own wife, and each woman is to have her own husband. The husband must fulfill his duty to his wife, and likewise also the wife to her husband." - 1 Corinthians 7:2-3 NASB

This verses had nothing to do with Polygamy. This verse only talks about husband and a wife. Furthermore, it also commands the husband to fullfill their duties to their wife. This verses doesn't command man not to have more wife then one. A husband (man) can fulfill his duties to two wives as well.
For Sure there is no direct verse in the Bible which banned or prohibit polygamy and, we can see that it was allowed in Old Testeament as King Solomon had 700 wives.

Let us Examine some more verses:

Luke 16:18
Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery.


Mark 10:11
And he saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her.


Matthew 19:9
And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.


The key thing to note here is that this argument fails if polygamy is acceptable! Jesus' point is that improper divorce does not nullify a marriage, and if the first marriage still stands, then a "second" marriage is adultery--and NOT simply 'polygamy'! This is very clear. 
Many claim that these verses prohibit Christians for polygamy where as these verses only talks about adultery. This verse says nothing about polygamy. It's talking about divorce. Jesus is denouncing the practice of men divorcing their wives for lame reasons so they could trade her in for a newer model. If Jesus were referring to polygamy, that would mean that every man who is divorced and remarried is a polygamist
Here are some Christian sites which allows Polygamy:

http://www.biblicalpolygamy.com/

http://www.christianpolygamy.com/

http://www.truthbearer.org/

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