HEBRONICS.ORG

“He who made them at the beginning 'made them male and female” (Matt. 19:4). The Bbile reveals that from creation, there has not been any other marital plan, a part from “One man and one wife for life” (1 Cor. 7:2; Rom. 7:1-4). A serious Bbilbe student will know that this divine plan continued up to the seventh generation (Gen. 4:19-24). At this point it is clear that the sin of polygamy originated from a sinful family line. Many today do not consider polygamy as a sin, but what we should knw is that “...the way of man is not in himself; It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps” (Jer. 10:23). It is God who directs, but how? Through the scriptures (2 Tim. 3:16-17).

Today, if we talk of polygamy as a sin, many people in the world and even in the brotherhood congregations point out to us, people like Solomon Abraham and many others with complete disregard for the word of God. (Gen. 16:1-6; 26:34-35; 2 Chron. 11:18-21; Judges 8:30-35; 1 Kings 11:2-12). People who thinks that this practice is not a sin should take to heart what Jesus said in Matt. 19:5. After all, He is Jesus through whom everything was created (Jn. 1:1-3), He is the one who created everything and instituted all the divine plans for man to live on. He knows what is right, according to His plans. Polygamy is unlawful, whether people accept it or not. Truth is always true, even if only a minority accepts it. (Deut. 17:17; Exod 23:2)

Folks let us be ready to be directed by God’s Holy Scriptures. (2 Tim. 3:16-17). Why do we consider this act as a sin?

1. It is “…going beyond what is written” (1 Cor. 4:6)

2. It is “transgression and…not abide in the doctrine of Christ…” (2 Jn. 9). It is leaving God and Christ behind.

3. It is rejecting the truth and Christ (Jn. 12:48; 17:17). If the word of Christ is the truth, and Christ was the one said plainly the words which are against polygamy in Matt. 19, then denying this is a rejection of Christ.

4. Those who accept polygamy can’t “…worship Him in spirit and in truth” (Jn. 4:24), because they have already denied the truth. (Jn. 17:17; Matt. 19:5).

5. The offspring of the polygamy are not the “Godly offspring” (Mal. 2:15b; 2 Sam. 13:1-22). God’s divine plan of marriage, “one man one wife” (1 Cor. 7:2), gives a “Godly offspring” (Mal. 2:14-15).

6. polygamy is a source of family disunity and hence the breakdown of a home. (2 Chron. 11:3-8). This is obviously if anyone asks a polygamist, “What have they seen in your house [home]?” (Isa. 39:4). Faithful brothers will respond with different unsavory answers, such as adultery, disunity, irresponsibility, and many more.

7. It is a source of falling away from the grace of God. Solomon became one of the world’s most noted polygamists whom most folks point to when they talk about this sin, but at long last, he fell. (1 Kings 11:3). He was a good man before having all those wives, (1 Kings 3:11-21; 4:32; 10:24). God’s warning is very strong on this sin “Neither shall he multiply wives for himself, lest his heart turn away” (Deut. 17:17a). at any time one gets a second wife that is his fall. God’s command on marriage is one man and one wife (Mal. 2:14-15; Prov. 5:15-19; Jn. 4:16-18; Rom. 7:1-3; 1 Cor. 7:2-5).

8. Marital love can’t be shared “Then Jacob also went in to Rachel, and he also loved Rachel more than Leah” (Gen. 29:30), “Now Rehoboam loved Maachah the granddaughter of Absalom more than all his wives and his concubines; for he took eighteen wives and sixty concubines” (2 Chron. 11:21). Who can a polygamist die for? None but Christ died for His sole wife the church (Acts 20:28; Eph. 5:23-32) Brothers who do not speak against this Satanic scheme of taking people way from God are trying to “twist to their own destruction as they do also the rest of the Scriptures” (2 Pet. 3:16).

The verses they wrestle are:

1. “…as the Lord has called each one, so let him walk…Let each one remain in the same calling in which he was called…let each one remain with God in that state in which he was called.” (1 Cor. 7:17-24). Whatever a man did in contrast to God’s truth, such as having more than one wife must be stopped. This portion of the scripture is not talking about sinful life but social status of life such as slave to master, circumcision, but not living in sin. God commands people to “"Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place.” (Jer. 7:3-4)

2. “…I know that you did it in ignorance, as did also your rulers… these times of ignorance God overlooked…” (Acts 3:17,19; 17:30). Those who give out these verses do not go ahead reading the other next verses, such as act 3:19; 17:30b. If repentance is a change of mind and way of living, how can a polygamist remain in his sin?

3. “…the husband of one wife…” (1 Tim. 3:2). They say that only church leaders are required to have only one wife and that some may have been polygamist in the church. This can’t be true. An elder must be a husband of one wife to lead (shepherd) the rest of us to one man one wife for life. The church has been entrusted to the elders “to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood” (Acts 20:28), elders to lead by example “being examples to the flock” (1 Pet. 5:3). How can I lead folks to India but I have not been to India? For me to lead people there I must be there first. So elders must be one woman man to lead the church into that.

So as Elijah criticized the Jewish, God’s people; "And Elijah came to all the people, and said, 'How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, then follow him.' But the people answered him not a word" (1 Kings 18:21). Also in our time some are faltering between conflicting opinions. Some even advocate a faltering approach! Let us come back to the Father who knows all that man may be in need of and will give him.

(Benard Ooko Kagaga is a faithful minister of our Lord Jesus Christ and preaches for the Kalamindi church of Christ in Ndhiwa, Kenya)