Matthew 19:3 The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause? 4 And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, 5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? 6 Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. 7 They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away? 8 He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so. 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. 10 His disciples say unto him, If the case of the man be so with his wife, it is not good to marry. 11 But he said unto them, All men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given.
Will you contend with Jesus?
Jesus taught the truth, for those interested in knowing it.... here is what Jesus taught on this subject...He taught the way it was from the BEGINNING....... The same thing as in Malichi:
Matthew 19:44 And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, 5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?
God made them at the beginning MALE (singular-- ONE) and FEMALE, (also singular --ONE). For this cause shall a man leave father and mother and cleave to his WIFE, (singular; not wives, Plural); and they TWAIN, (means husband and wife --not several WIVES), shall be ONE FLESH.
He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so.
In the New Covenant, Jesus took it back to the beginning, when God made one wife for Adam. He said from the beginning IT WAS NOT SO. It was not for man to have more than ONE WIFE! Get it through your heads.
Malichi took it back to the beginning, with Adam and Eve. God made Adam only ONE WIFE, TO SEEK A GODLY SEED.
Jesus teaches this truth and the only acceptable way for the New Covenant Church. All the others, who had more than one, were walking in man's own ways and lusts of the flesh that was tolerated under the law. Why do you think God made the New Covenant? The law was a curse.
Titus 1:6If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly.
1 Timothy 3:2A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;
It is clear that those in Church leadership are to be monogamous (the 'husband of one wife' clause shows up in both statements of elder/deacon qualifications: 1 Tim 3.2 and Titus 1.6).....and they are EXAMPLES of how the REST OF THE MEN MUST LIVE! How do I know? Because God has said that He is no RESPECTOR OF PERSONS.
Romans 2:11
For there is no respect of persons with God.
I embrace full Bible truth. What I reject is false doctrine. Even in the Old Testament the Bible does not specifically say why God tolerated MULTIPLE WIVES. I believe He tolerated it to solve the problem of more women and less men, to multiply and replenish the earth...since the world was in a sinful state anyway. Jesus had not yet came in the flesh. From the beginning he made them male and female. The Bible says that God’s original intention was for one man to be married to only one woman, “For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife (not wives); and they shall become one flesh (not multiple fleshes)�?(Genesis 2:24). In Deuteronomy 17:14-20, that the kings were not supposed to multiply wives. This most definitely puts Solomon in direct disobedience against the Lord.
In the New Testament, 1 Timothy 3:2, 12 and Titus 1:6 give “the husband of one wife�?in a list of qualifications for spiritual leadership AND AN EXAMPLE TO THE REST OF THE MEN!!!! They apply equally to all Christians. Should not all Christians be “above reproach...temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money�?(See 1 Timothy 3:2-4)?
"If we are called to be holy (and we are), and if these standards are holy for elders and deacons, then they are holy for all. Ephesians 5:22-33, speaking of the relationship between husbands and wives, when referring to a husband (singular) always also refers to a wife (singular). “…for the husband is the head of the wife (singular) �?He who loves his wife (singular) loves himself. For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife (singular), and the two will become one flesh �?each one of you also must love his wife (singular) as he loves himself, and the wife (singular) must respect her husband.�?There is absolutely no allowance for polygamy for followers of Jesus Christ." excerpted from another site
It is not as much God disallowing something He previously allowed as it is God restoring marriage to His original intent. According to Genesis 2:24, MULTIPLE WIVES was not God’s original intent. God seems to have allowed MULTIPLE WIVES AFTER SIN ENTERED THE WORLD....to solve a problem�?FONT size=4>but it was God’s desire for the problem never to have occurred.
In our society there is absolutely no need for MULTIPLE WIVES. NONE. Except LUST OF THE FLESH! And it is unscriptural and against the NT laws of GOD! Polygamy/multiple wives for one man..... does not honor God. It brings a reproach on the church.
In the beginning God made them male and female. One man and one woman. They strayed from that after the SIN in the garden. When Jesus came and died for SINS of mankind, he set the record straight for one male and one female again.
In Old Testament, they practiced polygamy ..... after SIN entered in to the world. They had concubines, they stoned people to death, they done all manner of things....When Jesus came and died for SINS of mankind, he set the record straight again....for one male and one female again!
I fear that those who multiply wives or husbands and keep rejecting truth are adding sin to sin.....and it will face them in judgment.
Titus 1:6If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly.
1 Timothy 3:2A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;
God intended marriage to serve a purpose, a purpose with RESPECT to Himself ......to be a picture of His covenant with His people. God has intended ONE WIFE, ONE HUSBAND... That is your husband or wife in the bond of marriage. And no one else. All sexual relationships outside of the bond of marriage are destructive. It is a horrible sin against God. It is a horrible sin against yourself.
God is calling those of us who call ourselves “Believers�?to a higher standard of living for Him in our marriage. It is called a covenant.
God already knows the price that is to be paid for our obedience and He demands and deserves our obedience..... no matter what the cost. Are you at that point in your life where you are willing to do whatever it takes to honor God in your life? In your marriage? To the wife of your youth?
The Bible teaches us that our marriages on earth, are intended to be a picture of that relationship between God and His people in Christ.
God restores His people through repentance. He is the living God who is merciful and restores .....if we come to Him with a repentant heart. God says to His people, "Thou hast played the harlot with many lovers; yet return again to me, saith the LORD."