Is multiple wives (polygamy) a sin in moderation?

[gordon 2]

When Abram acted to rescue... did he by faith consult scripture? Or did he by faith raise his hand to the Lord? Now for Christ are we not to Abram's faith, renewed? And when Abram raised his hand to the Lord was it to check his own mind or his own heart as to what to do? So when Abram acted to rescue, was his commission fundamentally from scripture? What was Abram's authority?

That Abram sought no pay even from the King of Sodom lest it be our heritage that by such a king Abram is made rich? Was it scripture or God who made Abram's heart to sound his mind as to commissions and the inclusion of people in his life? Why do we know Abram as rich when he refused riches, or as a man of God and not as a man of scripture--- Abram's hand not put to scripture but lifted up to God.

 

[SemperFiDawg]

Do you really think that's what he's doing?

Why do I see it so differently?

Now, the question of whether one should employ such a "provocative" method, and the motive for such provocation might be questionable, but all I see is a man getting others to consider whence certain convictions about certain matters arise. Even if leaving all practicality aside (what does one "teach" when confronting a culture in which polygamy is not presumptively forbidden?) the deeper question remains...how much of what we off handedly assume...is either based in scripture, or forbidden specifically by it?
We may never find ourselves preaching in such a culture (regardless that some surely do) and the whole of this particular question may seem moot. But the deeper matter from where convictions arise, remains. Are we simply working from (in this case) "western traditions" or if called to, will we teach according to the Lord's instructions...or our own persuasions?

Oh, don't misunderstand, this is always a central issue, do any "speak for (in) the Lord"? Do all? None?

May all? I don't find any prohibition to that, but even an exhortation..."Let him who speaks speak as the oracles of God". A man convicted in truth of what he speaks...bearing both responsibility to his words and not much "this way and that" in such speculations that the whole of the church now suffers. It's a great way to learn stuff. Will we bear with grace the opprobrium speaking in the Lord must bring? Touching matters the Lord may want touched?

Or are we so naive as to imagine the church "today" (or is it merely pride?) sits forward on its pew just waiting eagerly to hear all the Lord instructs? If so, it puts the lie to far too much of what the scripture speaks...(and probably speaks of our own assumptions)

But, there remains the question..."who are the one(s)" who will not endure sound doctrine? Who will heap to themselves teachers? Who will experience the famine of hearing? Who will teach the traditions of men as the commandments of God? Who will be the "put out" while others say "let God be glorified?" Who may bend, who may break, who may stand? Who will betray brother to death? Will we, like Peter, simply assume..."that could never be...me?" But who will hear a Lord say we know what we do believe..."we speak what we do know"...and not just in mimic repeat it? Can any? Can all? Mimics are not without hope...but...when shown mimics, have they a better hope?

A sign appointed to the rise and fall of many in Israel...


Right it is we get probed. Tested. Jesus endured it. None of us has yet suffered having a loved one poke their hand into us. Or invited one to. Or...have we?


The measure of maturity is in precise measure to the bearing of contradiction. Me? I don't like it much...but admitting that is wholly due to seeing the deeper cost of being a liar.

Probably as much as, and no less than the worst, I have yet certain authority issues...of being told "how things are". But dads do that, and good dads never let up.

Good dads the Lord called evil, not for the shaming, but for the reproof to a better sight of the true Father.

but all I see is a man getting others to consider whence certain convictions about certain matters arise.

Whence???? Is the Lord disjointed,..... double minded,.... vague or ambiguous; is his Spirit which testifies to our spirit. Does His Spirit write contradicting laws on the hearts of various individuals? Come on Man. There is one Truth and those who understand His heart are not confused regarding His will.

 

[SemperFiDawg]

It is unwise to place questions of what is and isn't a command of Scripture in the category of things "a true Christian would never ask." When Jesus was tempted by the devil, he answered, "It is written ..." If Jesus can be tempted in every way and yet not sin, yet gave us the example of using Scripture to answer temptation, we can regard it as OK to seek specific Scriptures to answer specific temptations.

I'd go so far as to observe that purported Christians who look diligently for what IS and IS NOT actually in Scripture are more noble and likely to be genuine. Fake Christians are more like the toddlers who put their fingers in their ears when their parents give an instruction - they prefer not to know where the boundaries are - thinking this makes them less accountable.

Further, one would be in error to judge motives for understanding the real commands of Scripture to be an inclination to justify sin. A lot of my posts in this thread and others are about fulfilling the Great Commission to "teach everything" God commanded without making the yoke of following Jesus to heavy by adding religious traditions to God's actual commands. I've also pointed out our need as Christians to understand what does and does not constitute sexual immorality to effectively implement the instructions of 1 Corinthians 5 relating to separating from other purported Christians who are persistently unrepentant in their sexual immorality.

There is lots of dead legalism in American Christianity. If we are not willing to address the hard questions regarding what Scripture actually instructs and what are human additions, we don't have a lot of hope of life. And even if we manage some semblance of life in our churches, we'll still be turning lots of people off to the gospel by retaining human traditions and teaching them as God's instructions.

]It is unwise to place questions of what is and isn't a command of Scripture in the category of things "a true Christian would never ask."

What is unwise is to believe you are saved, all the while attempting to scriptural validate earthly desires. Your desires serve the purposes of the one you serve.

 

[NE GA Pappy]

Drummerboy still waiting on an answer to my question in post #27

 

[LittleDrummerBoy]

Drummerboy still waiting on an answer to my question in post #27

Have you tried a search on BibleGateway? Exact quotes are easy to find for anyone with internet access. Even a Google search brings it up in a few seconds.

 

[NE GA Pappy]

Have you tried a search on BibleGateway? Exact quotes are easy to find for anyone with internet access. Even a Google search brings it up in a few seconds.

if it is so easy, why don't you pop it in there and quote the reference?

 

[NE GA Pappy]

 

[NE GA Pappy]

It seems to me you have made a doctrine over a simple statement from Paul, not a command from God .

 

[gordon 2]

The context of 1 Corinthians 4:6 is possibly Paul's heart, or the Christian heart and what Christ has "written" in Paul's heart and in the Christian heart and not what is written elsewhere.

Jeremiah 31: 33

"This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time," declares the LORD. "I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.

It seems to me that this is more in keeping with Paul's makeup and appeal to the Corinthians who are vexed as who to follow Apollo or Paul. Paul demonstrates that both Apollo and himself...operate from deep and intimate convictions who's source is the same. (And that source is not scripture.) So 4:6 cannot apply to scripture.

So what Paul might be saying is do not descend from the genius of being in Christ by judging"the way" as the worldly judge themselves or with their standards-- we have a different standard from a law written in our hearts.

Perhaps...

So the noble and the genuine from Paul is not from scripture, it is from his life, his person, as a Christian. Paul does not go beyond what is written in his heart by God and in this we should look to imitate, we who have the same writing.

 

[LittleDrummerBoy]

It seems to me you have made a doctrine over a simple statement from Paul, not a command from God .

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You make a good point that from this single verse, my interpretation may be allowed from Scripture, but may not be demanded by it. But deeper discussion seems like a rabbit trail deserving it's own topic.

Time permitting, I'll start a new topic with the question that boils down to, "When making disciples and teaching everything Jesus commanded in fulfillment of the great commission, should Christians limit ourselves to instructions actually found in Scripture? Or do Christians have the freedom to add our own traditions and wisdom to God's commands as found in Scripture?"

My view is that Scripture has much more to say than the single verse that I quoted, but that the verse I quoted is an accurate summary.