[This post continues a series of posts entitled 'A Biblical Catechism on Sex and Marriage'. The intention is to provide basic material for further instruction by a trusted teacher of God's Word in a church that is committed to Biblical authority. The Church’s mission is to invite all people to live under God’s righteous rule.]
Question
9. Does the Bible allow polygamy, concubinage, and levirate marriage?
Answer: The creation mandate to be fruitful and multiply
(Genesis 1:28) largely accounts for Old Testament practices of polygamy, concubinage,
and levirate marriage in ancient Israel that are no longer practiced by
Christians.
Comment 1: Polygamy
is marriage where a person has more than one spouse at the same time. Polygyny refers to a husband having more than
one wife—a practice found in the Old Testament (and never a wife having more
than one husband—polyandry.) Concubinage
is when a husband also has sexual relations with his wife’s maid servants. Both polygamy and concubinage are permanent relationships
(a man would not, e.g., have sexual relations with a married maid
servant). These were cultural practices
in Old Testament times. They are not
sinful practices even if no longer practiced or even advisable. They do not stem from the theology of ‘one
flesh’ in Genesis 2:24, but can relate to being fruitful and multiplying
(Genesis 1:28).
Comment 2: The
main purpose of polygamy or concubinage seems to be to multiply the size of the
family. Thus these arrangements were in
fulfillment of the creation mandate. In ‘levirate
marriage,’ where the widow of a deceased man with no offspring could become the
wife of his nearest kin, the purpose was to maintain property within the clan
and to raise up children in the name of the deceased man (cf. Ruth and
Boaz). Thus these arrangements are more
related to the early years of Israel, and are not noted in the New
Testament. Christians have usually
opposed such practices, especially as they can place stress on the loving
relationship of one man and one woman in a marriage.
Comments 3: Polygamy
and concubinage are a permanent, marital relationship, as with any marriage and
unlike having a mistress. A wife was
given to a man by her father, whereas concubines were servants given to the man
by the man’s wife. Concubines might be
considered wives of lower status, but they, too, had a permanent relationship
to the head of the household. The story
of Abraham dismissing Hagar is not meant as a positive example (Genesis 16). Polygamy was not practiced as a form of
divorce, when the husband was tired of the first wife (cf. Deuteronomy
21:15-17).
Comment 4: The
polygamy of Israelite kings was a matter of status (2 Samuel 5:13) and/or
political (1 Kings 11:1-3), a Middle Eastern practice of making treaties by
marriage. The practice is viewed
unfavourably in Scripture (Deuteronomy 17:17; 1 Kings 11:1-8).
Comment 5: As
polygamy, concubinage, or levirate marriage were not practices in Paul’s day or context, his words about an
overseer, elder, or deacon being the husband of one wife do not refer to this
practice. As Paul encourages younger
widows to remarry, he is also not referring to remarriage. Thus, he must be restricting these roles in
the church to persons who have not divorced and remarried. (See Question 10.)
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