QUERIES AND ANSWERS

By Nana Yaw Aidoo

As a volunteer teacher at the "International Bible Teaching Ministries" (you can follow this link to enroll on the course; http://www.ibtministries.org/pagevw.php?pgid=bcc.htm), I get to correspond with people from all over the world. In addition to grading their assignments, these students get the opportunity to ask whatever bible questions that they'd like answers to. Recently, one such student sent me the question, "Is Polygamy A Sin?" I hereby submit my response to him, with little modification, in hope that it'd help someone come to a knowledge of God's will on the issue.

ANSWER:

As touching your question on whether or not Polygamy is a sin, the question that first needs to be answered is, "what is sin?" Sin is according to the scriptures, the transgression of law (1 John 3:4; Romans 4:15).

If so, then what is God's law on marriage? Genesis 2:24, which is the beginning of the institution of marriage says; "Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh". Jesus Christ when quoting this particular text, instead of using "they", rather used "the two" (Matt.19:4-6). He didn't say "the three" or "the four" but "the two". It's evident then that God's law on marriage is that one man should have one woman for life (Rom.7:1-3). To have another wife whiles your original wife is alive is adultery. Therefore, to trangress this law is sin, according to the definition of sin as is given in inspired writ.

The first time we see Polygamy in the world is Genesis 4:19. Apparently, the phrase "took unto him" as used in the text, has the idea of one who has taken the law into his own hands. Adam Clarke wrote of Lamech; "He was the first who dared to reverse the order of God by introducing polygamy; and from him it has been retained, practiced, and defended to the present day" (Clarke's Commentary on Genesis 4:19).

Polygamy never was and never has been God's will. That the likes of David and Solomon and all those heroes of faith, practiced polygamy does not mean God approved of it. The bible, in addition to being God's will for man, is also a book of history, inspired history that is. Thus, it records both the good and bad of its heroes. Abraham lied in Genesis 20. We can't say because it was Abraham, then lying is good. Lying is dead wrong and Abraham sinned by lying. And so the practice of polygamy was not God's will as seen in Genesis 2:24 and it's practice by the heroes of faith does not make it right.

Nonetheless, in that period which some bible students have termed "the moonlight age of the world", God tolerated so many things. Things like the institution of kings (Hosea 13:11), instrumental praise (Amos 6:5) and divorce without cause (Matt.19:7-8). Polygamy was also tolerated. However, even though God tolerated these things, He didn't allow the people to practice them as they pleased and so He regulated those things which He tolerated, polygamy included.

However, in the "sunlight age of the world", which is the post-resurrection age, God no longer overlooks such things (Acts 17:30-31). Jesus Christ on the marriage question pointed the Pharisees to the beginning of the world and said all those corruptions were allowed because of the hardness of the hearts of men, "but from the beginning it was not so" (Matt.19:8).

God Almighty commands each person to have his or her own spouse (1 Cor.7:2). You sure know a woman cannot claim a man as exclusively hers, when she shares the man with another woman.

Dear friend, the bottom line is that Polygamy is a sin because it goes against God's marriage law, which is for one man to have only one woman for life.

Hope I helped.

[If you'd like to correspond with me on any bible issue or you'd like a bible answer to a bible question, then please send me an email - aidoo.nanayaw@gmail.com].

God bless us all in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.