Faith writes:
Yes, it doesn't say the polygamy itself was the cause of judgment but the idolatrous results of it.
no, not really. i mean, yes, solomon had a lot of wives. but the judgment is on the whole kingdom. and besides, there are clear cases of where marriage (even single, solitary, one-man-one-woman marriage) brings about idolatry (ie: ahab and jezebaal). that part of the bible is much more concerned with
foreign wives than multiple wives.
Nevertheless we've always understood that polygamy is a sin even though practiced by early Israelites
well, thing is, i didn't even reference the
early israelites. though much of that narrative is fictional anyways, it's clear that in some sense you're correct and that things that happen in genesis can't be read as the bible condoning those things.
no, i specifically stuck to what
the law actually says about marriage.
keep in mind also that genesis 2/3 is part of that same pattern. it is adam's marriage to eve that brings about his disobedience to yahweh.
There is also a verse somewhere that I can't find right now that says that a person is not an adulterer if he or she remarries after the death of the spouse but otherwise is considered to be an adulterer.
yes, and it's clear that jesus is interpreting the law, the way that a rabbi might. and that's fine -- christianity has a clear perspective on what marriage should be, and the early church fathers all roundly condemned polygamy. my statements are only meant to criticize what you describe
the law as saying. clearly
the law allows for polygyny.
I assume, however, that the polygamies were also part of God's judgment just because sin is the cause of judgment
the law does not describe it as a sin, though. seriously. find me the commandment somewhere between genesis 1:1 and deuteronomy 34:12 that says that a man shall not take two wives.
the wages of sin is death
i know paul says this, but the law does not command death for every sin. i think paul's statement is more along the lines of death being a product of sin in general, as death was allowed to take hold of man upon his exit from eden, and removal from the tree of life. so i think you're misreading, here.
Edited by arachnophilia, : No reason given.
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