Biblical Studies

Interpreting Scripture Through a Tainted Lens

No one is without bias when reading and interpreting Scripture. We all come from different cultures, backgrounds, and denominations. Some of us have learned certain biblical teachings since childhood and have held onto them with deep conviction. But what if some of these teachings are wrong? Have we dared to ask this question? Conversely, what if some of these teachings are right, and they have now been compromised? As an American, I have seen my culture drastically change over the last two decades, and the Western church has often sailed along with it. It is possible that we do not even realize it, but that is the ultimate problem. In many ways, it has become more important to be politically correct than to uphold truth. Social justice has taken the place of meeting the needs within the church. Feminism has caused dissension within the home and the church. Homosexuality has become acceptable within certain denominations, and even practiced by some leaders. Why are these changes occurring? Is it because we are reading Scripture through the tainted lens of our culture, seeing what we want to see? Do we place the constant change of culture above the Word of God? It is necessary to consider that what may seem controversial to us may be clear in Scripture, and what may seem foreign and supposedly sinful may be acceptable in Scripture.

While many controversial topics have been heavily studied in light of Scripture, polygamy has received little scholarly attention. If you read a commentary on passages involving polygamy, you will often discover that the verdict is clear from the start: polygamy was never God’s intention. It’s stated as a fact and rarely debated. But what about polygamous men and women in the Bible who are described as being righteous? It’s as if their spiritual quality is overlooked or written off as less important compared to their foreign (or barbaric) marriage practice. However, I ask you to consider if God calls just anyone righteous? In reading the Old Testament it is obvious that God’s chosen people did not act righteously most of the time, and they were judged and punished many times over. There’s no gray area for God when it comes to sin. He is merciful and gracious, yes, but when people live a lifestyle of disobedience they are severely disciplined and eventually cut off if no change occurs. So why not David? He had many wives but was blessed and protected by God. He is not judged harshly by God until he decides to commit adultery with Bathsheba and murder her husband to keep it quiet. (Adultery and murder, not polygamy.) As a result of his sin, his first child with Bathsheba dies and his household is filled with strife from that day forward. But David repents as soon as he is confronted with his sin and is described as a man after God’s own heart. He is a man concerned about his spiritual condition and that of his household. Is that not something worth considering when searching for biblical truth?

Consider a different cultural example. According to the law of Moses, Jews were not supposed to eat certain kinds of meat because of the impurity of the animal:

“Nevertheless, you are not to eat of these, among those which chew the cud, or among those which divide the hoof: the camel, for though it chews cud, it does not divide the hoof, it is unclean to you. Likewise, the shaphan, for though it chews cud, it does not divide the hoof, it is unclean to you; the rabbit also, for though it chews cud, it does not divide the hoof, it is unclean to you; and the pig, for though it divides the hoof, thus making a split hoof, it does not chew cud, it is unclean to you. You shall not eat of their flesh nor touch their carcasses; they are unclean to you.” ~ Leviticus 11:4-8 NASB

This may seem preposterous to us because, really, what would we do without bacon? But the Jews were to follow these instructions to the letter. These animals (plus many more, keep reading in Lev. 11) must not be eaten. These instructions became so ingrained in Jewish culture that God uses them to teach Peter a life-changing lesson in Acts 10:

“On the next day, as they (people from Cornelius’ household) were on their way and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour to pray. But he became hungry and was desiring to eat; but while they were making preparations, he fell into a trance; and he saw the sky opened up, and an object like a great sheet coming down, lowered by four corners to the ground, and there were in it all kinds of four-footed animals and crawling creatures of the earth and birds of the air. A voice came to him, ‘Get up, Peter, kill and eat!’ But Peter said, ‘By no means, Lord, for I have never eaten anything unholy and unclean.’ Again a voice came to him a second time, ‘What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy.’ This happened three times, and immediately the object was taken up into the sky.” ~ Acts 10:9-16 NASB

The Lord knew what Peter considered to be unclean because He Himself gave the Jews their law. But not only is the Lord declaring food to no longer be unclean, but more importantly, He’s declaring that the Gentiles are no longer to be considered unclean because He has cleansed them. At the moment Peter receives his revelation, members of Cornelius’ household (who is a centurion) are on their way to speak with him. They had received a message from the Lord, and Peter was the one that God called to teach them. Peter even says to Cornelius and his household, “You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a man who is a Jew to associate with a foreigner or to visit him; and yet God has shown me that I should not call any man unholy or unclean. That is why I came without even raising any objection when I was sent for. So I ask for what reason you have sent for me” (Acts 10:28-29). God had provided guidelines and cleansing rituals in the law to prevent the Jews from getting sick and spreading disease. However, such guidelines became a point of contention with Gentiles who practiced and ate “unclean” things, and in truth, the Gentiles were viewed the same way as unclean food. But God declared otherwise. Were the Jews wrong for following lawful instructions? No. But it became so ingrained in their culture that even when God told Peter to do something different, his first instinct was to say “no.” Peter was appalled by God’s command to kill and eat what he saw in his vision. Yet, does God ever command people to sin? Surely not! Peter witnessed firsthand that what he thought was unclean (the Gentiles) could also receive the Holy Spirit, the seal of God.

In Mark 7 Jesus was also confronted with this same issue by the Pharisees. Jesus’ disciples were supposedly eating food with unclean (or unwashed) hands, and the Pharisees took the opportunity to question Jesus about it. Rather, they wanted to discredit their ministry because they weren’t following the teachings of the elders. But Jesus, knowing their intentions, declared that they have neglected the command of God in order to follow teachings of men (vv. 8-13). He further explained to the crowd that “there is nothing outside the man which can defile him if it goes into him; but the things which proceed out of the man are what defile the man” (v. 15). Of course, Jesus’ disciples had a difficult time understanding this teaching so He graciously provided an explanation:

“‘Are you so lacking in understanding also? Do you not understand that whatever goes into the man from outside cannot defile him, because it does not go into his heart, but into his stomach, and is eliminated?’ (Thus He declared all foods clean.) And He was saying, ‘That which proceeds out of the man, that is what defiles the man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness. All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man.'” ~ Mark 7:18-23

Jesus’ words were quite controversial. Why? Because they were all still under the law. The law says “unclean” but Jesus says “clean.” How can this be? Is Jesus violating the law? As Paul would say, may it never be! Rather, the Jews became so obsessed with following the outward instructions that they neglected their inward spiritual condition. They appeared holy on the outside but inside they were unclean. And what’s worse is that they didn’t even recognize it.

So what does a discussion about unclean food have to do with biblical polygamy? More than polygamy, it’s about seeking biblical truth. Cultural teachings have become so embedded in the church that we have called rotten fruit good and good fruit rotten. Why? Because we have lost the ability to tell the difference. We are no different than the Pharisees who pointed out unclean hands and couldn’t see that they neglected the command of God for teachings of men. The church cries out for God’s justice to be done in the world without realizing that we have sealed our own judgment because of our own lack of understanding. Why was David a man after God’s own heart? Because he obeyed when God commanded. He yielded his spirit to follow God’s will. He did what most of us would not be willing to do. And when he failed he poured out his soul to God in anguish and grief and did not shake his fist at God when he experienced judgment. He understood that God was just in giving him what he deserved.

So what about the church? At this moment are we worthy to be called the body of Christ? To be an extension of our Savior who gave up everything for us? How can His body stay intact when its members fight each other and run in opposite directions following their own understanding of truth? The church is full of gaping wounds but we fail to see it. We claim to follow Christ but serve our culture, and we interpret God’s Word accordingly. What’s more is we teach newcomers who seek truth to do the same thing.

Each one of us is accountable because we have access to the Word of God, and we have the ability to understand it if we have His Spirit and ask for the Lord’s guidance and wisdom. Don’t rely on other people’s interpretations. Ask God yourself. He is ready to share it with those who have ears to hear. But what will we do when we are given instructions like He gave Peter? What if He asks us to do something so countercultural that it seems wrong? How many of us have dismissed instructions because they were exactly that: countercultural? The church cannot be effective in the world if the body is dying from the inside out. Why is it dying? Because the cancer of the world has metastasized throughout its members except the head which is Christ. The head is sending messages to the members of the body but very few receive them.

How will we respond? We still have the opportunity to act like David and pour out our souls in anguish for our own failure. We have ignored our spiritual condition for the sake of cultural relativism, and we will destroy ourselves if the church does not repent. This is the moment where the church determines if she will face a spiritual exile. God has been patient, but He is also just. His interaction with ancient Israel is a testament to these things.

The world is rapidly changing, but truth remains the same. Which one will we choose?

© Lauren Heiligenthal

E-book Sale!

From October 10th through the 17th the Kindle version of Evaluating Western Christianity’s Interpretation of Biblical Polygamy will be available for just .99 cents! It’s also available for free with Kindle Unlimited.

I would love to receive your thoughts, questions and comments on this controversial topic, or if you feel so inclined, to leave a review on Amazon.

Thank you for your support!

My Book Turned E-book…

Well I have finally converted my book, Evaluating Western Christianity’s Interpretation of Biblical Polygamy, into an e-book! I’ve talked about the topic of biblical polygamy a little bit on this blog, namely in the post The Story Behind the Book. If you’re interested in this topic or intrigued by the controversy check out http://www.amazon.com/Evaluating-Christianitys-Interpretation-Biblical-Polygamy-ebook/dp/B0106RVRZS/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1435100840&sr=1-1-fkmr0&keywords=evaluating+western+christianity%27s+interpretation+of+biblical+polygamy. If you have any questions or thoughts about biblical polygamy or my book, please feel free to write a message.

E-book cost: Free with Kindle Unlimited! ($3.99 for those without Kindle Unlimited). You can also read a free sample of the book through Amazon.

Print cost: $9.95 (plus shipping)- find on Amazon or at www.patriarchpublishinghouse.com

Serial Polygamy

Thought this was insightful for people of Western culture. Divorce and remarriage have become normalized, but how do they affect families who have to experience them versus households that may have multiple spouses and children and they’re all taken care of? It’s important to analyze our own cultural decisions and observe other cultural practices in light of Scripture. In judging too quickly, we might miss something.

SandreS's avatarThe Patriarchs' Journal

In some societies a man may marry several wives. Western society allows this in a different way, in what is sometimes called “serial polygamy” – a man may marry several wives so long as he legally divorces the current one before marrying the next.

Arguably, the “Christian” form of polygamy is a more primitive and callous arrangement for the man’s existing family than ordinary polygamy. In polygamous societies, the first wife and their children remain viable parts of a viable social entity… In serial polygamy the children are brought up in a broken home, the wife is discarded in a difficult social position.

Understanding Human Behavior
Human Relationships: Man & His Women, Vol. 4, p. 438

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Understanding Jesus

Jesus has been depicted in a number of ways. Love. Redeemer. Savior. Friend. Advocate. Mercy. All of these, and many more descriptions, are true. But one truth that we cannot forget is that He is just. And not simply just, but the embodiment of Justice itself.

I’ve been drawn to read through Matthew again, and one of the first things that John the Baptist says about the Messiah has caught my attention:

“As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” Matthew 3:11-12 NASB

Fire. A small but powerful word used in numerous contexts. In this particular context I think fire has two meanings. First, fire purifies. If silver or gold is refined by fire this means that all of the impurities are burned away. In the same way, anyone who is a follower of Christ will not only be baptized with the Holy Spirit, an extraordinary gift, but he or she will be refined by fire. Fire is good because it gets rid of the impurities in our lives.

Second, fire destroys. Christ, with the winnowing fork in His hand, will save the wheat, those who are righteous. On the other hand, Jesus Himself will burn up the chaff, those who are wicked, with fire that can never be quenched. John the Baptist tells the Pharisees and Sadducees who come to be baptized, “‘You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore bear fruit in keeping with repentance; and do not suppose that you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father’; for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham.  The axe is already laid at the root of the trees; therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire’” (Matt. 3:7-10). In the context of vv. 10 and 12, fire is still good because it gets rid of the wicked: Those who bear bad fruit. Those who deny Christ as Lord and Savior. Those who actively work against God even though trying to look like sheep. Those who openly work against God.

What also stands out to me are the words “thoroughly clear.” The Greek word for this translation is διακαθαρίζω which occurs only once in all of Scripture. (In the Luke 3:17 account διακαθαίρω is an equivalent word for διακαθαρίζω.) The verb καθαρίζω means “to make clean” or “to cleanse” and is used 31 times in the NT and over 100 times in the Septuagint. I write all of this to point out that the rare occurrence of διακαθαρίζω indicates a more significant meaning. Christ isn’t simply cleansing something. He is thoroughly clearing HIS threshing floor. There is nothing left over. There is wheat. There is chaff. Nothing in between. No stragglers who hang in some sort of limbo (or purgatory). No gray areas. Similar analogies include the separation of the sheep and goats (Matt. 25:31-33), the wheat and tares (Matt. 13:24-30), and the good and bad fish (Matt. 13:47-50).

All in all, John the Baptist sums up the Messiah’s ministry quite succinctly. First, He will come and baptize people with the Holy Spirit and fire. This has already been accomplished through His death and resurrection. I believe that we are still being refined by fire—through various tests—as long as we are on this earth.

Second, John the Baptist reveals the end result of Jesus’ mission: the ultimate separation of the righteous and wicked. This will not happen until THE harvest, Christ’s return.  Like the landowner tells his slaves in the parable of the wheat and tares, “Allow both (the wheat and tares) to grow together until the harvest; and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, ‘First gather up the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them up; but gather the wheat into my barn’” (Matt. 13:30). The landowner (a representation of Christ) didn’t want his servants to accidentally uproot the wheat with the tares (Matt. 13:29).

I don’t believe Christ desires anyone to perish. Peter writes, “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). However, we also have to consider what Jesus says in Luke 18:7-8, “‘now, will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them? I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?’” What a question: Will He find faith upon the earth? May the Lord’s patience not be in vain!

Christ is the ultimate example of love. His mercy is evident in our own lives. But we cannot forget that He is just. When that moment of separation comes there is only right and left. The fire is not only reserved for those who have never chosen to follow Christ, but also for those who have fallen away. Hebrews describes this quite plainly:

“For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame.  For ground that drinks the rain which often falls on it and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God; but if it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and close to being cursed, and it ends up being burned.” Hebrews 6:4-8

May we recognize that the Lord’s justice is good. Let us remain faithful and see that the harvest is plentiful. May we not be so entangled with the world that we forget Christ’s mission.

Christ’s justice will prevail!

 

©Lauren Heiligenthal

 

Cutting the Context

“Why did I do that?”

What does this question mean? It’s hard to tell reading it without any context, right? We don’t know who wrote it and why. It could be written by a student who made a mistake on a test. An Alzheimer’s patient may not recollect why she went outside. A teenage girl may be regretting her decision to take her anger out on a best friend. There are endless possibilities of meaning, but without the context we can’t fully understand what someone is trying to communicate.

Without context there is no story. It doesn’t matter if you’re writing a book or an e-mail, you’re going to provide the necessary details so that your message is properly communicated. Otherwise you’ll leave people scratching their heads in bewilderment. No one wants that (well, not most people).

With that being said, why do we cut the context of Scripture, taking a verse here and a verse there for our own purposes? We may be searching for encouragement. Maybe we’re debating a hot topic and need Scriptural support.  It could be we’re promoting a particular verse for a new series in church. Whether our intentions are for good or ill, cutting the context leaves out important details.

Alright, here’s an example that might make people shake their fists, but give me a chance to explain. Jeremiah 29:11 is a verse I’ve heard quoted countless times:

“‘For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.’” (NASB)

Does the Lord know the plans He has for our lives? Yes. But who is the original subject of these words from God? Jeremiah 29:1-4 explains that these words are part of a letter written by the prophet Jeremiah, from the Lord, to the Israelite exiles in Babylon. In vv. 5-9 the Lord instructs His people to settle down in Babylon, to be fruitful and multiply (so to speak), and to beware of false prophets. What were these false prophets saying? Jeremiah 28:1-4 gives us a clue. Hananiah, the son of a prophet, spoke to the priests and the people remaining in Jerusalem that the Lord was going to break the yoke of King Nebuchadnezzar and everything and everyone will return in two years’ time. If you continue to read the rest of that chapter you will find that Hananiah was not sent by the Lord (Read Jer. 27 for more insight).

Rather, in Jeremiah 29:10-14 the Lord sends a different message to the exiles:

“10 For thus says the Lord, ‘When seventy years have been completed for Babylon, I will visit you and fulfill My good word to you, to bring you back to this place. 11 For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will restore your fortunes and will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will bring you back to the place from where I sent you into exile.’” (Bold print added for emphasis)

The Lord is telling the exiles, whom He sent to Babylon, that He will fulfill His promise of bringing them back to Jerusalem…in seventy years, not two. It was God’s will for Israel to go there and for the nations to place themselves under Babylon’s yoke for a time (Jer. 27:6-8). The rest of Jeremiah 29 communicates the Lord’s severe punishment on the false prophets who have lied to the exiles and were not sent by God.

A good question to ask in all of this is why were the Israelites sent to Babylon in the first place? The entire OT, especially the monarchy period, demonstrates that Israel repeatedly committed adultery (metaphorically) against God. They sought after other gods, and even though they repented at times, they kept reverting to their sinful ways. They became a disobedient people, and God could not let it go any longer.

However, what is interesting is that the Lord tells the exiles in Jer. 29:7 to “Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf; for in its welfare you will have welfare.” Even though they are in the enemy’s camp, the Lord tells them to ask for blessings. If Babylon is blessed, the Israelites will be blessed. This seems strange until we read that the Lord is going to keep the Israelites there for seventy years. This is a time for their families to grow and return to the Lord in their hearts so that when God calls them back to Jerusalem (Cyrus’ decree in the future) they will be ready. Even though everything seems to be going wrong for Israel, the Lord assures them that He has a plan, and it’s not the plan that the false prophets are spewing. It might be awhile before the Israelites return home, but they WILL return, and the Lord WILL prosper them.

Why? After all the disobedience, why? Because the Lord is faithful to keep His promises. Recall His promise to Abraham. Not only will his descendants multiply and be blessed, but all the families of the earth will be blessed because of him (Gen. 12:1-3). This includes the Gentiles. Also, remember God’s promise to David: “Your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever” (2 Sam. 7:16). How are these promises eventually fulfilled? Through the Messiah! But in order for the Messiah to come, there needs to be an Israel. Therefore, as promised in Jer. 29, the Lord will bless the Israelites as He promised Abraham, and He will bless all the families of the earth by sending His Son, the final and eternal descendant on David’s throne.

How marvelous! How much we have gained even through Israel’s disobedience! In Jer. 29:11, the Lord is giving His people hope so that they will turn to Him and seek Him. I believe this is what we can learn from this passage. Maybe some of us have turned from the Lord or haven’t been walking the way we should be. Maybe we find ourselves in an awful place with no hope. But we should remember that there is always hope. Christ is our eternal hope. Everything has been paid. The Lord does not reward disobedience, and there are consequences for such actions, but if we humble ourselves, pray, ask for forgiveness, trust that He is a God who sees and hears our supplications, and seek Him with all of our hearts, He will show us where to go. That path may not make sense. It may not seem prosperous according to the world’s understanding of prosperity, but we can have hope that He is by our side if we choose to keep walking with Him. There also may be false prophets or teachers in our lives telling us opposite of what the Lord says. It might sound really good, too. But we must be on guard and test everything. If something sounds too good to be true, it usually is. The Lord did not take the prophets’ lies lightly (Jer. 29:17-19), and we shouldn’t either (Matt. 7:15-23).

While I do not think it is wrong to cling to the hope of Jer. 29:11, it is necessary to understand the context. It is also important for each one of us to ask, “Lord, am I following You or my own plans?” Are we willing to follow the Lord no matter what, or do we have to face an exile of our own? As 1 Corinthians 10:1-13 instructs, let us learn from the Israelites’ decisions and choose to follow the Lord wholeheartedly with a firm foundation of His truth (in context).

© Lauren Heiligenthal

Book Update

My book, Evaluating Western Christianity’s Interpretation of Biblical Polygamy, is officially available on my publisher’s website: http://www.patriarchpublishinghouse.com/9781629045214.htm. A copy is $9.95 plus S&H. If you live outside of the United States, this book can be shipped internationally.

For a summary of this book visit my post Finally Published!

If you’re interested in why I have chosen to write about biblical polygamy, please check out The Story Behind the Book.

If you have any questions, comments, or insights, I’d love to read them and dialogue with you 🙂

The Story Behind the Book

Polygamy.[1] This word often conjures up negative thoughts, images, and stories told throughout the years. The Western world most likely identifies polygamy with Mormonism and the tragedies therein. It seems as though these tragedies have defined what polygamy is all about, but is this generalization really fair? Before you misunderstand me, I am NOT (nor ever have been) a Mormon nor do I agree with the tenets of Mormonism. Rather, my interest in polygamy derives from my love of missions.

Because of the negativity surrounding polygamy in the Western world, people’s perceptions and feelings often get inserted into Scriptural depictions of polygamy. Growing up in the church, I was taught that God simply tolerated polygamy practiced by the biblical patriarchs. This “toleration” led me to believe that polygamy was indeed a sin, but for some reason God just let it go. The impression I got from this teaching was that these patriarchs were righteous men who happened to make mistakes along the way. But one question remained in my heart: Does God really tolerate sin to the point of not saying ANYTHING? It wasn’t until much later that I reevaluated this thought process.

I started participating in short-term mission trips around 11 years old. In the following years, my passion and heart grew for missions as I traveled to Hungary, Romania, Thailand, Peru, and South Africa. I met amazing people who had a heart and hunger for the truth. I pursued a degree in Intercultural Studies because it has been God’s desire for me to be a missionary. In learning how to approach another culture and teach the Gospel, the subject of polygamy would come up from time to time. I wrestled with the question, What would I do? Can I justify teaching people to split up their families because they’re in sin? On the flip side, can I live with teaching people how to live a Christian life while still living in sin? It seemed like there was no good outcome to either of these questions. As soon as I would ponder this dilemma, I pushed it off and moved onto something else. It wasn’t until I was sitting in a Cultural Anthropology class during my undergraduate studies that I was confronted with these same questions.

My professor must have been talking about different family structures one day (I don’t exactly remember), and he commented that he didn’t think Scripture teaches against polygamy. I had never heard anyone say this before. This went completely against what I had been taught, and I questioned him, What about this Scripture? What about that Scripture? He gave me some responses, but he didn’t have much to say. He mainly was just giving the class his opinion. Within this discussion he commented how polygamous families coming to America were often forced to divorce because of our laws, and my professor didn’t agree with that. He also shared one story in particular that caught my attention.

Years ago his parents were missionaries in Western Africa. His parents were planting a new church and needed funding for a new building. A polygamist offered to pay for the project (polygamists tend to have more wealth which they need to take care of their larger families), and apparently my professor’s parents agreed. However, when it came time for services to begin, the missionaries wouldn’t allow the polygamist to participate unless he was no longer a polygamist. As I listened, I could tell that my professor was not pleased with his parents’ decision, and I began to wonder a few things myself. Why did they offer to let the man pay the expenses if they didn’t agree with his lifestyle? Because they accepted his money, how could they justify excluding him from the body? What kind of message did this send to the rest of the village? How could they encourage divorce in order to participate in the body of Christ? At this point, I couldn’t let the polygamy dilemma go. There had to be a biblical course of action.

I decided to take a fresh look at Scripture again and found that there is, indeed, no prohibition of polygamy. There are regulations concerning polygamy in the Law, and there are a number of narratives involving polygamy, but there is no prohibition. On the contrary, there are a few passages that seem to indicate God’s involvement rather than a simple toleration. For example, in 2 Samuel 12 Nathan confronts David about his sins of adultery and murder. Pay attention to what the Lord says through Nathan in vv. 7-8, “Nathan then said to David, “You are the man! Thus says the Lord God of Israel, ‘It is I who anointed you king over Israel and it is I who delivered you from the hand of Saul. I also gave you your master’s house and your master’s wives into your care, and I gave you the house of Israel and Judah; and if that had been too little, I would have added to you many more things like these!’” (Bold words added for emphasis). God Himself tells David that it was He who gave him Saul’s wives. If the things God had given David were too little (this includes wives), He would have given him more. If polygamy was contrary to God’s divine plan for marriage, it does not make sense for Him to offer more wives to David. Also, if you read through the rest of that passage (vv. 9-23), you will find that God’s punishment of David and his household had nothing to do with polygamy, but rather it was because David committed adultery with Bathsheba and murdered her husband.

Another example is Genesis 29:31-30:24. It would take too long to discuss this passage in length (I discuss it in my book), but I bring it up to make you aware of how much God is involved in the growth of Jacob’s family. He opens Leah’s womb (Gen. 29:31), and she initially bears four sons. When she names them she praises the Lord for hearing and seeing her in her affliction. God is perceived as the One blessing her. When Rachel remains barren she gives her handmaid to Jacob, and the children that Bilhah bears become Rachel’s children. Leah also does the same thing when she stops childbearing and gives her handmaid, Zilpah, to Jacob. The wives themselves make this choice. Jacob does not simply take for himself (This is similar to Abraham’s story when Sarah gives Hagar to him). When Leah bears again in v. 17, she exclaims in v. 18, “God has given me my wages because I gave my maid to my husband.” Again, God is constantly perceived as being involved in childbearing. Then it’s Rachel’s turn. Verse 22 says, “Then God remembered Rachel, and God gave heed to her and opened her womb.” Some scholars argue that the language used to describe God’s involvement is just simply how the people viewed their situation. It’s not really what was going on. However, if we follow this kind of logic then we would have to doubt all of Scripture. With this same logic, every Christian perceives that he/she is saved because of Jesus’ sacrifice, but this is not necessarily true. This is just what we want to believe. Now, we would argue that such a conclusion is false. So why is it that people assume that the OT is only a perception of truth but not a representation of truth itself? I hold to the belief that when Scripture indicates God’s involvement, He was truly involved. You can make your own conclusions.

In 1 Samuel 1 God blesses Hannah, one of Elkanah’s wives, with a son (Samuel) whom she dedicates to the Lord. This man becomes an important prophet in Israel’s history. In 2 Chronicles 24:3, Jehoiada (a righteous priest) takes two wives for young king Joash. Again, if a person is deemed righteous, it does not make sense to say that their actions are sinful unless they are noted as such.

One of the most eye-opening passages of Scripture in my study of polygamy is Ezekiel 23. In this passage, the Lord (through Ezekiel) allegorizes the sins that Judah and Samaria have committed against Him. Let’s take a look at vv. 1-4, “The word of the Lord came to me again, saying, ‘Son of man, there were two women, the daughters of one mother;  and they played the harlot in Egypt. They played the harlot in their youth; there their breasts were pressed and there their virgin bosom was handled. Their names were Oholah the elder and Oholibah her sister. And they became Mine, and they bore sons and daughters. And as for their names, Samaria is Oholah and Jerusalem is Oholibah’” (Bold print added for emphasis). Now, I am fully aware that this is NOT saying that the Lord is literally married to Judah and Samaria. The text is obviously allegorical to convey their abhorrent acts (continue reading the rest of the chapter). However, I am proposing that the Lord would not use a sinful depiction to describe Himself. The text explains how Oholah and Oholibah have committed adultery against the Lord. The only way for a woman to commit adultery against a man is if she’s married to him. In this context, it seems that God has depicted Himself as a polygamous husband to two women (Judah and Samaria) who eventually commit adultery against Him. Therefore, I have asked myself, If polygamy is sinful, why would God describe Himself in this manner? If God describes Himself as a polygamous husband in the OT, it does not make sense to say that polygamy is a sin in the OT. As such, since God is both omniscient and immutable, it stands to reason that polygamy is not a sin in the NT. If I choose to believe otherwise, I fear that I would be questioning God’s nature.

I understand that polygamy is a taboo topic, but the main question I have had to ask myself is: Does the Bible prohibit polygamy, or is it my culture’s prohibition of polygamy that gets inserted into biblical interpretation and the text itself? This question is not only relevant for polygamy, but for any topic. I am accountable for what I hear, read, teach, and believe. If I don’t take the time to understand what Scripture has to say about polygamy (or not say), my decisions (particularly on the mission field) and interpretations can continue to have a negative impact on cultures that practice polygamy. In many cases over the last 100+ years, missionaries have either suggested or demanded that polygamous husbands divorce all but their first wife if they want to be baptized or participate at all in the church. This has led to devastating results. Some wives have had no other option than to become prostitutes to take care of themselves. In a number of these cultures most men do not want to marry a divorced woman (divorce is often viewed as dishonorable), which is quite a foreign concept for Western societies. Divorce also has a negative impact on children who are either torn from their father and live with their poor mother (and possibly her extended family) or are torn from their mothers and live with their father. I’m not writing this to be condemning, but rather to illustrate that if we interpret Scripture based on our cultural values rather than biblically-founded values, there may be serious consequences. People have already interpreted Scripture in this way about divorce, abortion, homosexuality, promiscuity, etc. In this present age, Scripture has become whatever we want it to say, and this mindset carries many dangers.

I’ve done more research besides what I’ve discussed here, but I wanted to give you an inside look into some of my thoughts and questions. I also hope that I’ve challenged you somehow. Please feel free to ask a question or give a comment.

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I’ll keep you updated on book news once I receive it from my publisher.

Feel free to check out http://www.lulu.com/shop/lauren-heiligenthal/evaluating-western-christianitys-interpretation-of-biblical-polygamy/paperback/product-21877418.html. It appears that you have to be registered with lulu.com to buy my book if you’re interested.

My publisher’s website is http://www.patriarchpublishinghouse.com/. My book should appear on this website soon. Also, they have many other books on polygamy and patriarchy if these topics interest you.

Footnote

[1] I am specifically referring to polygyny, which is one man having multiple wives. I focus on this form of polygamous marriage because it is demonstrated in Scripture and appears to be an acceptable form of marriage. Other forms of polygamy, such as polyandry (one woman with multiple husbands), polyamory (multiple relationships at the same time), and polygynandry (multiple husbands and wives in an intertwining of relationships), are not demonstrated in Scripture. I believe they are considered sinful because polyandry and polygynandry result in adultery. Polyamory could involve adultery, but it is also a demonstration of blatant sexual promiscuity.

© Lauren Heiligenthal

Finally Published!

Some of you may have read my “About Me” section which mentions that I’ve had a book in the works. The day has finally come, and now it’s available for sale 🙂 The book is called Evaluating Western Christianity’s Interpretation of Biblical Polygamy. Yes, I imagine that most people will find this a controversial topic, and I plan on explaining the back story in an upcoming post. However, today I will simply include the summary of the book to whet your appetite:

“This book demonstrates that the popular Western worldview regarding marriage affects biblical interpretation. While most Western societies uphold monogamy as God’s ideal form of marriage, a number of other cultures practice polygamy. Western Christianity often perceives polygamy as a threat to the monogamist ideal; therefore, this book evaluates whether the Bible clearly advocates that polygamous men should become monogamous through divorce. The majority of the evaluative process focuses on five biblical texts that many scholars frequently use to oppose polygamy. Most of their arguments stem from Gen. 2:20-24 because God creates one woman for Adam, thereby instituting the monogamist ideal for all people. This interpretation is then transferred to other texts, including Gen. 30:1-24, Matt. 19:3-9, 1 Tim. 3:2, 12, and Titus 1:6. This book assesses the opposing arguments by exposing assumptions and potential biases, and also by reviewing the historical and social concepts of marriage in the Ancient Near Eastern and the Greco-Roman periods. After interpreting Scripture through the lens of the biblical audience, this book then applies the interpretations from the five biblical texts to a modern situation involving polygamy. Since there is no biblical text that explicitly prohibits polygamy or promotes monogamy, this book argues that the interpretation of the monogamist ideal tends to derive from one’s worldview rather than the Bible.”

The book is currently being sold at http://www.lulu.com/shop/lauren-heiligenthal/evaluating-western-christianitys-interpretation-of-biblical-polygamy/paperback/product-21877418.html.

I would also like to draw your attention to my publisher’s website http://www.patriarchpublishinghouse.com/ which should have the book listed at some point. You can also visit the publisher’s blog at http://patriarchsjournal.wordpress.com/ for more information on this topic.

© Lauren Heiligenthal