1 man, 1 woman isn't the Bible's only marriage view

Three Iowa academics who study the Bible wrote this piece, which was published on June 2, 2013

1 man, 1 woman isn't the Bible's only marriage view

The debate about marriage equality often centers, however discretely, on an appeal to the Bible. Unfortunately, such appeals often reflect a lack of biblical literacy on the part of those who use that complex collection of texts as an authority to enact modern social policy.

As academic biblical scholars, we wish to clarify that the biblical texts do not support the frequent claim that marriage between one man and one woman is the only type of marriage deemed acceptable by the Bible’s authors.

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The following passage is the crux of the matter - in my opinion

Accordingly, we must guard against attempting to use ancient texts to regulate modern ethics and morals, especially those ancient texts whose endorsements of other social institutions, such as slavery, would be universally condemned today, even by the most adherent of Christians.

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I never understood how those who use the bible as their guiding principles can choose to ignore the more unsavory parts and champion the ones they want. It would be like me choosing to accept the thirteenth to the Constituition, but not the first amendment. Doesn't make sense.

Somerville said:

Three Iowa academics who study the Bible wrote this piece, which was published on June 2, 2013



The following passage is the crux of the matter - in my opinion

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It's really not. Having multiple wives was the norm in biblical times. Abraham and Jacob, the founders of monotheistic religion, had two wives each. And both slept with (raped) slaves. Many of the role models in the Abrahamic religions would scoff at the idea of being limited to only one wife.

The Bible does discuss how marriage is between men and women and that homosexual sex is sinful and an immoral act. Polygamy is technically not a sin in the Bible, but we know from the creation of Adam and Eve that God's intent for marriage is that a man only have 1 wife and a woman only have 1 husband. In Deuteronomy it says that a man (talking about the king) should not have "too many wives" and later in the New Testament says that if a man is to be in spiritual leadership he needs to only have 1 wife.

Polygamy may have been allowed by God in the Old Testament (but not preferred) so that women who were not able to find a single husband would be able to marry another man and be provided for. Polygamy wasn't necessarily the norm though and was typically among the wealthy who could support multiple wives and children.

With that said, polygamy is not God's purpose for marriage, His purpose is 1 man 1 woman but polygamy is not expressly forbidden as a sin. The Bible does say that homosexual sex is sinful going so far as to calling it an act of perversion and that those who do such unrepentant will not receive the kingdom of God, which is to spend eternity in hell.

1Cr 6:9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals,


1Cr 6:10 nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.

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Rom. 1:26-28, "For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, 27 and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error. 28 And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper."

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It's clear that the Bible does not approve of homosexuality and takes a strong stance against it, the above are also only from the New Testament, the Old Testament forbids it as well. There is not an example of a wedded homosexual couple in the Bible that had their relationship recognized by God nor is their framework for people of the same sex to marry each other. The Bible doesn't expressly say that a marriage must be 1 man 1 woman, but that is preferred and we know that homosexuality is not approved of Biblically speaking. There is Biblical support in believing that God wants 1 man 1 woman marriage and that is his plan for marriage. We know from Titus 1 that a qualification to being a church elder is to have 1 wife and this is considered above reproach for holy living.

Titus 1: 5 For this reason I left you in Crete, that you would set in order what remains and appoint elders in every city as I directed you, 6 namely, if any man is above reproach, the husband of one wife, having children who believe, not accused of dissipation or rebellion. 7 For the overseer must be above reproach as God’s steward, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not addicted to wine, not pugnacious, not fond of sordid gain, 8 but hospitable, loving what is good, sensible, just, devout, self-controlled, 9 holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict.

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-All from the NASB translation of the Bible.

From an ethical standpoint I think this rules out the idea that the Bible supports homosexual unions as a marriage and as far as male and female marriage goes it states that 1 man 1 woman is preferred. From a Biblical perspective I see now flaw behind supporting 1 man 1 woman as the ethical form of marriage or the form that God approves of.

Chaddelamancha said:

I never understood how those who use the bible as their guiding principles can choose to ignore the more unsavory parts and champion the ones they want. It would be like me choosing to accept the thirteenth to the Constituition, but not the first amendment. Doesn't make sense.

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Frankly from listening to the most vocal of Christians - you would think the only thing Jesus cared about was stomping down gay people and abortion.

Somerville said:

Three Iowa academics who study the Bible wrote this piece, which was published on June 2, 2013



The following passage is the crux of the matter - in my opinion

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:yawn: another failure to recognize that what the bible describes is not what is proscribed.


Jesus, fortunately for this subject, described marriage as He saw it:

Matthew 19 said:

3 Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?”

4 “Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’[a] 5 and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? 6 So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”

7 “Why then,” they asked, “did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?”

8 Jesus replied, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. 9 I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.”

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Chaddelamancha said:

I never understood how those who use the bible as their guiding principles can choose to ignore the more unsavory parts and champion the ones they want. It would be like me choosing to accept the thirteenth to the Constituition, but not the first amendment. Doesn't make sense.

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You mean like acting as though the old testament doesn't exist and the new testament does, yet some "scholars" pick and choose what to bring out of the old testament?

TheNextEra said:

You mean like acting as though the old testament doesn't exist and the new testament does, yet some "scholars" pick and choose what to bring out of the old testament?

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Dude, have you actually read it? You don't need to be very picky when it comes to finding nasty stuff in the old testament. The whole thing is full to the brim with sex, drugs, and ethnic cleansing.

Marriage is a legal institution, not a religious one, so what the bible says doesn't really matter.

digsbe said:

The Bible does discuss how marriage is between men and women and that homosexual sex is sinful and an immoral act.

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Well, homosexual sex is not illegal so kind of a moot point.

cpwill said:

:yawn: another failure to recognize that what the bible describes is not what is proscribed.


Jesus, fortunately for this subject, described marriage as He saw it:

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I guess we better ban anyone from remarrying then!

Geoist said:

Well, homosexual sex is not illegal so kind of a moot point.

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It is in some places. Singapore is an especially weird one as it's technically illegal for men but not for women......

HumanBeing said:

It is in some places. Singapore is an especially weird one as it's technically illegal for men but not for women......

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True. What I meant to say was it is not illegal in the US.

The whole point of this thread assumes that all details in the lives of patriachs were "ethical" and "moral," they wern't, and manytimes they were not punished or sufferend any negative consequences for unethical things they did, like lie (abraham lied a couple times), steal and so on, they are stories of people struggling with serving God and struggeling with Moral issues.

the 1 man 1 woman comes from Genesis, i.e. the origional intent of God.

Geoist said:

I guess we better ban anyone from remarrying then!

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:shrug: Divorce as it is practiced today is certainly unbiblical. One of my biggest critiques of the American church is the extent to which they have acquiesced to this.

cpwill said:

:shrug: Divorce as it is practiced today is certainly unbiblical. One of my biggest critiques of the American church is the extent to which they have acquiesced to this.

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But marriage is not a religious institution. What the Christian church thinks of divorce is irrelevant.

deleted.

Geoist said:

Well, homosexual sex is not illegal so kind of a moot point.

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Just because it's legal doesn't mean it isn't sinful.

Re-read Romans 1:26-28 in my post. It specifically says that God gave them over to their desires and allowed them to do so. He gave them the choice, but for that there will be consequences (which the state will not be the one giving).

Chaddelamancha said:

I never understood how those who use the bible as their guiding principles can choose to ignore the more unsavory parts and champion the ones they want. It would be like me choosing to accept the thirteenth to the Constituition, but not the first amendment. Doesn't make sense.

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Ah. He wants politics to make sense!

Somerville said:

Three Iowa academics who study the Bible wrote this piece, which was published on June 2, 2013



The following passage is the crux of the matter - in my opinion

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How does the bible suppot slavery did not the people who god saved from servitude weren't they slaves . Did Mosses not say let my people go .

Somerville said:

Three Iowa academics who study the Bible wrote this piece, which was published on June 2, 2013



The following passage is the crux of the matter - in my opinion

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Being a Biblical Scholar myself, I can emphatically say that these "scholars" got it wrong.

I don't care if it's politics, your religion, or whatever. I just want your line of reasoning to make sense.

fmw said:

Ah. He wants politics to make sense!

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cpwill said:

:shrug: Divorce as it is practiced today is certainly unbiblical. One of my biggest critiques of the American church is the extent to which they have acquiesced to this.

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Point is, we shouldn't be basing legal marriage on the Bible. If the government did then we'd be living in a totalitarian state. The Bible is meant to be followed willingly, not by force.

digsbe said:

Just because it's legal doesn't mean it isn't sinful.

Re-read Romans 1:26-28 in my post. It specifically says that God gave them over to their desires and allowed them to do so. He gave them the choice, but for that there will be consequences (which the state will not be the one giving).

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Fair enough. I just think the State is involved enough in our lives and having it get more involved in our religious/non-religious freedoms is a scary thought for this fellow Christian.

davidtaylorjr said:

Being a Biblical Scholar myself, I can emphatically say that these "scholars" got it wrong.

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good
i look forward to seeing an example of your biblical scholarship documenting exactly what they got wrong