Marital Repentance, Reconciliation, Reunion After Marriage, Separation, Divorce and Remarriage #2 - - - Controversial Solutions
44 views
Skip to first unread message
R
Jul 26, 2010, 4:28:00 PM7/26/10
to MaritalRepentanceAndReconciliation
Marital Repentance, Reconciliation, Reunion After Marriage,
Separation, Divorce and Remarriage #2 - - - Controversial Solutions
Putting Humpty Dumpty Relationships Back Together Again
By Tyler, 07/17/10
http://biblicalmaturity.yuku.com/forums/66
An Introduction
[1.] Marriage, separation, divorce and remarriage with the saved
married to the saved (Mark 10:1-12; Romans 7:1-3; 1 Corinth
7:5,10,11,39)
[2.] Marriage, separation, divorce and remarriage with the saved
married to the unsaved (1 Corinth 7:10-15):
[3.] Dealing with complicated and controversial marriages
[4.] SAVED ETERNALLY & KNOWING IT
[5.] An invitation to personally know the God and Creator of the
universe
[6.] A glimpse into the future, Heaven and Hell
==============================
An Introduction
In America the divorce rate for Christians is as bad as that
of nonChristians. I believe one of the main reasons for this
is the failure of the American church to adhere to the Word
rather than to the traditions of American culture, specifically
the failure of the American church to faithfully teach, encourage
and enable obedience to the commands to marry, or be married,
in 1 Corinth 7:2,3,4,5,9,10,11,12,13,15,39; and 1 Timothy 5;14.
In most countries as well as America, in Bible believing churches
there are usually three professing Christian women for every
professing Christan man in the 30 year old range, four Chrisitan
women for every Christian man in church in the 40 year old range,
five
Christian women for every Christian man in the 50 year old range, and
six Christian women for every Christian man in church in the 60 year
old
range. So obedience to those passages in 1 Corinthians 7 and 1 Timothy
5
in America today would have to involve a controversial form of
marriage,
described in what follows. This is especially in most
AfroAm Churches. Google this and you will see this.
http://www.divorcemag.com/statistics/statsUS.shtml
http://www.creativeye.com/singles/stats.htm
http://www.pcusa.org/research/compstats/hendrick-r.html
http://www.ctlibrary.com/ct/1999/may24/9t6070.html
Many single Christian women are involved in the following
which are clearly declared to be in in the Bible:
1. Marry the unsaved (1 Cor 15:33; 2 Cor 6; Malachi 2:11-13; Psalm
1:1; 15:4; Prov 5:20,21)
2. Marry carnal "Christians" snared in sin (2 Thess 3:6-14; 1 Cor
5:11; Rom 16:17)
3. Have sex outside of marriage (Ezek 23; Prov 5,6,7; 1 Cor 6)
4. Become lesbians (Ezek 23:19-21; Rom 1:20-30)
5. Lust, i.e. desire what is forbidden by God, do sex sin in their
minds or with pornography (Matt 5:28; Ezek 23)
6. Self-stimulate thinking of sex sin (Mat 5:28; Ezek 23)
I may lose and alienate you by what comes next, but I am under Ezekiel
3 and 33 command to both warn and teach you about the truth in the
Bible and Biblical morality, the permanence of the marriage bond, and
what genuine godly sorrow and repentance can look like when it comes
to restoring broken relationships, marriages on the rocks instead of
on the Rock, and the realities of living as a citizen of the Kingdom
of God instead of just being a citizen of some secular man made
society and all their man made rules, customs and traditions.
The most serious break in marital relationships is adultery and sexual
immorality. Let's try to take an unbiased look at what the Bible says
about this. First of all, look at what the Bible teaches us about God
and marital unfaithfulness. In the Bible book of Hosea, Jehovah-Jesus
tells Hosea to marry an immoral woman and stay married to her, always
trying to win her faithfulness. Jesus does this to show Israel that no
matter how unfaithful it is, their marital covenant (Ezekiel 16:8,
60-63), made at Mount Sinai when they received the Ten Commandments,
still holds. We see in Hosea, Ezekiel 16 and 34 that Israel, maritally
bound to Jehovah-Jesus by His solemn covenant, would be punished for
its unfaithfulness but the marital bond still holds as far as Jesus is
concerned. Sexual immorality does not break or end the marital bond
between those bound by marital covenant in the Kingdom of God, but is
dealt with according to the pattern shown in Galatians 6:1; 2 Timothy
2:22-26; Matt 18:15,16,17; 1 Corinth 5, where the sin is dealt with,
in 2 Corinth 7 where the sin is repented of in godly sorrow, and in 2
Corinth 2 where reconciliation and reunion take place after the godly
repentance has taken place.
Please open your heart and mind to see what the Bible - not the
priests, the pastors, the church, the culture, or your neighbors -
says about adultery. Some say "The same Bible Laws apply to both male
and female. This is an issue of principle, not role. Therefore all
are equal: male and female." Some Bible interpreters are more zealous
for unisex doctrines and practices than the bleeding heart liberals
who encourage unisex restroom and coed dorms. God made males and
females very different for a reason, and we miss the mark when we
fail to recognize the differences He made and instituted for those
differences.
Matt. 5:32 and 19:6-9; Mark 10:1-11; Luke 16:18; 1 Thess. 4:4-6 and
Romans 7:1-3>143 plainly state the double standard in the definition
of adultery. There really are different scriptural laws for men than
for women governing adultery marriage and remarriage, and there are
different scriptural laws for men than for women in the defining of
adultery. In the Scriptures given next we see Spirit of God reaffirm
His Word, that in a marriage where a genuinely saved person is married
to a genuinely saved person, and both were free in the Lord to marry
when they married, the wife is maritally bound to the husband as long
as they both live (1 Cor 7:10,11,39; Romans 7:1-3), or in the case of
the saved wife maritally bound to an unsaved husband, the wife is
maritally bound to the husband as long as he wants to maritally live
with her (1 Cor 7:10-15).
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Adultery for the woman defined:<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
{W1.} "Whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery">1.
The reason being that the believing woman is still bound to her
believing husband as wife as long as both live (Romans 7:1-3; 1 Cor
7:10,11,39). The Spirit added through Paul that the believing woman is
free from her unbelieving husband as soon as he no longer wants to
live with her maritally, and maritally separates himself from her>2.
[Footnote: >1 Mat. 5:32; 19:9; Luke 16:18; 1 Cor. 7:10, 11, 39;
Romans 7:1-3; 1 Tim. 5:14. >2. 1 Cor. 7:12-15,39]
{W2.} The husband "causes her to commit adultery" when he
divorces her for any reason other than sexual immorality>3. The
reason being that the believing wife is still bound to her believing
husband as wife as long as both live.>4 In 1 Corinth. 7:5 we see
that her husband "causes her to commit adultery" because her husband
is failing to meet her marital needs and the enemy of her soul tempts
in her burning need. (On the other hand: The wife is not said to
cause her husband to commit adultery when she divorces him for any
other reason than sexual immorality. Ever wonder why? Ask me.) In the
case of the unbelieving husband divorcing his believing wife, he does
NOT cause "her to commit adultery" because as soon as he no longer
wants to live with her maritally and separates himself from her
maritally, she is no longer maritally bound to him in the Kingdom of
God and is free to marry a disciple of Christ (1 Corinth 7:1-15).
[Footnote: >3. Matt. 5:32; 19:9. >4 1 Cor. 7:10, 11, 39;
Romans 7:1-3.]
{W3.} "And if a woman divorces her husband and marries another, she
commits adultery.">5. The wife has the second best option of divorcing
her husband and living in celibacy, not remarrying (1 Cor 7:10,11).
The adultery consists of both divorce AND remarriage. The reason
being that the believing wife is still bound to her believing husband
as wife as long as both live; or in the case of an unbelieving
husband, the believing wife is still maritally bound in the Kingdom of
God to her unbelieving husband as long as he wants to live with her
maritally, as long as he hasn't separated himself from her
maritally.>6. If a believing woman divorces her unbelieving husband
after he no longer wants to maritally live with her, after he has
separated himself from her maritally, she DOES NOT commit adultery
because as soon as he no longer wants to live with her maritally or
separates himself from her maritally (1 Corinth 7:10-15).
[Footnotes:>5. Mark 10:12; Luke 16:8. >6. 1 Cor. 7:10, 11, 39;
Romans 7:1-3.]
{W4.} "if, while her husband lives, she marries another man, she will
be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from
that law, so that she is no adulteress, though she has married
another man.">7 " . . . . It is adultery "if any man's wife goes
astray and is unfaithful to him," >8 If a believing woman divorces
her unbelieving husband and marries another man, after her unbelieving
husband no longer wants to maritally live with her, after the
unbeliever has separated himself from her maritally, she DOES NOT
commit adultery because the unbeliever no longer wants to live with
her maritally or separates himself from her maritally (1 Corinth
7:10-15).
[Footnote: >7. Romans 7:3; Luke 16:18. >8. Numbers 5:10-12]
Adultery for the believing female is sexual intimacy with anyone else
besides her own believing husband/mate who still lives, or besides her
own unbelieving husband as long as he wants to live with her
maritally, has not separated himself from her maritally.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Adultery and the man defined:<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
{M1.} "Whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery">9,
obviously because the believing wife still is bound to the believing
husband from whom she is divorced, or she is bound to her unsaved
husband as long as he wants to maritally live with her A believing
wife, from who an unbelieving husband has maritally separated himself,
is no longer maritally bound to him in the Kingdom of God and is free
to marry in the Lord>9 [>9.. Mat. 5:32; 19:9; except in the cases of 1
Cor. 7:12-15,39; 1 Tim. 5:14.]
{M2.} "The man who commits adultery with another's wife, even his
neighbor's wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put
to death." Leviticus 20:9-11 "You shall not covet your neighbor's
wife.">10. "You shall not have genital contact with your neighbor's
wife">11. "For this is the will of God. . . ..that no one should take
advantage of and defraud/cheat his brother in this matter.">12. A
genuine Christian wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives
and she becomes an adulteress when she marries another while he
still lives. A genuine Christian wife is bound to her unsaved husband
as long as he wants to maritally live with her and she becomes an
adulteress when she marries another while he still wants to live with
her maritally>13.
[Footnotes:>10. Exod. 20:17. >11. Leviticus18:20. >12. 1 Thess.
4:3-6. >13. 1 Corinth 7:10-15]
{M3.} "Whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, AND
marries another, commits adultery.">14 The adultery consists of
divorcing his wife for something else besides sexual immorality AND
then remarrying. If he stayed married to his wife and married
another, according to this passage he has NOT committed Biblical
adultery according to this passage , although he may have become a
criminal by violating the
law of the land. In California, if the husband stayed married to his
legal wife and entered into a private and unofficial "Pal" or "common
law" or "MARS" contract, compact or covenant with a woman free to
marry in the Lord, he has NOT committed Biblical adultery, but his
wife can divorce him for irreconcilable differences. What does all
that mean? Ask me.
[Footnote: >14. Matt 19: 9: Mark 10:11; Luke 16:18.]
{M4.} "Matt 19:9 And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his
wife, except for fornication, and shall marry another, commits
adultery: and he that marries her when she is put away commits
adultery."
It is implied here that if he divorces his wife for sexual immorality
and marries another, he does not commit adultery. His divorcing her
does not cause her to commit adultery because she is already
immorally and sexually involved with someone else. His refusal to
meet her sexual needs (1 Cor 7:2-5) does not cause her to be immoral
because she is already being immoral. He is commanded not to be
intimate with her (1Cor.5:11) but his lack of her intimacy will
cause him to be tempted (1 Cor.7:5). If the temptations overcome him
and he is failing to control himself, burning with marital desire, he
comes under command to marry (1Cor.7:2,39) and so remarries in the
Lord.
******A Brief Detour For a Moment For Biblical and Historical
Background On a Controversy*******
>>>"Monogamy is implicit in the story of Adam and Eve, since God created only one wife for Adam. Yet polygamy is adopted from the time of Lamech (Gen. iv. 19), and is not forbidden in Scripture." >n132
[Footnote: >..n132 The New Bible Dictionary, J.D. Douglas Ph.D; p.
787.]
"Monogamy is implicit in the story of Adam
and Eve, since God created only one wife for
Adam. Yet polygyny is adopted from the
time of Lamech (Gn. 4:19), and is not
forbidden in Scripture. . . ...Polygamy
continues to the present day among Jews in
Moslem, Hindu, Buddhist, Asian, Oriental,
and African countries." [Douglas' New Bible
Dictionary : MARRIAGE: .....p.787]
In a 1988 book entitled "Cultural Anthropology - a Christian
Perspective"
by Pastor Grunlan (of Wheaton & Luther Seminary) and Mayers Ph.D. (of
BIOLA), and recommended by Professor D. N Larson of Bethel College,
by
Professor C. H. Kraft of Fuller Theological Seminary, by Eugene A
Nida, author
of "Customs and Cultures" (a BIOLA textbook) and of the American
Bible Society;
we read the following: "It is interesting that the Old Testament never
condemned
the practice of polygyny but only regulated it (Exod 21:1-11;
Lev18:17,18; Deut.
21:15-17). In fact, the law of levirate marriage may even have
required polygyny
in some instances . . . (Deut 25:5010)."
August 2006 BIOLA (Bible Institute of Los Angeles) and Talbot
Theological
Seminary support, sponsor and support the "Africa Bible Commentary",
edited
by BIOLA graduate Tokunboh Adeyemo (M.Div. ’75, M.Th.), general
secretary
of the Association of Evangelicals in Africa, an organization
representing 70
million evangelicals. The Africa Bible Commentary's article entitled
"Polygamy"
may "help Western Christians think about whether practices they forbid
are merely
cultural preference. The author Isabel Apawo Phiri, of Malawi, argues
that, while
the Bible mostly portrays polygamy in a negative light — and church
leaders
weren’t allowed to have more than one wife — it doesn’t explicitly
forbid the
practice among non-church leaders. So, Phiri supports the consensus of
most
African evangelical denominations that promote monogamous marriage as
God’s
ideal, yet still baptize converted polygamists and accept them in
their churches."
". . Elkanah, the husband of Hannah and
Peninnah, is an interesting example of a
man of no particular position who
nevertheless had more than one wife; this
may be an indication that bigamy, at least, if
not polygamy, was not confined to the very
wealthy and exalted. At all events, polygyny
was an established and recognized
institution from the earliest of times.">39
[Footnote: >39. HASTINGS DICTIONARY OF
THE BIBLE; p.259.]
"Polygamy meets us as a fact: e.g. Abraham,
Jacob, the Judges, David, Solomon; 1 Ch 7:4
is evidence of its prevalence in Issachar;
Elkanah (1 Sam.1:1ff) is significant as
belonging to the middle class; Jehoida (2 Ch
24:3) as a priest. . .Legislation . . .
safeguarded the rights of various wives,
slave or free; and according to the
Rabbinical interpretation of Lev 21:13>40. .
. .the high priest was not allowed to be a
bigamist. . . The marriage figure applied to
the union of God and Israel . . . implied
monogamy as the ideal state. . . Being ..
apparently legalized, and having the
advantage of precedent, it was long before
polygamy was formally forbidden in Hebrew
society, though practically it fell into
disuse; the feeling of the Rabbis was
strongly against it. Herod had nine wives at
once. . . Its possibility is implied by the
technical continuance of the Levirate law,
[Deut. 25:5-10] and is proved by the early
interpretation of 1 Ti 3, whether correct or
not. Justin reproaches the Jews of his day
[A.D.] with having 'four or even five
wives,' and marrying 'as they wish, or as
many as they wish.' The evidence of the
Talmud shows that in this case at least the
reproach had some foundation. Polygamy
was not definitely forbidden among the Jews
till the time of R. Gershom (c. A.D. 1000),
and then at first only for France and
Germany. In Spain, Italy, and the East it
persisted for some time longer, as it does
still among the Jews in Mohammedan
countries>41.
[Footnote: (>.(40. Septuagint Lev. 21:13 "He shall
take for a wife a virgin of his own tribe.". .>41.
HASTINGS DICTIONARY OF THE BIBLE; p.583ff.]
>>>TODAY:***TITLE: Can Mr. Mombasa Keep All his Wives? AUTHOR: Tim Stafford SOURCE: Christianity Today, 35:33-34 Feb 11, 1991 : This article deals with a conflict in the Christian church in Kenya, where many blacks who are converted have several wives. Originally the church would not baptize them, but allowed them to participate in the church.Later, the church and some members broke away from their leadership and began baptizing black polygamous men.
>>>TODAY: Eugene Nida's (American Bible Society) book Customs and
Cultures>.29 . . documents the current practice of polygyny by
Christians in non Western countries, and how it is still practiced in
China, SE Asia, India, Africa and parts of South America. Eugene Nida
points out that when polygamists become Christians they are told of
their limitations in church offices and are asked not to take any
additional wives because it stumbles western Christians(Rom 14, l Cor.
8 and 10). They are not usually asked to abandon their other wives to
a premature widowhood because of l Cor>. 7:1-15.[Footnote: >.29
CUSTOMS AND CULTURES, 1954, Harper &Brothers, New York]
>>>TODAY: I understand that Rev. Joseph Conrad Wold>*, a Lutheran
missionary in Liberia, maintains the following points:
1. Some missionaries have become like the Pharisees,knit picking
legalists;
2. For unbelievers it is more of a question of who is or is not a
polygamist rather than who is and who isn't a Christian;
3. Rejecting polygamy has become the rejecting of polygamists;
4. If Cornelious>45 could be born again without circumcision, then
surely polygamists should be able to be born again without cutting
away their wives, breaking their solemn promises and forcing their
beloved and faithful wives into adultery for survival;
5 Let the polygamist be lost because he refused to love and obey
Jesus,rather than because he loved his wives too much to cause them to
suffer, or was to virtuous to be a hypocrite.>70 He makes such an
impassioned case I hope you take the time to read the original.Truly
the commandments of men, condemning as sin and forbidding polygamy,
make of no effect the commandments of God for so many.
[Footnote: >*GOD'S IMPATIENCE IN LIBERIA, Rev. Joseph Conrad Wold, pp.
179ff. >45 (Acts 10 & 11). @>.@70 Trobisch,MY WIFE MADE ME
>>>TODAY: "Some Christian churches in Africa today allow polygamy. A pastor in Cameroon stated: `People have no right to condemn polygamy which even Christ did not condemn in the case of Abraham'."(pg.214, ***After Polygamy Was Made A Sin: The Social History of Christian Polygamy John Cairncross, 1974 Published by Routledge & Kegan Paul Ltd, London)
>>>TODAY: "Polygamy continues to the present day among Jews in Moslem, Hindu, Buddhist, Asian, Oriental,and African countries." >25 [>25 IVCF, Editor J.D.Douglas; 1962,W. B. Eerdmans Publishing,p.787]
>>>TODAY: "In Spain, Italy,m and the East it persisted for some time longer, as it does still among the Jews in Mohammedan counties".DICTIONARY OF THE BIBLE, J. Hastings (Selbie, Lambert,Mathews), Hendrickson Publishers, 1989; p.584
>>>1800's: "After Polygamy Was Made A Sin: The Social History of
Christian Polygamy " by John Cairncross, 1974; Published by Routledge
& Kegan Paul Ltd, London . In the nineteenth century, Protestant
missions were expanding rapidly, and missionaries around the globe
were confronting polygamy among their new converts. In 1844, a
conference of missionaries of various denominations"unanimously agreed
that `if a convert, before becoming a Christian, has married more than
wives than one, he shall be permitted to keep them all; but such a
person shall not be eligible to any office in the church'." (pg.198)
MARTIN LUTHER: "Calvin, to be sure,
never licensed polygamy, but Luther agreed to the bigamous marriage of
Philip
of Hesse; and on a few occasions when the number of women available
greatly
exceeded the number of men, Protestant bodies actually legalized
polygamy.
Thus the Frankish Diet legalized bigamy to restore the ravages of the
Thirty
Years War. (239)"
239. Westermarck, E. A. A History of Human Marriage. Macmillan, 1921.
MARTIN LUTHER: ""In the New Testament Jesus neither condemns
polygamous unions nor advocates a change in the system.From this
noninterference attitude Luther, as late as the 16th cent.,arrived at
the conclusion that he could not forbid the taking of more than one
wife."
CHARLES A. RUBENSTEIN-----------------Bibliography:
Abrahams, 1., Jewish Life in the Middle Ages (1917);
Westermarck, E., History of Human Marriage (1901);
Spencer, H., Principles of Sociology idem, Descriptive Sociology;
MARTIN LUTHER: "Martin Luther wrote in De Wette, II, p. 459, "I
confess that I cannot forbid a person to marry several wives, for it
does not contradict the Scripture. If a man wishes to marry more than
one wife, he should be asked whether he is satisfied in his conscience
that he may do so in accordance with the word of God. In such a case,
the civil authority has nothing to do in such a matter."
MARTIN LUTHER: An Introduction to the Geneva Bible
A look at the Puritan's Bible.
" In March of 1540, after Martin Luther and other prominent
Protestant theologians had expressly approved polygamy according to
the
Scriptures, Philip became Europe's best- known bigamist."
MARTIN LUTHER: After Polygamy Was Made A Sin: The Social History of
Christian Polygamy
John Cairncross, 1974; Published by Routledge & Kegan Paul Ltd, London
"Phillip of Hesse felt impelled by his reverence for the sacraments to
mend his first marriage by contracting a second one even while his
wife was alive. And he did so with the sanction of the Fathers of the
Reformation. The first palidin of German Protestantism (Phillip)
was,with Luther's and Melanchthon's permission, a bigamist.Protestant
historians have never recovered from the shock."(pg.31) Phillip
debated this issue with the Reformer's for many years before and after
his (supposedly secret) 2nd marriage. "If, he asked, it should
suddenly be possible to overthrow the celibacy of the clergy, why
should the institution of bigamy be a priori excluded? The only
effective answer would have been that polygamy is condemned by
Christian doctrine. But this was a stand that Luther and his
colleagues never took - and for very good reasons. They could not.
They themselves did not believe that polygamy was against divine or
natural law." (pg. 48) Luther did state that "A Christian,before
adopting polygamy, must first have a calling from God."(pg. 49)
Whether or not it is the best form of
marriage for each individual depends on the gift and
the leading (Rom. 8:1-14) each individual receives
from God. St. Augustine (4th Century AD) had a
gentler way of saying it that I feel more reflects the
God of Gen. 1 and 1 Cor. 13. Consider the following:
"That the good purpose of marriage,
however, is better promoted by one husband
with one wife, than by a husband with
several wives, is shown plainly enough by
the very first union of a married pair,
which was made by the Divine Being
Himself, with the intention of marriages
taking their beginning therefrom, and of its
affording to them a more honorable
precedent. In the advance, however, of the
human race, it came to pass that to certain
good men were united a plurality of good
wives, --- many to each; and from this it
would seem that moderation sought rather
unity on one side for dignity, while nature
permitted plurality on the other side for
fecundity. For on natural principles it is
more feasible for one to have dominion over
many, than for many to have dominion over
one."
[Footnote: >..34 2b A Select Library of the Nicene
and Post-Nicene Fathers of The Christian Church;
Vol. V; p. 267]
*************************End of Detour - - Adultery and the male
continued*******************
{M5.} "Whoever divorces his wife AND marries another woman commits
adultery against her." Mark 10:11 Luke 16:18 Pretty clear, right? But
please note that nowhere in the Bible does He say "Whoever remains
married to his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against
her." There is not one Scripture in the Bible that declares it to be
adultery for a man to remain maritally bound to his wife, even if only
in the Kingdom of God in case there has been a divorce, and have
another wife, a woman who is free to marry him in the Lord. Why?
Remembering that when Jesus walked on earth He Himself commanded the
apostles and His disciples to observe and obey all of the Law of
Moses>15., the apostles and Jewish believers kept and observed all
the Laws given to Moses (including those about polygyny - Exodus
21:7-11; Deut 21:15-17) through the entire book of Acts>16. period
even after the Spirit led them to release the Gentiles/Nations
believers from having to keep the Law of Moses in Acts 15, Acts 21,
Galatians, Ephesians 2 and Colosians 2. Consider the following facts:
(1) Immediately after God gave Moses the ten commandments He gave
Moses instructions for men who have more than one wife>17. .
(2) Later He gave Moses instructions (Dt.12:1ff) for a husband who
has two wives>18. .
(3) He gave Moses specific instructions for the brother-in-laws of
a widow to marry that widow and did not exempt any brother from doing
so
who was already married>19. and Jesus introduced no such exemption
when He spoke of this passage>20.
(4) God Himself told polygynist King David (he had ten +/- wives and
concubines>24 at the time>21. ) that He had been with him wherever he
had gone, that He would make a great name for him, that his
descendant would be the Messiah>22. , and that He Himself had given
David more than one wife>23.
(5) God, who cannot sin and never portrays Himself as sinning,
portrayed Himself as the polygynist husband of two wives in Ezekiel
23.
[Footnotes: >15. Matthew 23:1-3
>16. In Matthew 23:1-3 Jesus commands obedience to the Laws give n to Moses. In Acts 15 the believing non-Jews, not the believing Jews, were released from the Laws given to Moses. In Acts 21:15-25 we see the Jewish apostle Paul and the surviving apostles still obeying the Law of Moses in obedience to Christ in Matt. 23:1-3.
>17. Exodus 21:7-11 (See Hosea 3:2; Deut. 25:5-10; Lev. 19:20)
>18. Deut. 21:15-17 (See 2 Chron. 24:3; Gen. 29:33; 1 Chron.5:2; 26:10; 2 Kings 2:9)
>19. Deut. 25:5-10
>20. Matt. 22:23-25; Mark 12:18-20; Luke 20:27-29
>21. 2 Samuel 5:13; 6:12-23; 1 Chron 3
>22. 2 Samuel 7:8-17
>23. 2 Samuel 12:8 ; that this did not mean platonic care is evident from 1 Kings 1:1-3; 2:13-25.] Adultery for the female is sexual intimacy with anyone else besides the husband to whom she is bound by the Word of God.
>24. See "WHAT IS A CONCUBINE" below?
Adultery for the male is when (1) he is married to a new wife and
had left/rejected/divorced his former wife in order to marry this new
wife>24 . ; or (2) is sexually intimate with some one else's wife or
exwife. It is this double standard in the Bible that allowed Abraham,
Jacob/Israel, Gideon,
King David, King Abijah and King Joash to be godly polygynists
with Jehovah-Jesus' blessing, but declared a woman to be an
adulteress if she was intimate with anyone but her own mate.
It is a double standard for the man and the woman. The wife,
not the husband, has the separation in celibacy option (1Cor
7:10,11),
and the husband, not the wife, has the option of remarrying while
still maritally bound, in the Kingdom of God, to his wife who has
chosen to separate herself celibately ( even if she remains under
the same roof). The adultery sin is defined differently for the
woman and differently for the man. See more on this below.
[Footnotes:>24 It is the combination of divorcing one's mate in
order to marry another and then marrying that other. If he both
dutifully keeps his own wife and then marries another woman, it is
not adultery in the Bible. If the wife dutifully keeps her own
husband and marries another it is adultery (Romans 7:3) The double
standard is clearly laid out in Matt. 5:32 and 19:6-9; Mark 10:1-11;
Luke 16:18; 1 Thess. 4:4-6 and Romans 7:1-3; 1 Corinth. 7:39]
It is this double standard that results from the man being the
designated the head of the family (Gen 2; 1Cor. 11), that results in
what appears to be another inequity. In Mt. 5:32 Jesus apparently
allows the genuinely believing husband to divorce his wife because
she is snared in sexual immorality. Not only is he allowed to divorce
her, he is allowed to remarry. If she is genuinely saved, she is
still bound maritally to him as wife before the Lord, even though she
is snared in sex sin and Jesus hasn't finished his Mat. 18;15-18 & 1
Cor. 5:3-11 work with her yet. He remarries with a free-in-the-Lord-
to-marry genuinely believing woman and is now bound before the Lord
to two wives. If the one involved in sex sin survives the chastening
of 1 Cor. 5; 11:30-34; Heb 12; and
repents in godly sorrow according to 2 Cor. 2 & 7, he must
accept her back as his wife along with his new wife, being
bound to both as long as he and they all live if they are all
genuinely saved and were free to marry in the Lord when they married.
But what about the genuinely saved wife whose "believing" husband is
involved in sex sin so she is commanded to separate from and not be
intimate with him? Such a wife separates from him according to 1
Cor. 7:10,11 but after a while she finds herself being tempted
according to 1 Cor.7:5. Then she falls to the temptation and is
afraid she might fall to it again, finds herself maritally burning
and under command be married and have marital sex (1Cor.7:5,9).
Hopefully Jesus has finished his 1 Cor. 5:4,5-11 work and the guy has
either died and his spirit is with the Lord, if he were really saved,
or he has repented according to 2 Cor 2 & 7 and is ready to be
reconciled to her. Or in the case of Matt. 18:15-18 she has learned
that she is to relate to him as an unsaved person, an unsaved person
who no longer wants to live with her, no longer wants her as his
wife(1Cor7:13,15), so she is free from him and free to obey the Lord
and get married in the Lord.
Will God intervene in behalf of His fasting and praying but maritally
burning and sorely tempted daughter, who as wife is separated from
her husband because of his 1 Cor. 5 sin, and because of that
separation is burning with marital desire and sorely tempted? If He
took out the rich and unloving believers in 1 Cor. 11 for the shabby
way they stumbled and offended their poorer brethren in the
celebration of the Lord's supper, don't you think He will give her a
1 Cor. 10:13 out or make a quick end of the husband causing her the
grief? The God who promised 1 Cor. 10:13 and Phil. 4:6,7,13,18,19
will not break those promises.
No where in Scripture is Biblical polygyny declared to be sin.
In a 1988 book entitled "Cultural Anthropology - a Christian
Perspective"
by Pastor Grunlan (of Wheaton & Luther Seminary) and Mayers Ph.D. (of
BIOLA), and recommended by Professor D. N Larson of Bethel College,
by
Professor C. H. Kraft of Fuller Theological Seminary, by Eugene A
Nida, author
of "Customs and Cultures" (a BIOLA textbook) and of the American
Bible Society;
we read the following: "It is interesting that the Old Testament never
condemned
the practice of polygyny but only regulated it (Exod 21:1-11;
Lev18:17,18; Deut.
21:15-17). In fact, the law of levirate marriage may even have
required polygyny
in some instances . . . (Deut 25:5010)." In all of the Bible we find
no condemnation
of Abraham, Jacob/Israel, Gideon, King David, King Abijah and King
Joash for their
being polygynous. Yet by not allowing the saints, especially the older
saints, to obey
the commands to marry or be married, even if it means being Biblically
polygynous,
most Western churches cause the saints, especially the female saints,
to fall into the
sins listed above. So let's see what the Christians in the Church
would be doing if the
Word of God was being taught, rather than the traditions and
doctrines of men, which
make the Word of God of no effect in our lives (Mark 7; Matt 15).
>>>>>>>>>>>>>WHAT/WHO IS A CONCUBINE?<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Douglas' New Bible Dictionary, published by Eerdman:
“Concubine: A secondary wife acquired by purchase or as a war
captive, and allowed in polygamous society such as
existed in the Middle east in biblical times. . . . Where
marriages produced no heir, wives presented a slave
concubine too their husbands in order to raise an heir
(Gen. 16). Handmaidens, given as a marriage gift,
were often concubines (Gen. 29:24,29). Concubines
were protected under Mosaic law (Exod. 21:7-11;
Deut.. 21:10-14), though they were distinguished from
wives (Judges. 8:31) and were more easily divorced
(Gen.21:10-14)."
[Footnote: >10. 1962, IVCF, Editor J.D.Douglas; W.
B. Eerdmans Publishing]
FUNK & WAGNALLS NEW ENCYCLOPEDIA:
CONCUBINAGE, “refers to the cohabitation of a man
and a woman without sanction of legal marriage.
Specifically, concubinage is a form of polygyny in
which the primary matrimonial relationship is
supplemented by one or more secondary sexual
relationships. Concubinage was a legally sanctioned
and socially acceptable practice in ancient cultures,
including that of the Hebrews; concubines, however,
were denied the protection to which a legal wife was
entitled. . .. In Roman law, marriage was precisely
defined as monogamous; concubinage was tolerated,
but the concubine's status was inferior to that of a
legal wife. Her children had certain rights,
including support by the father and legitimacy in the event of
the marriage of the parents”
[>11 1986, Funk & Wagnalls]
HASTINGS DICTIONARY OF THE BIBLE:
". . . a man's 'house' might consist of his mother; his
wives and the wives' children; his concubines and their
children . . . and slaves of both sexes. Polygamy was in
part the cause of the large size of the Hebrew household;
in part the cause of it may be found in the insecurity of
early times, when safety lay in numbers. . . Polygyny and
bigamy were recognized features of the family life. From
the Oriental point of view there was nothing immoral in
the practice of polygamy. . . . The relative
positions of wives and concubines were determined
mainly by the husband's favour. The children of the
wife claimed the greater part, or the whole, of the
inheritance; otherwise there does not seem to have
been any inferiority in the position of the concubine
as compared with that of the wife, nor was any idea
of illegitimacy, in our sense of the word, connected
with her children. . . . The female slaves were in every
respect the property of their master, and became
his concubines; except in certain cases, when they
seem to have belonged exclusively to their mistress, and
could not be appropriated by the man except by her
suggestion or consent (Gn 16:2,3). The slave-
concubines were obtained as booty in time of war
(Jg 5:30), or bought from poverty-stricken parents
(Ex 21:7); or, possibly, in the ordinary slave traffic
with foreign nations. . . . At all events,
polygyny was an established and recognized
institution form the earliest times"” >12
[Footnote: >12. HASTINGS DICTIONARY OF THE
BIBLE; p.259.]
I believe it is best to see "concubines" as God sees them, and treat
them as Jesus tells you to treat them. Exodus 21:7-11 deals with a
female being sold as a slave to a male master and Jesus tells the
master that he must treat her as one of his wives, making sure that he
gave her the proper food, clothing and marital intimacy. Buying a
slave wife sure doesn't sound very romantic, but as her husband he is
under the Eccles 9 command to live joyfully with her, the Proverbs
5:15-19 command to live with her in sexual passion, and under the Word
of Christ he is required to kindly Love (1 Cor 13) her as Christ
kindly Loved the Church.
It is interesting to note that Jacob's Bilhah and Zilpah started out
as the slaves of Rachel and Leah, but when Rachel and Leah gave Bilhah
and Zilpah to Jacob to be his partners in marital sex, the Word
declares them to be his "WIVES".
***So she gave him her servant Bilhah as a WIFE. Jacob slept with her,
Genesis 30:3-5 NIV
***While Israel lived in that land, Reuben went and lay with Bilhah
his father’s CONCUBINE. And Israel heard of it.Now the sons of Jacob
were twelve. Genesis 35:21-23
***When Leah saw that she had stopped having children, she took her
maidservant Zilpah and gave her to Jacob as a WIFE. Genesis 30:8-10
***These are the records of the generations of Jacob. Joseph, when
seventeen years of age, was pasturing the flock with his brothers
while he was still a youth, along with the sons of Bilhah and the sons
of Zilpah, his father's WIVES And Joseph brought back a bad report
about them to their father.
Genesis 37:1-3
I believe it would be quite foolish and ungodly for any man to treat
his concubines as less than wives. Remember that in Mat 25 Jesus shows
us that what we do to one who is considered to be the least important
is considered to be what we do to Christ, our God, Savior and Judge.
He who treats his concubine as less than a wife will surely reap what
he sows for the Scriptures tell us to honor all
***Show proper respect and honor to everyone: Love the brotherhood of
believers, fear God, honor the king. (1 Peter 2:16-18) . . . Likewise,
husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor
to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of
the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered. (1 Peter
3:6-8) . . . but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, . . .
(1 Peter 3:14-16)
In addition to those principles we need to see concubines as wives
because that is the way Jesus sees them. Look at 2 Sam 12:11 “So says
the
LORD, Behold, I will raise up evil against you out of your
own house, and I will take your >>>WIVES<<< before your
eyes and give [them] to your neighbor. And he shall lie with
your >>>WIVES<<< in the sight of this sun.” These were probably the
widows of King Saul that Jesus had given to David (2 Sam 12:8), and
Jesus calls them "wives".
In contrast you see the prophet and David's contemporaries call these
same women "concubines" in 2 Sam 16: 21 “And Ahithophel said to
Absalom,
Go in to your father's >>>CONCUBINES<<<, that he left to
keep the house. And all Israel shall hear that you are
abhorred by your father. And the hands of all who [are]
with you will be strong. 22 And they spread Absalom a tent
on the top of the house, and Absalom went in to his
father's >>>CONCUBINES<<< in the sight of all Israel.”
After Absalom had sex (incest and adultery) with David's concubines-
wives,
the Bible tells us that when David returned to Jerusalem he cared for
those concubines-wives but never had sexual relations with them again.
Jesus considered David's concubines to be David's wives, and we miss
the mark if we fail to consider and relate to a man's concubines as
one would relate to another man's wives.
If God declares the concubines of His godly men to be their wives,
should we do
anything less that the same? Surely the concubines of His godly
men today are considered by Him to be their wives, just as in
times past. Where is God's denunciation of Abraham for having
concubines? Where is God's denunciation of the concubines
for marrying Abraham? Where is Abraham's confession of
his sin, if polygyny is sinful as some say?
I America and countries like America where it is illegal to legally
have more
than one wife, and where a polygynist has more than one "wife", only
one of
his wives can be his legal wife, and all the rest of his "wives" have
concubine
status, the status of women taken informally and without benefit of
the law as wives by means of an informal, private and discrete
covenant
******************************************************
Restoration and Reconciliation in Broken Relationships
Putting Humpty Dumpty Relations Back Together Again
[1.] Marriage, separation, divorce and remarriage with the saved
married to the saved (Mark 10:1-12; Romans 7:1-3; 1 Corinth
7:5,10,11,39):
So often in America, a genuinely saved wife, Mishra, separates herself
and divorces her genuinely saved husband, Shoval, and fails to do it
in the manner of 1Cor 7:1=15,39. Shoval goes on in obedience to 1Cor
7:5,9 and marries another genuinely saved wife, Shumati. Time passes
and Mishra marries Eglon. Then Mishra realizes she is still maritally
bound (Mark 10:1-12; 1 Cor7:10,11,39; Rom 7:1-3) to Shoval, and that
her marriage to Eglon is adultery. In 2 Corinthians 7 godly sorrow
Mishra diligently seeks to repent of her sin of adultery and her sin
of leaving Shoval. She respectfully but decisively tells Eglon that
their relationship is adultery and she has to leave and go back to
Shoval. Mishra chooses to return (1 Cor 7:11) to her "ex" husband who
is living with his new wife, Shumati. Shumati doesn't want her to come
back or to live with them. Scripturally Shoval must serve his wives
according to Exod 21:10; 1 Tim 5:8; 1 Cor 7:1-5 and Prov 5:18,19. So
Mishra continues to live in her own house and her "ex" husband,
Shoval, to whom she is still maritally bound in the Kingdom of God,
does his best to serve her (1 Tim 5:8; 1 Cor 7:1-5 and Prov 5:18,19)
as his concubine/wife, concubine because he cannot legally and
publicly take her on as a second wife because of the laws of the land.
Mishra is now his concubine, his unofficial wife by private and
personal covenant (Malachi 2:14; Ezek 16:8; Mat 1:18,19). These
principles apply to common law or California "Pal" or "Man Assuming
Role of Spouse" relationships, where a man and a woman informally but
solemnly covenanted and committed to be marital partners to each
other.
Then there is the situation where the genuinely saved wife, Saria,
chose her separation option (1 Corinth 7:10,11) and left her husband,
Demetrius who claims to be genuinely saved, to whom she understands
she is bound maritally as long as both of them live (Mark 10:1-12;
Roman 7:1-3; 1 Corinth 7:5,10,11,39). Demetrius claims to be genuinely
saved by reliance on Jesus alone to save him from his sins, but
Demetrius has had a bad streak in life and has become verbally and
physically abusive, addicted to porn, greedy, drug abusing and drinks
til drunk in order to fall asleep. She has told him that he is
offending her, grieving her and breaking her heart (Gal 6:1; Luke
17:3; Romans 14:13-19; Matt 18:15). She asked some elders/deacons at
her church to do Matt 18:16 and 2 Tim 2:24-26 to Demetrius. She is now
up to asking the church to do Matt 18:17 and 1 Corinth 5:3-5.
The guiding Word here is:
***1Cor 5:11 but as it is, I wrote unto you not to keep company,
if any
man that is named a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an
idolater, or
a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such a one no,
not to eat.
5:3 For I verily, being absent in body but present in spirit, have
already, as though I
were present, judged him that has so wrought this thing, 4 in the
name of
our Lord Jesus, you all being gathered together, and my spirit,
with the power
of our Lord Jesus, 5 to deliver such a one unto Satan for the
destruction of
the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord
Jesus.
If Demetrius responds to the promised chastening (Hebrews 12, the
weakness and sickness of 1 Corinth 11:30-32) and repents effectively
with genuine godly sorrow (2 Corinth 7:8-11), he is restored to the
church fellowship and restored to Saria to be her godly husband (2
Corinth 2:5-11). On the other hand, if Demetrius continues on for
months or even a year being verbally and physically abusive, addicted
to porn, greedy, drug abusing and drinks til drunk in order to fall
asleep; then the absence of genuine godly repentance and God's
chastening make it clear that he is not genuinely saved and is lost
and dead in his sins (Hebrews 12; 1 John 3:3-9). Then the Lord's Word
is "he should be unto you as the Gentile and the publican," as an
unbeliever. Then she finds herself in the Lulu and Bubu situation
described below, where she is a saved woman still maritally bound to
Demetrius as long as he wants to maritally live with her even though
she has used her separation
option :
***1Cor 7: 10 I command the married —not I, but the Lord—a
[believing] wife is not to leave, depart or separate from [Strong's
5563] her [believing] husband. 11 But if she does leave, depart, and/
or separate [Strong's 5563], she must remain unmarried or be
reconciled to her husband—and a [believing] husband/man is not to
forsake, lay aside, leave, put (send) away, divorce [Strong's 863] his
wife/woman. . . . 13 Also, if any woman has an unbelieving husband/
man, and he is willing [consents, would like] to keep on [maritally]
occupying a house, residing , cohabiting^ and/or dwelling [3611] with
her, she must not forsake, lay aside, leave, put (send) away, and/or
remit [Strong's 863] her husband/man. . . .15 But if the unbeliever
leaves, departs and/or separates himself from her [Strong's 5563], he
should go away/depart/separate/leave, [he should separate himself from
her].. A brother or a sister is not [legally, morally, maritally]
bound in such cases [in the Kingdom of God]. God has called you to
peace. . . . . .
So often in America, a genuinely saved man, Yitre, leaves and divorces
his genuinely saved wife, Yafia, in disobedience to the unqualified
command not to do so (1 Cor 7:11; Malachi 2). Yitri goes on in
obedience to 1Cor 7:9 and marries another genuinely saved wife,
Fatyah. Then Yitre realizes that he is still maritally bound (1
Cor7:10,11,39; Rom 7:1-3) to his genuinely saved "ex" wife, Yafia. In
godly sorrow Yitre diligently repents of the sin of having divorced
Yafia and now in repentance seeks to be reconciled with her and resume
their marriage, even though he is now legally married to his new wife,
Fatyah. Scripturally he must serve Yafia according to 1 Tim 5:8; 1 Cor
7:1-5 and Prov 5:18,19. So Yafia continues to live in her own house
and her "ex" husband, Yitre, to whom she is still maritally bound in
the Kingdom of God, does his best to serve her (1 Tim 5:8; 1 Cor 7:1-5
and Prov 5:18,19) as his concubine/wife, concubine because he cannot
legally and publicly take her on as a second wife because of the laws
of the land. Yafia is now his concubine, his unofficial wife by
private and personal covenant (Malachi 2:14; Ezek 16:8). These
principles apply to common law or California "Pal" or "Man Assuming
Role of Spouse" relationships, where a man and a woman informally but
solemnly covenanted and committed to be marital partners to each
other.
[2.] Marriage, separation, divorce and remarriage with the saved
married to the unsaved (1 Corinth 7:10-15):
So often in America, a genuinely saved man, Ofir, separates himself
and divorces his unsaved wife, Eifah, and fails to do it in the manner
of 1Cor 7:1-15,39, because Eifah never wanted him to leave her, still
wanted to maritally live with him. Ofir goes on and marries another
genuinely saved wife, Avida. Then Ofir realizes that he sinned in
leaving and divorcing his unsaved wife, Eifah, who still wanted, and
still wants, to maritally live with him.
***1 Cor 7:11 . . . and a [believing] husband/man is not to
forsake, lay aside, leave, put (send) away, divorce [Strong's 863]
his wife/woman. 12 But to the rest I, not the Lord, say: If any
brother has an unbelieving wife/woman, and she is
willing [consents, would like] to [maritally] continue on occupying a
house, reside , cohabiting^ and/or dwelling [3611]> with him,
he must not forsake, lay aside, leave, put (send) away, and/or
remit [Strong's 863] her.
In 2 Corinthians 7 godly sorrow Ofir diligently seeks to repent of his
sin of leaving Eifah, who didn't want him to leave, and still wants
him back. His new wife, Avida, doesn't want Eifah to live with them,
so Eifah continues to live by herself, but now her "ex" and repentant
husband, Ofir, does his best to do 1 Tim 5:8; 1 Cor 7;1-5 and Prov
5:18,19 with her, commuting back and forth between the two houses,
Avida's house and Eifah's house, because he cannot legally and
publicly take Eifah on as a second wife because of the laws of the
land. Eifah is now his concubine, his unofficial wife by private and
personal covenant (Malachi 2:14; Ezek 16:8). These principles apply to
common law or California "Pal" or "Man Assuming Role of Spouse"
relationships, where a man and a woman informally but solemnly
covenanted and committed to be marital partners to each other.
So often in America, a genuinely saved Lulu separates herself and
divorces her unsaved husband, Bubu, and fails to do it in the manner
of 1Cor 7:1-15,39, because he never wanted her to leave him, still
wanted to maritally live with her. Lulu goes on and marries another
genuinely saved man, Abdul. Then she realizes that she sinned in
leaving and divorcing her unsaved Bubu who still wanted, and still
wants, to maritally live with her. Lulu realizes that she is living in
adultery with her new husband, Abdul, (Roman 7:1-3) because she is
still maritally bound to Bubu, her unsaved "ex", because he never
wanted to stop maritally living with her (1 Cor 7:12,13,15).
***1 Cor 7:***1Cor 7: 10 I command the married —not I, but the
Lord—a [believing] wife is not to leave, depart or separate from
[Strong's 5563] her [believing] husband. 11 But if she does leave,
depart, and/or separate [Strong's 5563], she must remain
unmarried or be reconciled to her husband— . . . . 13 Also, if
any woman has an unbelieving husband/man, and he is willing
[consents, would like] to keep on [maritally] occupying a
house, residing , cohabiting^ and/or dwelling [3611] with her, she
must not forsake, lay aside, leave, put (send) away, and/or
remit [Strong's 863] her husband/man.
In 2 Corinthians 7 godly sorrow Lulu diligently seeks to repent of her
sin of adultery with Abdul and her sin of leaving her unsaved Bubu,
who didn't want her to leave, and still wants her back. She
respectfully but decisively tells her new husband, Abdul, that their
relationship is adultery and she has to leave and go back to her
unsaved man, Bubu, who never stopped wanting to maritally live with
her. If Bubu has gone on in her absence and married another woman,
Beulah, never having stopped wanting to maritally live with Lulu, then
the best Lulu can hope for is to be his concubine-wife because he
cannot legally and publicly take her on as a second wife because of
the laws of the land. Beulah doesn't want Lulu to live with them, so
Lulu continues to live by herself, but now Bubu does his best to do 1
Tim 5:8; 1 Cor 7;1-5 and Prov 5:18,19 with her, commuting back and
forth between the two houses, Beulah's house and Lulu's house,
because he cannot legally and publicly take Lulu on as a second wife
because of the laws of the land. Lulu is now Bubu's concubine, his
unofficial wife by private and personal covenant (Malachi 2:14; Ezek
16:8). These principles apply to common law or California "Pal" or
"Man Assuming Role of Spouse" relationships, where a man and a woman
informally but solemnly covenanted and committed to be marital
partners to each other.
Then there is the situation where the saved wife, Safronia, left her
unsaved husband, Brutus, when he still wanted to maritally live with
her. Brutus was and continues to be verbally and physically abusive,
drug abusing, vulgar, unkind, bossy and openly hostile to anything
that has to do with Jesus. The guiding Word here is:
***1Cor 7:10 But unto the married I give charge, yea not I, but
the Lord, that the wife
should not depart from her husband 11(but should she depart, she
should remain
unmarried, or else be reconciled to her husband); and that the
husband should not leave his wife. . . .
13 Also, if any woman has an unbelieving husband/man, and he is
willing [consents, would like] to keep on [maritally]
occupying a house, residing , cohabiting^ and/or dwelling [3611] with
her, she must not forsake, lay aside, leave, put (send) away,
and/or remit [Strongs 863] her husband/man.
Brutus is still a brute but wants to maritally live with Safronia.
Safronia left the man she is under God's
command not to leave, God's command to not terminate their marital
relationship. She is still maritally
bound to Brutus in the Kingdom of God. Having departed from Brutus
while he still wanted to maritally
live with her, Brutus still being a brute and a bully, and she being
able to successfully and continuously
abstain from sex sin, Safronia chooses the option to remain unmarried
and separated from Brutus. The
Word makes it clear that the instant Brutus no longer wants to
maritally live with her, separating himself
from her emotionally and maritally, then she is maritally free from
him in the Kingdom of God and in the
Kingdom of God she is free to marry another (1 Corinth7:15).
[3.] Dealing with complicated and controversial marriages that involve
concubines in Biblical polygyny
I believe it would be quite foolish and ungodly for any man to treat
his concubines as less than wives. Remember that in Mat 25 Jesus shows
us that what we do to one who is considered to be the least important
is considered to be what we do to Christ, our God, Savior and Judge.
He who treats his concubine as less than a wife will surely reap what
he sows for the Scriptures tell us to honor all
***Show proper respect and honor to everyone: Love the brotherhood of
believers, fear God, honor the king. (1 Peter 2:16-18) . . . Likewise,
husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor
to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of
the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered. (1 Peter
3:6-8) . . . but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, . . .(1
Peter 3:14-16)
In addition to those principles we need to see concubines as wives
because that is the way Jesus sees them. Look at 2 Sam 12:11 “So says
the LORD, Behold, I will raise up evil against you out of your own
house, and I will take your >>>WIVES<<< before your eyes and give
[them] to your neighbor. And he shall lie with your >>>WIVES<<< in the
sight of this sun.” These were probably the widows of King Saul that
Jesus had given to David (2 Sam 12:8), and Jehovah-Jesus calls them
"wives".
In contrast you see the prophet and David's contemporaries call these
same women "concubines" in 2 Sam 16: 21 “And Ahithophel said to
Absalom,
Go in to your father's >>>CONCUBINES<<<, that he left to
keep the house. And all Israel shall hear that you are
abhorred by your father. And the hands of all who [are]
with you will be strong. 22 And they spread Absalom a tent
on the top of the house, and Absalom went in to his
father's >>>CONCUBINES<<< in the sight of all Israel.”
After Absalom had sex (incest and adultery) with David's concubines-
wives,
the Bible tells us that when David returned to Jerusalem he cared for
those concubines-wives but never had sexual relations with them again.
Jesus considered David's concubines to be David's wives, and we miss
the mark if we fail to consider and relate to a man's concubines as
one would relate to another man's wives.
If God declares the concubines of His godly men to be their wives,
should we do
anything less that the same? Surely the concubines of His godly
men today are considered by Him to be their wives, just as in
times past. Where is God's denunciation of Abraham for having
concubines? Where is God's denunciation of the concubines
for marrying Abraham? Where is Abraham's confession of
his sin, if polygyny is sinful as some say?
My primary concern, as a man with a concubine/wife, is that a husband
might be so foolish as to treat his concubine as less than a wife,
especially when we see 2 Sam 12, where Jesus calls wives those who
were David's concubines. In Malachi 2 we see Jesus curse those
husbands who break covenant/promise with their wives, and we see in 1
Peter 3:7 that a man's prayers can be hindered if he lives unwisely
with his wife. In 1 Cor 11 we see that many Corinthian Christians had
become weak, sick and some had died for offending and stumbling the
poor Christian in their midst. How much more will Jesus deal with a
husband who shows partiality in his treatment of his wives because one
is a concubine and the other is a legal wife. Jesus has millstones for
the necks of those who offend His children, for surely Christ dwells
in His children who are concubines just as much as He dwells in those
who are legal wives. The sin of making arbitrary and biased decisions
and differences in the way one treats another is a serious sin (1 Tim
5:20; James 2:1,2). Ezek 17 show how Jesus hates the sin of breaking
one's promises, even to unbelievers, so surely He must also hate the
breaking of promises to one's concubines.
I believe one risks his health and life if he treats his concubines as
less than wives. Even a slave wife has the rights of EX 21:10"If he
takes to himself another woman, he may not reduce her food, her
clothing, or her conjugal rights." These conjugal rights are described
further in 1 Cor 7: 1* ¶ But concerning the things of which ye have
written to me: It is good for a male not to continue -keep on -
touching a woman; 2 but because of and to avoid sexual immorality each
man should be [sexually] having his own woman, and each woman should
be [sexually] having her own man. . . .4. The woman doesn't have
[sexual] authority over her own body, but the husband [does]; in like
manner also the man doesn't have [sexual] authority over his own body,
but the woman [does]. 5 Do not be denying each other [sexually],
unless, it may be, by consent for a time, that you may devote
yourselves to fasting and prayer, and again be conjugally cohabiting
[sexually reuniting], that Satan tempt you not because of your
incontinence.
A purpose of marriage is to give the widow, the abandoned mother
(James 1:27), a marriage, even if she gets that marriage with her
husband as his concubine..
***He gives the barren woman a home,making her the joyous mother of
children. Praise the LORD! Psalm 113:8-9
***Deut 25:5If brothers live together and one of them dies and has no
son, his wife shall not be married to a stranger outside the family.
Her husband's [single or married] brother shall go in to her and take
her as his wife and perform the duty of a husband's brother to
her. . . . [In Christ we are all brethren}
***1 Tm 5:14 Therefore, I want younger widows(5503) to marry, have
children, manage their households, and give the adversary no
opportunity to accuse us.
***1 Cor 7:8 I say to the unmarried and to bereft [abandoned or
widowed] women: It is good for them if they remain [unmarried] as I
am. 9 But if they are not consistently abstaining from sinning
sexually, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn
with desire
The Word for the godly husband, and his godly wife if he has one, who
have adequate material possessions, about seeing a widow, or a woman
who has lost her husband or the father of her children, under command
to marry and in need of a godly husband:
***1 John 3:16 This is how we have come to know love: He, [Jesus
Christ,] laid down His Life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives
for our brethren. 17 If anyone has this world's material possessions
and sees his fellow believer in need but has no pity on him, closing
his heart against him, how can the Love of God be abiding in him? 18
Dear children, we should not Love with words or speech but with
actions and in Truth. 19 This then is how we know that we belong to
the Truth, and how we assure and set our hearts at rest in His
presence . . .
***"So any person who knows what is right to do but does not do it, to
him it is sin." James 4:16-17
The concubines may have been denied protection by the government, and
their positions may have been determined by the husband's favor, but
the born again and Christ believing concubine is under the protection
of her King, Jesus, and if her husband is a man of God he will submit
to Jesus and let Father determine her position.
Since 2 Samuel shows us that God considers the concubines of His
children to be wives of His children, so if the husband does not live
wisely with his concubine, his prayers will be hindered (1 Peter 3:7).
If such a husband is partial or biased in his dealing with her (James
2:1-12), offends, spiritually stumbles, grieves and causes to sin such
a wife, such a husband will experience the chastening of the Lord
(Hebrews 12;1 cor 11:30-32; Romans 14) and needs to learn how to swim
with a millstone around his neck. Secondarily we are citizens of our
own countries and members of our own cultures, but primarily we are
citizens in the Kingdom of God (Heb 11:13-16) and ambassadors of King
Jesus (2 Cor 5:20).
=====================================
[4.] SAVED ETERNALLY & KNOWING IT
A Pastor = I submit that it is impossible for us to know whether
someone [else] is saved or not (except possibly by the Spirit of God).
Ron =True. Yet on the other hand we can KNOW that we ourselves are
saved when we are saved.
***1John2: 3 ¶ And by this we know that we have known Him, if we keep
His commandments. 4 He who says, I have known Him, and does not keep
His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But
whoever keeps His word, truly in this one the love of God is
perfected. By this we know that we are in Him. . . . 3:24 And he who
keeps His commandment dwells in Him, and He in him. And by this we
know that He abides in us, by the Spirit which He gave to us. . . .
4:13 By this we know that we dwell in Him, and He in us, because He
has given us of His Spirit. . . . 5:13 I have written these things to
you who believe on the name of the Son of God, that you may know that
you have everlasting life, and that you may believe on the name of the
Son of God.
***2Peter 1:10 Therefore, brothers, rather be diligent to make your
calling and election sure, for [if you] do these things, you shall
never fall.
pastor=Yes there is. We are not saved until we reach Heaven.
Ron = The Word says otherwise. Not even dealing with the passages that
say we shall be saved, many
show that we are saved while yet living and still imperfect.
***Mt 9:22 But turning and seeing her, Jesus said, Daughter, be
comforted; your faith HAS saved you. And the woman WAS saved from
that hour.
***Lu 18:42 And Jesus said to him, Receive your sight! Your faith HAS
saved you.
***Ac 2:47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the
Lord added to the church daily those who WERE being saved.
***Rom 8:24 For we ARE saved by hope. But hope that is seen is not
hope; for what anyone sees, why does he also hope [for it]?
***1Co 1:18 For the preaching of the cross is foolishness to those
being lost, but to us BEING saved, [it is] the power of God.
***Eph 2:5 (even when we were dead in sins) has made us alive together
with Christ (by grace you ARE saved), . . . 8 For by grace you ARE
saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, [it is] the gift of
God,
***2Ti 1:9 who HAS saved us and called [us] with a holy calling, not
according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace
which was given us in Christ Jesus before the eternal times.
***Tit 3:5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but
according to His mercy He SAVED us, through the washing of
regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,
pastor = We are in the process of Salvation, but are not saved.
Ron = That is not what the Word above says, the Word which speaks of
being saved or already saved then and there. It is true that our
salvation has three phases: Saved from the penalty of sin when saved
in the here and now, Saved from the power of sin here and now sin by
sin, and eventually saved from the presence of sin in our renewed
bodies.
***"4 But God--so rich is He in His mercy! Because of and in order to
satisfy the great and wonderful and intense love with which He loved
us, 5 Even when we were [spiritually] dead (slain) by [our own]
shortcomings and trespasses, He made us alive together in fellowship
and in union with Christ; [He gave us the very life of Christ Himself,
the same new life with which He quickened Him, for] it is by grace
(His favor and mercy which you did not deserve) that you are saved
(delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ's salvation). 6
And He raised us up together with Him and made us sit down together
[giving us joint seating with Him] in the heavenly sphere [by virtue
of our being] in Christ Jesus (the Messiah, the Anointed One). 7 He
did this that He might clearly demonstrate through the ages to come
the immeasurable (limitless, surpassing) riches of His free grace (His
unmerited favor) in [His] kindness and goodness of heart toward us in
Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by free grace (God's unmerited favor) that
you are saved (delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ's
salvation) through [your] faith. And this [salvation] is not of
yourselves [of your own doing, it came not through your own striving],
but it is the gift of God; 9 Not because of [human] works, lest any
man should boast. [It is not the result of what anyone can possibly
do, so no one can pride himself in it or take glory to himself.] 10
For we are God's [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in
Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God
predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He
prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good
life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live]." Ephes 2
Bible AB
pastor = therefore, we have the choice to walk away from HaShem and
Yeshua at anytime that we choose. HaSatan can not snatch us from the
hand of HaShem, but he can enitce us to sin and when we choose to sin,
we have walked away from Him.
Ron = Those who are in deed born from above, born again by the Spirit,
do not fall away into disbelief in Jesus. ***John 10:27 My sheep hear
My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. 28 And I give to them
eternal life, and they shall never ever perish, and not anyone
[including themselves, Satan, demons etc.] shall pluck them out of My
hand. 29 My Father who gave [them] to me is greater than all, and no
one [including themselves, Satan, demons etc.] is able to pluck [them]
out of My Father's hand. 30 I and the Father are one!
***Psa 37:28 For the LORD loves judgment and does not forsake His
saints; they are kept forever; but the seed of the wicked shall be cut
off.
***Joh 6:37 All that the Father gives Me shall come to Me, and the
[one] who comes to Me I will in no way cast out. . . . 10:28 And I
give to them eternal life, and they shall never ever perish, and not
anyone shall pluck them out of My hand.
***Jude 1:1 Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to
the [ones] called in God [the] Father, having been set apart, and
having been kept by Jesus Christ:
***Heb 10:39 But we are not of withdrawal to destruction, but of those
who believe to [the] saving of [the] soul.
***Many so called "believers" are of "withdrawal to destruction" who
believe "for a while", not fail to "believe to [the] saving of [the]
soul"------------ who only believe as Satan believes (Jas 2:19)
***Lu 8:13 Those on the rock [are] the ones who, when they hear,
receive the Word with joy. And these have no root, who for a while
believe, and in time of temptation fall away.
***1John2:18 . . . even now many antichrists have risen up, from which
we know that it is the last hour. 19 They went out from us, but they
were not of us; for if they were of us, they would have continued with
us. But [they went out] so that it might be revealed that they were
not all of us.
***2Pe 2:20 For if [they] have escaped the pollutions of the world
through the full knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus, and are again
entangled, they have been overcome by these, [their] last things are
worse [than] the first. 21 For it would have been better for them not
to have fully known the way of righteousness, than fully knowing [it],
to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them.
***Mr 4:5 And another fell on stony ground, where it did not have much
earth. And it sprang up at once, due to not having deepness of earth. :
6 And when [the] sun rose, it was scorched. And because it had no
root, it withered away. . . . 16 And these are those likewise being
sown on stony places; who, when they hear the Word, immediately
receive it with gladness.17 But they have no root in themselves, but
are temporary. Afterward when affliction or persecution arises for the
Word's sake, they are immediately offended.
++++What happens when one who truly believes but becomes snared in
sin? They are chastened (Heb 12), being made sick, weak and may even
lose their bodies in death-------
***1 Cor 5: 3 For as being absent in body but present in spirit, I
indeed have judged already [as though I were] present [concerning] him
who worked out this thing; 4 in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
when you are gathered together, with my spirit; also, with the power
of our Lord Jesus Christ; 5 to deliver such a one to Satan for the
destruction of the flesh, so that the spirit may be saved in the day
of the Lord Jesus. 6 Your boasting [is] not good. Do you not know that
a little leaven leavens the whole lump? 7 Therefore purge out the old
leaven so that you may be a new lump, as you are unleavened. For also
Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us. 8 Therefore let us keep
[the] feast; not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and
wickedness, but with the unleavened [bread] of sincerity and truth.
***1Cor 11:29 For he who eats and drinks unworthily eats and drinks
condemnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. 30 For this
cause many among you [are] weak and sickly, and many sleep. 31 For if
we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged.
++++What are we supposed to do about one who really believes but has
become snared? " deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of
the flesh, so that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord
Jesus. "
***2 Thess 3: 6 Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord
Jesus Christ, that you withdraw yourselves from every brother who
walks disorderly, and not after the teaching which he received from
us. . . . 14 And if anyone does not obey our word by this letter, mark
that one and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed. 15 Yet
do not count [him] as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.
pastor = Mt 7:16 applies to everyone - not to just false teachers.
However, if you want to get down to the minuscule, then you will have
to say that anyone who claims to be a believer but does not show the
fruits of the Spirit is a false teacher.
Ron = at least in the sense that he is misrepresenting believers since
believers Love Jesus and therefore continue to will to obey Jesus,
continue to choose to obey Jesus.
***Heb 5: 8 though being a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things
which He suffered. 9 And being made perfect, He became [the] Author of
eternal salvation to all those who obey Him,
***1John2:3 ¶ And by this we know that we have known Him, if we keep
His commandments. 4 He who says, I have known Him, and does not keep
His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But
whoever keeps His word, truly in this one the love of God is
perfected. By this we know that we are in Him. 6 He who says he abides
in Him ought himself also to walk even as He walked.
***1 John 2:3 This is how we are sure that we have come to know Him:
by continuing to keep His commands. 4 The one who says, "I have come
to know Him," without continuing to keep His commands, is a liar, and
[Jesus] the Truth is not in him. 5 But whoever continues to keep His
Word, truly in him the love of God is perfected. This is how we know
we are in Him: 6 the one who says he remains in Him should continue
to walk just as He walked. . . . many antichrists have come. Therefore
we know that it is the last hour. 19 They went out from us, but they
were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued
with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all
are not of us.
***1 John 3:4-14 stated briefly:
4 Everyone who sins breaks the Law [of God]; in fact, sin is
lawlessness. 5 But you know that He [Jesus] appeared so that He might
take away our sins. And in Him is no sin. 6 No one who lives in Him
[deliberately and knowingly] keeps on doing a sin. No one who
[deliberately and knowingly] continues to do a sin has either seen Him
or known Him. 7 Little children, let no man deceive you: he that keeps
on doing righteousness is righteous, even as He is righteous. 8 He who
[deliberately and knowingly] continues to do a sin is of the devil;
for the devil keeps on sinning from the beginning. For this purpose
the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the
devil. 9 Whosoever is born of God does not [deliberately and
knowingly] continue to do a sin; for His seed remains in him: and he
cannot [deliberately and knowingly] keep on doing a sin, because he is
born of God. 10 In this the children of God are manifest, and the
children of the devil: whoever does not keep on doing righteousness is
not of God, neither he who is not loving his brother. . . 14 We know
that we have passed from death to life, because we keep on unselfishly
and kindly Loving our brothers. Anyone who does not continue to
unselfishly and kindly Love remains in death.
A genuine child of God cannot "keep on doing a sin, because he is
born of God" and God will chasten him/her out of the sin (Hebrews 12)
with weakness, sickness or hardships to get him/her to stop sinning,
with the genuine repentance of godly sorrow (1 Cor 11:25-35; 1 Cor
5:3-5; 2 Cor 7; Prov 28:13 ). If she/he does not genuinely repent of
the sin in godly sorrow (Prov 28:13; 2 Cor 7), the chastening may even
mean the death of his/her body (1 Cor 11:25-35; 1 Cor 5:3-5) so that
her/his spirit can be saved from that sin. If His children persist in
misusing their bodies, bodies purchased with the shed blood of Christ
on the cross, He might cause their bodies to die so that they can't
continue misusing them, and then take them Home to Him
The godly in Christ who are not successfully abstaining from sex sin,
in thought or deed, experience the chastening of God (Heb 12; 1 Cor
11:30-32) and either stop continuing in sin because of weakness,
sickness or death because Jesus won't let them continue to sin. Those
in Jesus who try to continue on while failing to consistently abstain
from sex sin, choosing not to obey Jesus, encounter Jesus' discipling
and chastening, often in the form of weakness, sickness or even the
sleep of death (1 Cor 5:3-5; 11:30-32; Heb 12). Father takes His weak
and failing child Home to be with Him in Heaven, because that child
can no longer be trusted with his/her body and mind which were
purchased by Jesus (1 Cor 6:19,20). Such a failing child's body is
delivered "unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the
spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus" (1 Cor 5:5).
[5.] An invitation to personally know the God and Creator of the
universe
Do you know exactly where you stand with the God and Creator of the
universe? Have you asked Him to be your Father in the Heavens? Have
you believed/trusted/relied/depended on the Lord/King Jesus Christ ---
the God anointed Saviour/Deliverer King of Israel ----to save you from
your faults, failures and mistakes, from the wrongs you do and have
done? Salvation from personal faults/failures/mistakes belongs to the
poor in spirit. Matt. 5:3 says, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for
theirs is the kingdom of heaven." If you recognize that you are
spiritually destitute---totally incapable of deserving or earning
deliverance from your errors in any way, you are poor in spirit-- you
are humble. The poor in spirit, the humble, understand that they are
sinners/wrongdoers, totally impotent to please or to serve God. To
acknowledge that you are a wrongdoer unable to save yourself is
humility.
Why do we need to be saved/delivered in Jesus? The Daniel 3 experience
of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego illustrates why we need to be saved
and delivered in Jesus. They were safe IN the fiery furnace, and not
only safe but comfortable enough to stand around and talk with each
other. When they came out of the fiery furnace neither their hair nor
their clothes were harmed by the fire. On the other hand, when their
captors threw the three into the fire, the fire was so ferocious that
it killed them instantly. The three lived comfortably in the fiery
furnace because they were the children of the God who is a consuming
fire brighter than any star in the universe. Their captors died from
the fire because they were not compatible with the fiery God of the
three.
De 4:24 For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, . . . .
De 9:3 Therefore, understand today that the LORD your God is He who
goes over before you. Like a consuming fire, He shall destroy them,
and He shall bring them down before your face. . . .
Heb 12:29 for also, “Our God is a consuming fire.”
Mal 4:1 For, behold, the day comes, that shall burn as an oven; and
all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and
the day that comes shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that
it shall leave them neither root nor branch.
God the Father, though a spirit, is so incredibly powerful in both
nature and appearance, that He appears as a being of incredible fire,
brighter and more powerful than any star in our universe. It is not
that God wants to barbecue sinners because He wants to make them pay
for all their mistakes. It is a matter of conflicting natures. Our
human nature in incompatible with His holy and righteous nature.
Wood, hay and straw are incompatible with fire and will automatically
be burned up not because the fire wants to burn it but because their
natures are incompatible and they burn when placed in fire. Gold and
diamonds are compatible with fire and can exist in the midst of fire.
Our human body and nature are like wood, hay and stubble and His holy
nature is a consuming fire.
His fiery nature doesn’t burn up the wood, hay and stubble because it
enjoys burning up wood, hay and stubble, but because they burn in the
presence of fire. His fiery holiness, that is seen as a consuming
fire, doesn’t burn wrongdoers because He enjoys burning wrongdoers.
Wrongdoers burn in His presence because their nature is naturally
incompatible with His fiery and holy nature. He give us, who are
naturally wood/hay/stubble, the opportunity in Jesus to be made by Him
into beings of gold, silver and precious stones that can dwell with
Him safely and well in His fiery presence. Fire purifies, killing
germs, viruses and harmful organisms. His holy fire purifies the
sinners/wrongdoers in Hell, containing the infection and contagion of
their evil and wrongdoing, keeping it from contaminating and infecting
the universe again.
Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, people who have
faults, failures, mistakes, who have been unloving, untruthful and
unenlightened. (1 Tim. 1:15). Isaiah said, "When You make His soul an
offering for sin, He shall see [His] seed. He shall prolong [His] days
and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand. He shall see
the distressing travail of His soul, and be satisfied. By His
knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, for He shall bear
their iniquities." Poverty of spirit (humility) is interwoven in the
act of repentance, the life-altering change of mind about you, your
sin/wrongs and God. When you repent (change your mind), you see
yourself as you really are and you change your mind in respect to your
relationship to God the Father and to His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
The act of repentance brings you to see your sin/wrongdoing as ugly as
it is, as God sees it, and you come to a point where you want to be
free from it.
Of course, freedom from doing and being wrong comes only by believing/
trusting/ relying on the Lord Jesus Christ to save you from your
wrongdoing and wrongbeing. The one who is regularly doing and being
wrong is the slave of wrongdoing and wrongbeing. However, if the Son
shall set you free from regularly doing and being wrong, you shall be
free indeed (John 8:334,36) The poor in spirit see their inability to
free themselves from sin/failures/faults/errors. They see that freedom
is possible only through Christ's death for us, Him taking on Himself
our rap/sentence/penalty as our substitute. They recognize that
deliverance comes by God's act of undeserved and unmerited kindness
and mercy alone. They choose to believe God and His Word about
themselves and their relationship with Him.
One cannot speak of the Crucifixion apart from the Resurrection. It
is the resurrection that gives us newness of life. Christ's
resurrection testifies to two vital truths. One, it shows that the
requirements of God’s righteousness and holiness were satisfied with
the substitutionary death of Jesus Christ. Jesus became the bearer of
our wrongs. Isaiah's word is "But he was wounded/pierced for our
transgressions, bruised/crushed for our iniquities; The chastisement
for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes (from the cutting
whips) we are healed." In Romans 4:25 we read, "[He] who was delivered
up because of our transgressions, and was raised [from the dead]
because of our justification." "Raised because of our justification"
means that because Jesus' payment (the death of His body) for our sins
was adequate to satisfy the demands of the justice of the Holy God,
God could then declare us righteous, justified and made acceptable in
His sight. Jesus raised His crucified body from death and changed it
to be alive forever because His death for us satisfied the
righteousness of our Holy God, making the Way for Jesus to raise and
change the bodies of His “children” to live with Him forever.
His resurrection shows us that Jesus Christ conquered death and
alienation from God. Death had a hold over us because of our sin/error/
failures/faults/wrongs. However, once the death penalty of sin was
paid for by the death of Christ's body, death no longer had any
holding power on those who ask to be covered by Christ’s sacrifice.
"The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law" (1
Corinth. 15:56). Jesus paid the price of redemption, redeeming us from
the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us ---for cursed was
everyone who was hung on a tree/stake (Deut. 21:23; Gala. 3:13). His
death took away the power of sin/wrongs. Jesus also took the stinger
out of death by paying for our sin so that we need have no fear of
what awaits us in and after death. Because our sin debt is paid for in
full by Christ, death has no power over us. Not only that, but He has
promised His children that they would never have to suffer in dying
more than they can bear, and when the suffering is about to become too
much for us, He has also promised to end the suffering or deliver us
from it (1Cor10:13).
Have you come to the end of yourself? Have you seen your total
inability, your total unworthiness? Have you seen your nothingness
apart from God? And have you seen Jesus, God the Son, who took upon
Himself a body of flesh and blood so that He might die for you and for
all people so that they could be saved from eternal death? Have you
decided that you want His Way and Will in and for your life instead of
your own will and way? Do you believe He died in your place, taking
on Himself the just punishment that was due for your wrongdoing? Do
you believe that? Do you believe that His body was made sin for you,
so that you, a helpless and hopeless wrongdoing enemy of God, might
have His righteousness and His life? Have you repented---turned away
from self-will to believe/depend on the Lord Jesus Christ----the God
anointed Saviour King of Israel, to deliver you from all your
wrongdoing and wrongbeing? Out loud with your heart, mind and mouth
agree with God about the God anointed Saviour King of Israel, and you
will be saved, "for with the heart man believes, resulting in
righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses [Jesus], resulting in
deliverance." Romans 10:10-13.
Joh 6:37 All that the Father gives Me shall come to Me, and the one
who comes to Me I will not at all cast out.
Matt 11: 28 “Come to Me, all you toiling and burdened ones, and I will
give you rest. 29 Take My yoke* upon you and learn from Me; for I am
gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30
For it is good to bear My yoke**, and my burden is light.”
*“Take My yoke upon you” means to accept His rule and authority over
yourself.
**“To bear My yoke” means to live under and according to His rule and
authority.
This yoke, His authority, indeed is good for you and light indeed,
when compared to the load of our sins and the just and natural death
penalty for those sins. Sin and wrongdoers will burn without dying in
His holy presence just like wood, hay and stubble burn in a forest
fire. He has no pleasure in the death/burning of sinners, but wants
us to choose His unselfish and compassionate cherishing Love, Truth,
Enlightenment, Life and Peace in and by Jesus.
[6.] A glimpse into the future, Heaven and Hell
***Luke 16:22 . . . the rich man also died, and was buried. 23And in
Hades he lifted up his eyes,
being in torments, . . . 24And he cried and said, . . . I am in
anguish in this flame.
***Rev. 20: 10 And the devil who deceived them was cast into the lake
of fire and brimstone, where are both the beast and the false prophet;
and they shall be tormented day and night for the ages of ages.11 ¶
And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose
face the earth and the heaven fled, and place was not found for them.
12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne,
and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is that of
life. And the dead were judged out of the things written in the books
according to their works. 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were
in it, and death and hades gave up the dead which were in them; and
they were judged each according to their works: 14 and death and hades
were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death, even the
lake of fire. 15 And if any one was not found written in the book of
life, he was cast into the lake of fire. . . .
***Luke 16:22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and that he
was carried
away by the angels . . .
***Rev 7:9 After these things I saw, and behold, a great multitude,
which no man could number,
out of every nation and of all tribes and peoples and tongues,
standing before the throne and
before the Lamb, arrayed in white robes, and palms in their hands; 10
and they cry with a
great voice, saying, "Salvation unto our God who sits on the throne,
and unto the Lamb" . . .
15 Therefore are they before the throne of God; and they serve Him day
and night in His
temple: and He that sits on the throne shall spread His tabernacle
over them. 16 They
shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun
strike upon them,
nor any heat: 17 for the Lamb that is in the midst of the throne shall
be their
Shepherd, and shall guide them unto fountains of waters of Life: and
God
shall wipe away every tear from their eyes. . . . 21: 1 ¶ And I saw a
new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth
had passed away, and the sea exists no more. 2 And I saw the holy
city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of the heaven from God, prepared
as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice out of
the heaven, saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He
shall tabernacle with them, and they shall be His people, and God
Himself shall be with them, their God. 4 And He shall wipe away every
tear from their eyes; and death shall not exist any more, nor grief,
nor cry, nor distress shall exist any more, for the former things have
passed away." 5 And He that sat on the throne said, "Behold, I make
all things new." And He says to me, "Write, for these words are true
and faithful." 6 And He said to me, "It is done. I am the Alpha and
the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to him that thirsts
of the fountain of the water of Life freely. 7 He that overcomes shall
inherit these things, and I will be to him God, and he shall be to me
son. 8 But to the fearful and unbelieving, and sinners, and those who
make themselves abominable, and murderers, and fornicators, and
sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, their part is in the lake
which burns with fire and brimstone; which is the second death."
http://community.beliefnet.com/biblical_marriage_divorce_remarriage/?pref_tab=group
http://groups.myspace.com/ChristianMarriage - -
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MarriageDivorceRemarriageJesus2
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MarriageDivorceRemarriageJesus
http://biblicalmaturity.yuku.com/forums/66
http://groups.google.com/group/MarriageDivorceRemarriageInJesus
http://www.tagged.com/godlychristianmarriage - - -
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=4963699097
For more information on Biblical Christian Polygyny:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/OrthodoxBiblicalMarriagePolygamy
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PolyPolygamyPolygynyNJesus
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=6382095167
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2648256332
http://groups.google.com/group/BiblicalChristianPolygamyPolygyny
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PolyOption4ChristiansWithSTDs/
http://groups.google.com/group/polygamous_friends_of_tyler
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/polygynousfriendsofTyler/
http://biblicalmarriagepolygyny.yuku.com/forums/66
http://biblicalmarriagepolygamypolygyny.webs.com/
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=107582071823
Separation, Divorce and Remarriage #2 - - - Controversial Solutions
Putting Humpty Dumpty Relationships Back Together Again
By Tyler, 07/17/10
http://biblicalmaturity.yuku.com/forums/66
An Introduction
[1.] Marriage, separation, divorce and remarriage with the saved
married to the saved (Mark 10:1-12; Romans 7:1-3; 1 Corinth
7:5,10,11,39)
[2.] Marriage, separation, divorce and remarriage with the saved
married to the unsaved (1 Corinth 7:10-15):
[3.] Dealing with complicated and controversial marriages
[4.] SAVED ETERNALLY & KNOWING IT
[5.] An invitation to personally know the God and Creator of the
universe
[6.] A glimpse into the future, Heaven and Hell
==============================
An Introduction
In America the divorce rate for Christians is as bad as that
of nonChristians. I believe one of the main reasons for this
is the failure of the American church to adhere to the Word
rather than to the traditions of American culture, specifically
the failure of the American church to faithfully teach, encourage
and enable obedience to the commands to marry, or be married,
in 1 Corinth 7:2,3,4,5,9,10,11,12,13,15,39; and 1 Timothy 5;14.
In most countries as well as America, in Bible believing churches
there are usually three professing Christian women for every
professing Christan man in the 30 year old range, four Chrisitan
women for every Christian man in church in the 40 year old range,
five
Christian women for every Christian man in the 50 year old range, and
six Christian women for every Christian man in church in the 60 year
old
range. So obedience to those passages in 1 Corinthians 7 and 1 Timothy
5
in America today would have to involve a controversial form of
marriage,
described in what follows. This is especially in most
AfroAm Churches. Google this and you will see this.
http://www.divorcemag.com/statistics/statsUS.shtml
http://www.creativeye.com/singles/stats.htm
http://www.pcusa.org/research/compstats/hendrick-r.html
http://www.ctlibrary.com/ct/1999/may24/9t6070.html
Many single Christian women are involved in the following
which are clearly declared to be in in the Bible:
1. Marry the unsaved (1 Cor 15:33; 2 Cor 6; Malachi 2:11-13; Psalm
1:1; 15:4; Prov 5:20,21)
2. Marry carnal "Christians" snared in sin (2 Thess 3:6-14; 1 Cor
5:11; Rom 16:17)
3. Have sex outside of marriage (Ezek 23; Prov 5,6,7; 1 Cor 6)
4. Become lesbians (Ezek 23:19-21; Rom 1:20-30)
5. Lust, i.e. desire what is forbidden by God, do sex sin in their
minds or with pornography (Matt 5:28; Ezek 23)
6. Self-stimulate thinking of sex sin (Mat 5:28; Ezek 23)
I may lose and alienate you by what comes next, but I am under Ezekiel
3 and 33 command to both warn and teach you about the truth in the
Bible and Biblical morality, the permanence of the marriage bond, and
what genuine godly sorrow and repentance can look like when it comes
to restoring broken relationships, marriages on the rocks instead of
on the Rock, and the realities of living as a citizen of the Kingdom
of God instead of just being a citizen of some secular man made
society and all their man made rules, customs and traditions.
The most serious break in marital relationships is adultery and sexual
immorality. Let's try to take an unbiased look at what the Bible says
about this. First of all, look at what the Bible teaches us about God
and marital unfaithfulness. In the Bible book of Hosea, Jehovah-Jesus
tells Hosea to marry an immoral woman and stay married to her, always
trying to win her faithfulness. Jesus does this to show Israel that no
matter how unfaithful it is, their marital covenant (Ezekiel 16:8,
60-63), made at Mount Sinai when they received the Ten Commandments,
still holds. We see in Hosea, Ezekiel 16 and 34 that Israel, maritally
bound to Jehovah-Jesus by His solemn covenant, would be punished for
its unfaithfulness but the marital bond still holds as far as Jesus is
concerned. Sexual immorality does not break or end the marital bond
between those bound by marital covenant in the Kingdom of God, but is
dealt with according to the pattern shown in Galatians 6:1; 2 Timothy
2:22-26; Matt 18:15,16,17; 1 Corinth 5, where the sin is dealt with,
in 2 Corinth 7 where the sin is repented of in godly sorrow, and in 2
Corinth 2 where reconciliation and reunion take place after the godly
repentance has taken place.
Please open your heart and mind to see what the Bible - not the
priests, the pastors, the church, the culture, or your neighbors -
says about adultery. Some say "The same Bible Laws apply to both male
and female. This is an issue of principle, not role. Therefore all
are equal: male and female." Some Bible interpreters are more zealous
for unisex doctrines and practices than the bleeding heart liberals
who encourage unisex restroom and coed dorms. God made males and
females very different for a reason, and we miss the mark when we
fail to recognize the differences He made and instituted for those
differences.
Matt. 5:32 and 19:6-9; Mark 10:1-11; Luke 16:18; 1 Thess. 4:4-6 and
Romans 7:1-3>143 plainly state the double standard in the definition
of adultery. There really are different scriptural laws for men than
for women governing adultery marriage and remarriage, and there are
different scriptural laws for men than for women in the defining of
adultery. In the Scriptures given next we see Spirit of God reaffirm
His Word, that in a marriage where a genuinely saved person is married
to a genuinely saved person, and both were free in the Lord to marry
when they married, the wife is maritally bound to the husband as long
as they both live (1 Cor 7:10,11,39; Romans 7:1-3), or in the case of
the saved wife maritally bound to an unsaved husband, the wife is
maritally bound to the husband as long as he wants to maritally live
with her (1 Cor 7:10-15).
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Adultery for the woman defined:<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
{W1.} "Whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery">1.
The reason being that the believing woman is still bound to her
believing husband as wife as long as both live (Romans 7:1-3; 1 Cor
7:10,11,39). The Spirit added through Paul that the believing woman is
free from her unbelieving husband as soon as he no longer wants to
live with her maritally, and maritally separates himself from her>2.
[Footnote: >1 Mat. 5:32; 19:9; Luke 16:18; 1 Cor. 7:10, 11, 39;
Romans 7:1-3; 1 Tim. 5:14. >2. 1 Cor. 7:12-15,39]
{W2.} The husband "causes her to commit adultery" when he
divorces her for any reason other than sexual immorality>3. The
reason being that the believing wife is still bound to her believing
husband as wife as long as both live.>4 In 1 Corinth. 7:5 we see
that her husband "causes her to commit adultery" because her husband
is failing to meet her marital needs and the enemy of her soul tempts
in her burning need. (On the other hand: The wife is not said to
cause her husband to commit adultery when she divorces him for any
other reason than sexual immorality. Ever wonder why? Ask me.) In the
case of the unbelieving husband divorcing his believing wife, he does
NOT cause "her to commit adultery" because as soon as he no longer
wants to live with her maritally and separates himself from her
maritally, she is no longer maritally bound to him in the Kingdom of
God and is free to marry a disciple of Christ (1 Corinth 7:1-15).
[Footnote: >3. Matt. 5:32; 19:9. >4 1 Cor. 7:10, 11, 39;
Romans 7:1-3.]
{W3.} "And if a woman divorces her husband and marries another, she
commits adultery.">5. The wife has the second best option of divorcing
her husband and living in celibacy, not remarrying (1 Cor 7:10,11).
The adultery consists of both divorce AND remarriage. The reason
being that the believing wife is still bound to her believing husband
as wife as long as both live; or in the case of an unbelieving
husband, the believing wife is still maritally bound in the Kingdom of
God to her unbelieving husband as long as he wants to live with her
maritally, as long as he hasn't separated himself from her
maritally.>6. If a believing woman divorces her unbelieving husband
after he no longer wants to maritally live with her, after he has
separated himself from her maritally, she DOES NOT commit adultery
because as soon as he no longer wants to live with her maritally or
separates himself from her maritally (1 Corinth 7:10-15).
[Footnotes:>5. Mark 10:12; Luke 16:8. >6. 1 Cor. 7:10, 11, 39;
Romans 7:1-3.]
{W4.} "if, while her husband lives, she marries another man, she will
be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from
that law, so that she is no adulteress, though she has married
another man.">7 " . . . . It is adultery "if any man's wife goes
astray and is unfaithful to him," >8 If a believing woman divorces
her unbelieving husband and marries another man, after her unbelieving
husband no longer wants to maritally live with her, after the
unbeliever has separated himself from her maritally, she DOES NOT
commit adultery because the unbeliever no longer wants to live with
her maritally or separates himself from her maritally (1 Corinth
7:10-15).
[Footnote: >7. Romans 7:3; Luke 16:18. >8. Numbers 5:10-12]
Adultery for the believing female is sexual intimacy with anyone else
besides her own believing husband/mate who still lives, or besides her
own unbelieving husband as long as he wants to live with her
maritally, has not separated himself from her maritally.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Adultery and the man defined:<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
{M1.} "Whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery">9,
obviously because the believing wife still is bound to the believing
husband from whom she is divorced, or she is bound to her unsaved
husband as long as he wants to maritally live with her A believing
wife, from who an unbelieving husband has maritally separated himself,
is no longer maritally bound to him in the Kingdom of God and is free
to marry in the Lord>9 [>9.. Mat. 5:32; 19:9; except in the cases of 1
Cor. 7:12-15,39; 1 Tim. 5:14.]
{M2.} "The man who commits adultery with another's wife, even his
neighbor's wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put
to death." Leviticus 20:9-11 "You shall not covet your neighbor's
wife.">10. "You shall not have genital contact with your neighbor's
wife">11. "For this is the will of God. . . ..that no one should take
advantage of and defraud/cheat his brother in this matter.">12. A
genuine Christian wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives
and she becomes an adulteress when she marries another while he
still lives. A genuine Christian wife is bound to her unsaved husband
as long as he wants to maritally live with her and she becomes an
adulteress when she marries another while he still wants to live with
her maritally>13.
[Footnotes:>10. Exod. 20:17. >11. Leviticus18:20. >12. 1 Thess.
4:3-6. >13. 1 Corinth 7:10-15]
{M3.} "Whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, AND
marries another, commits adultery.">14 The adultery consists of
divorcing his wife for something else besides sexual immorality AND
then remarrying. If he stayed married to his wife and married
another, according to this passage he has NOT committed Biblical
adultery according to this passage , although he may have become a
criminal by violating the
law of the land. In California, if the husband stayed married to his
legal wife and entered into a private and unofficial "Pal" or "common
law" or "MARS" contract, compact or covenant with a woman free to
marry in the Lord, he has NOT committed Biblical adultery, but his
wife can divorce him for irreconcilable differences. What does all
that mean? Ask me.
[Footnote: >14. Matt 19: 9: Mark 10:11; Luke 16:18.]
{M4.} "Matt 19:9 And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his
wife, except for fornication, and shall marry another, commits
adultery: and he that marries her when she is put away commits
adultery."
It is implied here that if he divorces his wife for sexual immorality
and marries another, he does not commit adultery. His divorcing her
does not cause her to commit adultery because she is already
immorally and sexually involved with someone else. His refusal to
meet her sexual needs (1 Cor 7:2-5) does not cause her to be immoral
because she is already being immoral. He is commanded not to be
intimate with her (1Cor.5:11) but his lack of her intimacy will
cause him to be tempted (1 Cor.7:5). If the temptations overcome him
and he is failing to control himself, burning with marital desire, he
comes under command to marry (1Cor.7:2,39) and so remarries in the
Lord.
******A Brief Detour For a Moment For Biblical and Historical
Background On a Controversy*******
>>>"Monogamy is implicit in the story of Adam and Eve, since God created only one wife for Adam. Yet polygamy is adopted from the time of Lamech (Gen. iv. 19), and is not forbidden in Scripture." >n132
[Footnote: >..n132 The New Bible Dictionary, J.D. Douglas Ph.D; p.
787.]
"Monogamy is implicit in the story of Adam
and Eve, since God created only one wife for
Adam. Yet polygyny is adopted from the
time of Lamech (Gn. 4:19), and is not
forbidden in Scripture. . . ...Polygamy
continues to the present day among Jews in
Moslem, Hindu, Buddhist, Asian, Oriental,
and African countries." [Douglas' New Bible
Dictionary : MARRIAGE: .....p.787]
In a 1988 book entitled "Cultural Anthropology - a Christian
Perspective"
by Pastor Grunlan (of Wheaton & Luther Seminary) and Mayers Ph.D. (of
BIOLA), and recommended by Professor D. N Larson of Bethel College,
by
Professor C. H. Kraft of Fuller Theological Seminary, by Eugene A
Nida, author
of "Customs and Cultures" (a BIOLA textbook) and of the American
Bible Society;
we read the following: "It is interesting that the Old Testament never
condemned
the practice of polygyny but only regulated it (Exod 21:1-11;
Lev18:17,18; Deut.
21:15-17). In fact, the law of levirate marriage may even have
required polygyny
in some instances . . . (Deut 25:5010)."
August 2006 BIOLA (Bible Institute of Los Angeles) and Talbot
Theological
Seminary support, sponsor and support the "Africa Bible Commentary",
edited
by BIOLA graduate Tokunboh Adeyemo (M.Div. ’75, M.Th.), general
secretary
of the Association of Evangelicals in Africa, an organization
representing 70
million evangelicals. The Africa Bible Commentary's article entitled
"Polygamy"
may "help Western Christians think about whether practices they forbid
are merely
cultural preference. The author Isabel Apawo Phiri, of Malawi, argues
that, while
the Bible mostly portrays polygamy in a negative light — and church
leaders
weren’t allowed to have more than one wife — it doesn’t explicitly
forbid the
practice among non-church leaders. So, Phiri supports the consensus of
most
African evangelical denominations that promote monogamous marriage as
God’s
ideal, yet still baptize converted polygamists and accept them in
their churches."
". . Elkanah, the husband of Hannah and
Peninnah, is an interesting example of a
man of no particular position who
nevertheless had more than one wife; this
may be an indication that bigamy, at least, if
not polygamy, was not confined to the very
wealthy and exalted. At all events, polygyny
was an established and recognized
institution from the earliest of times.">39
[Footnote: >39. HASTINGS DICTIONARY OF
THE BIBLE; p.259.]
"Polygamy meets us as a fact: e.g. Abraham,
Jacob, the Judges, David, Solomon; 1 Ch 7:4
is evidence of its prevalence in Issachar;
Elkanah (1 Sam.1:1ff) is significant as
belonging to the middle class; Jehoida (2 Ch
24:3) as a priest. . .Legislation . . .
safeguarded the rights of various wives,
slave or free; and according to the
Rabbinical interpretation of Lev 21:13>40. .
. .the high priest was not allowed to be a
bigamist. . . The marriage figure applied to
the union of God and Israel . . . implied
monogamy as the ideal state. . . Being ..
apparently legalized, and having the
advantage of precedent, it was long before
polygamy was formally forbidden in Hebrew
society, though practically it fell into
disuse; the feeling of the Rabbis was
strongly against it. Herod had nine wives at
once. . . Its possibility is implied by the
technical continuance of the Levirate law,
[Deut. 25:5-10] and is proved by the early
interpretation of 1 Ti 3, whether correct or
not. Justin reproaches the Jews of his day
[A.D.] with having 'four or even five
wives,' and marrying 'as they wish, or as
many as they wish.' The evidence of the
Talmud shows that in this case at least the
reproach had some foundation. Polygamy
was not definitely forbidden among the Jews
till the time of R. Gershom (c. A.D. 1000),
and then at first only for France and
Germany. In Spain, Italy, and the East it
persisted for some time longer, as it does
still among the Jews in Mohammedan
countries>41.
[Footnote: (>.(40. Septuagint Lev. 21:13 "He shall
take for a wife a virgin of his own tribe.". .>41.
HASTINGS DICTIONARY OF THE BIBLE; p.583ff.]
>>>TODAY:***TITLE: Can Mr. Mombasa Keep All his Wives? AUTHOR: Tim Stafford SOURCE: Christianity Today, 35:33-34 Feb 11, 1991 : This article deals with a conflict in the Christian church in Kenya, where many blacks who are converted have several wives. Originally the church would not baptize them, but allowed them to participate in the church.Later, the church and some members broke away from their leadership and began baptizing black polygamous men.
>>>TODAY: Eugene Nida's (American Bible Society) book Customs and
Cultures>.29 . . documents the current practice of polygyny by
Christians in non Western countries, and how it is still practiced in
China, SE Asia, India, Africa and parts of South America. Eugene Nida
points out that when polygamists become Christians they are told of
their limitations in church offices and are asked not to take any
additional wives because it stumbles western Christians(Rom 14, l Cor.
8 and 10). They are not usually asked to abandon their other wives to
a premature widowhood because of l Cor>. 7:1-15.[Footnote: >.29
CUSTOMS AND CULTURES, 1954, Harper &Brothers, New York]
>>>TODAY: I understand that Rev. Joseph Conrad Wold>*, a Lutheran
missionary in Liberia, maintains the following points:
1. Some missionaries have become like the Pharisees,knit picking
legalists;
2. For unbelievers it is more of a question of who is or is not a
polygamist rather than who is and who isn't a Christian;
3. Rejecting polygamy has become the rejecting of polygamists;
4. If Cornelious>45 could be born again without circumcision, then
surely polygamists should be able to be born again without cutting
away their wives, breaking their solemn promises and forcing their
beloved and faithful wives into adultery for survival;
5 Let the polygamist be lost because he refused to love and obey
Jesus,rather than because he loved his wives too much to cause them to
suffer, or was to virtuous to be a hypocrite.>70 He makes such an
impassioned case I hope you take the time to read the original.Truly
the commandments of men, condemning as sin and forbidding polygamy,
make of no effect the commandments of God for so many.
[Footnote: >*GOD'S IMPATIENCE IN LIBERIA, Rev. Joseph Conrad Wold, pp.
179ff. >45 (Acts 10 & 11). @>.@70 Trobisch,MY WIFE MADE ME
>>>TODAY: "Some Christian churches in Africa today allow polygamy. A pastor in Cameroon stated: `People have no right to condemn polygamy which even Christ did not condemn in the case of Abraham'."(pg.214, ***After Polygamy Was Made A Sin: The Social History of Christian Polygamy John Cairncross, 1974 Published by Routledge & Kegan Paul Ltd, London)
>>>TODAY: "Polygamy continues to the present day among Jews in Moslem, Hindu, Buddhist, Asian, Oriental,and African countries." >25 [>25 IVCF, Editor J.D.Douglas; 1962,W. B. Eerdmans Publishing,p.787]
>>>TODAY: "In Spain, Italy,m and the East it persisted for some time longer, as it does still among the Jews in Mohammedan counties".DICTIONARY OF THE BIBLE, J. Hastings (Selbie, Lambert,Mathews), Hendrickson Publishers, 1989; p.584
>>>1800's: "After Polygamy Was Made A Sin: The Social History of
Christian Polygamy " by John Cairncross, 1974; Published by Routledge
& Kegan Paul Ltd, London . In the nineteenth century, Protestant
missions were expanding rapidly, and missionaries around the globe
were confronting polygamy among their new converts. In 1844, a
conference of missionaries of various denominations"unanimously agreed
that `if a convert, before becoming a Christian, has married more than
wives than one, he shall be permitted to keep them all; but such a
person shall not be eligible to any office in the church'." (pg.198)
MARTIN LUTHER: "Calvin, to be sure,
never licensed polygamy, but Luther agreed to the bigamous marriage of
Philip
of Hesse; and on a few occasions when the number of women available
greatly
exceeded the number of men, Protestant bodies actually legalized
polygamy.
Thus the Frankish Diet legalized bigamy to restore the ravages of the
Thirty
Years War. (239)"
239. Westermarck, E. A. A History of Human Marriage. Macmillan, 1921.
MARTIN LUTHER: ""In the New Testament Jesus neither condemns
polygamous unions nor advocates a change in the system.From this
noninterference attitude Luther, as late as the 16th cent.,arrived at
the conclusion that he could not forbid the taking of more than one
wife."
CHARLES A. RUBENSTEIN-----------------Bibliography:
Abrahams, 1., Jewish Life in the Middle Ages (1917);
Westermarck, E., History of Human Marriage (1901);
Spencer, H., Principles of Sociology idem, Descriptive Sociology;
MARTIN LUTHER: "Martin Luther wrote in De Wette, II, p. 459, "I
confess that I cannot forbid a person to marry several wives, for it
does not contradict the Scripture. If a man wishes to marry more than
one wife, he should be asked whether he is satisfied in his conscience
that he may do so in accordance with the word of God. In such a case,
the civil authority has nothing to do in such a matter."
MARTIN LUTHER: An Introduction to the Geneva Bible
A look at the Puritan's Bible.
" In March of 1540, after Martin Luther and other prominent
Protestant theologians had expressly approved polygamy according to
the
Scriptures, Philip became Europe's best- known bigamist."
MARTIN LUTHER: After Polygamy Was Made A Sin: The Social History of
Christian Polygamy
John Cairncross, 1974; Published by Routledge & Kegan Paul Ltd, London
"Phillip of Hesse felt impelled by his reverence for the sacraments to
mend his first marriage by contracting a second one even while his
wife was alive. And he did so with the sanction of the Fathers of the
Reformation. The first palidin of German Protestantism (Phillip)
was,with Luther's and Melanchthon's permission, a bigamist.Protestant
historians have never recovered from the shock."(pg.31) Phillip
debated this issue with the Reformer's for many years before and after
his (supposedly secret) 2nd marriage. "If, he asked, it should
suddenly be possible to overthrow the celibacy of the clergy, why
should the institution of bigamy be a priori excluded? The only
effective answer would have been that polygamy is condemned by
Christian doctrine. But this was a stand that Luther and his
colleagues never took - and for very good reasons. They could not.
They themselves did not believe that polygamy was against divine or
natural law." (pg. 48) Luther did state that "A Christian,before
adopting polygamy, must first have a calling from God."(pg. 49)
Whether or not it is the best form of
marriage for each individual depends on the gift and
the leading (Rom. 8:1-14) each individual receives
from God. St. Augustine (4th Century AD) had a
gentler way of saying it that I feel more reflects the
God of Gen. 1 and 1 Cor. 13. Consider the following:
"That the good purpose of marriage,
however, is better promoted by one husband
with one wife, than by a husband with
several wives, is shown plainly enough by
the very first union of a married pair,
which was made by the Divine Being
Himself, with the intention of marriages
taking their beginning therefrom, and of its
affording to them a more honorable
precedent. In the advance, however, of the
human race, it came to pass that to certain
good men were united a plurality of good
wives, --- many to each; and from this it
would seem that moderation sought rather
unity on one side for dignity, while nature
permitted plurality on the other side for
fecundity. For on natural principles it is
more feasible for one to have dominion over
many, than for many to have dominion over
one."
[Footnote: >..34 2b A Select Library of the Nicene
and Post-Nicene Fathers of The Christian Church;
Vol. V; p. 267]
*************************End of Detour - - Adultery and the male
continued*******************
{M5.} "Whoever divorces his wife AND marries another woman commits
adultery against her." Mark 10:11 Luke 16:18 Pretty clear, right? But
please note that nowhere in the Bible does He say "Whoever remains
married to his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against
her." There is not one Scripture in the Bible that declares it to be
adultery for a man to remain maritally bound to his wife, even if only
in the Kingdom of God in case there has been a divorce, and have
another wife, a woman who is free to marry him in the Lord. Why?
Remembering that when Jesus walked on earth He Himself commanded the
apostles and His disciples to observe and obey all of the Law of
Moses>15., the apostles and Jewish believers kept and observed all
the Laws given to Moses (including those about polygyny - Exodus
21:7-11; Deut 21:15-17) through the entire book of Acts>16. period
even after the Spirit led them to release the Gentiles/Nations
believers from having to keep the Law of Moses in Acts 15, Acts 21,
Galatians, Ephesians 2 and Colosians 2. Consider the following facts:
(1) Immediately after God gave Moses the ten commandments He gave
Moses instructions for men who have more than one wife>17. .
(2) Later He gave Moses instructions (Dt.12:1ff) for a husband who
has two wives>18. .
(3) He gave Moses specific instructions for the brother-in-laws of
a widow to marry that widow and did not exempt any brother from doing
so
who was already married>19. and Jesus introduced no such exemption
when He spoke of this passage>20.
(4) God Himself told polygynist King David (he had ten +/- wives and
concubines>24 at the time>21. ) that He had been with him wherever he
had gone, that He would make a great name for him, that his
descendant would be the Messiah>22. , and that He Himself had given
David more than one wife>23.
(5) God, who cannot sin and never portrays Himself as sinning,
portrayed Himself as the polygynist husband of two wives in Ezekiel
23.
[Footnotes: >15. Matthew 23:1-3
>16. In Matthew 23:1-3 Jesus commands obedience to the Laws give n to Moses. In Acts 15 the believing non-Jews, not the believing Jews, were released from the Laws given to Moses. In Acts 21:15-25 we see the Jewish apostle Paul and the surviving apostles still obeying the Law of Moses in obedience to Christ in Matt. 23:1-3.
>17. Exodus 21:7-11 (See Hosea 3:2; Deut. 25:5-10; Lev. 19:20)
>18. Deut. 21:15-17 (See 2 Chron. 24:3; Gen. 29:33; 1 Chron.5:2; 26:10; 2 Kings 2:9)
>19. Deut. 25:5-10
>20. Matt. 22:23-25; Mark 12:18-20; Luke 20:27-29
>21. 2 Samuel 5:13; 6:12-23; 1 Chron 3
>22. 2 Samuel 7:8-17
>23. 2 Samuel 12:8 ; that this did not mean platonic care is evident from 1 Kings 1:1-3; 2:13-25.] Adultery for the female is sexual intimacy with anyone else besides the husband to whom she is bound by the Word of God.
>24. See "WHAT IS A CONCUBINE" below?
Adultery for the male is when (1) he is married to a new wife and
had left/rejected/divorced his former wife in order to marry this new
wife>24 . ; or (2) is sexually intimate with some one else's wife or
exwife. It is this double standard in the Bible that allowed Abraham,
Jacob/Israel, Gideon,
King David, King Abijah and King Joash to be godly polygynists
with Jehovah-Jesus' blessing, but declared a woman to be an
adulteress if she was intimate with anyone but her own mate.
It is a double standard for the man and the woman. The wife,
not the husband, has the separation in celibacy option (1Cor
7:10,11),
and the husband, not the wife, has the option of remarrying while
still maritally bound, in the Kingdom of God, to his wife who has
chosen to separate herself celibately ( even if she remains under
the same roof). The adultery sin is defined differently for the
woman and differently for the man. See more on this below.
[Footnotes:>24 It is the combination of divorcing one's mate in
order to marry another and then marrying that other. If he both
dutifully keeps his own wife and then marries another woman, it is
not adultery in the Bible. If the wife dutifully keeps her own
husband and marries another it is adultery (Romans 7:3) The double
standard is clearly laid out in Matt. 5:32 and 19:6-9; Mark 10:1-11;
Luke 16:18; 1 Thess. 4:4-6 and Romans 7:1-3; 1 Corinth. 7:39]
It is this double standard that results from the man being the
designated the head of the family (Gen 2; 1Cor. 11), that results in
what appears to be another inequity. In Mt. 5:32 Jesus apparently
allows the genuinely believing husband to divorce his wife because
she is snared in sexual immorality. Not only is he allowed to divorce
her, he is allowed to remarry. If she is genuinely saved, she is
still bound maritally to him as wife before the Lord, even though she
is snared in sex sin and Jesus hasn't finished his Mat. 18;15-18 & 1
Cor. 5:3-11 work with her yet. He remarries with a free-in-the-Lord-
to-marry genuinely believing woman and is now bound before the Lord
to two wives. If the one involved in sex sin survives the chastening
of 1 Cor. 5; 11:30-34; Heb 12; and
repents in godly sorrow according to 2 Cor. 2 & 7, he must
accept her back as his wife along with his new wife, being
bound to both as long as he and they all live if they are all
genuinely saved and were free to marry in the Lord when they married.
But what about the genuinely saved wife whose "believing" husband is
involved in sex sin so she is commanded to separate from and not be
intimate with him? Such a wife separates from him according to 1
Cor. 7:10,11 but after a while she finds herself being tempted
according to 1 Cor.7:5. Then she falls to the temptation and is
afraid she might fall to it again, finds herself maritally burning
and under command be married and have marital sex (1Cor.7:5,9).
Hopefully Jesus has finished his 1 Cor. 5:4,5-11 work and the guy has
either died and his spirit is with the Lord, if he were really saved,
or he has repented according to 2 Cor 2 & 7 and is ready to be
reconciled to her. Or in the case of Matt. 18:15-18 she has learned
that she is to relate to him as an unsaved person, an unsaved person
who no longer wants to live with her, no longer wants her as his
wife(1Cor7:13,15), so she is free from him and free to obey the Lord
and get married in the Lord.
Will God intervene in behalf of His fasting and praying but maritally
burning and sorely tempted daughter, who as wife is separated from
her husband because of his 1 Cor. 5 sin, and because of that
separation is burning with marital desire and sorely tempted? If He
took out the rich and unloving believers in 1 Cor. 11 for the shabby
way they stumbled and offended their poorer brethren in the
celebration of the Lord's supper, don't you think He will give her a
1 Cor. 10:13 out or make a quick end of the husband causing her the
grief? The God who promised 1 Cor. 10:13 and Phil. 4:6,7,13,18,19
will not break those promises.
No where in Scripture is Biblical polygyny declared to be sin.
In a 1988 book entitled "Cultural Anthropology - a Christian
Perspective"
by Pastor Grunlan (of Wheaton & Luther Seminary) and Mayers Ph.D. (of
BIOLA), and recommended by Professor D. N Larson of Bethel College,
by
Professor C. H. Kraft of Fuller Theological Seminary, by Eugene A
Nida, author
of "Customs and Cultures" (a BIOLA textbook) and of the American
Bible Society;
we read the following: "It is interesting that the Old Testament never
condemned
the practice of polygyny but only regulated it (Exod 21:1-11;
Lev18:17,18; Deut.
21:15-17). In fact, the law of levirate marriage may even have
required polygyny
in some instances . . . (Deut 25:5010)." In all of the Bible we find
no condemnation
of Abraham, Jacob/Israel, Gideon, King David, King Abijah and King
Joash for their
being polygynous. Yet by not allowing the saints, especially the older
saints, to obey
the commands to marry or be married, even if it means being Biblically
polygynous,
most Western churches cause the saints, especially the female saints,
to fall into the
sins listed above. So let's see what the Christians in the Church
would be doing if the
Word of God was being taught, rather than the traditions and
doctrines of men, which
make the Word of God of no effect in our lives (Mark 7; Matt 15).
>>>>>>>>>>>>>WHAT/WHO IS A CONCUBINE?<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Douglas' New Bible Dictionary, published by Eerdman:
“Concubine: A secondary wife acquired by purchase or as a war
captive, and allowed in polygamous society such as
existed in the Middle east in biblical times. . . . Where
marriages produced no heir, wives presented a slave
concubine too their husbands in order to raise an heir
(Gen. 16). Handmaidens, given as a marriage gift,
were often concubines (Gen. 29:24,29). Concubines
were protected under Mosaic law (Exod. 21:7-11;
Deut.. 21:10-14), though they were distinguished from
wives (Judges. 8:31) and were more easily divorced
(Gen.21:10-14)."
[Footnote: >10. 1962, IVCF, Editor J.D.Douglas; W.
B. Eerdmans Publishing]
FUNK & WAGNALLS NEW ENCYCLOPEDIA:
CONCUBINAGE, “refers to the cohabitation of a man
and a woman without sanction of legal marriage.
Specifically, concubinage is a form of polygyny in
which the primary matrimonial relationship is
supplemented by one or more secondary sexual
relationships. Concubinage was a legally sanctioned
and socially acceptable practice in ancient cultures,
including that of the Hebrews; concubines, however,
were denied the protection to which a legal wife was
entitled. . .. In Roman law, marriage was precisely
defined as monogamous; concubinage was tolerated,
but the concubine's status was inferior to that of a
legal wife. Her children had certain rights,
including support by the father and legitimacy in the event of
the marriage of the parents”
[>11 1986, Funk & Wagnalls]
HASTINGS DICTIONARY OF THE BIBLE:
". . . a man's 'house' might consist of his mother; his
wives and the wives' children; his concubines and their
children . . . and slaves of both sexes. Polygamy was in
part the cause of the large size of the Hebrew household;
in part the cause of it may be found in the insecurity of
early times, when safety lay in numbers. . . Polygyny and
bigamy were recognized features of the family life. From
the Oriental point of view there was nothing immoral in
the practice of polygamy. . . . The relative
positions of wives and concubines were determined
mainly by the husband's favour. The children of the
wife claimed the greater part, or the whole, of the
inheritance; otherwise there does not seem to have
been any inferiority in the position of the concubine
as compared with that of the wife, nor was any idea
of illegitimacy, in our sense of the word, connected
with her children. . . . The female slaves were in every
respect the property of their master, and became
his concubines; except in certain cases, when they
seem to have belonged exclusively to their mistress, and
could not be appropriated by the man except by her
suggestion or consent (Gn 16:2,3). The slave-
concubines were obtained as booty in time of war
(Jg 5:30), or bought from poverty-stricken parents
(Ex 21:7); or, possibly, in the ordinary slave traffic
with foreign nations. . . . At all events,
polygyny was an established and recognized
institution form the earliest times"” >12
[Footnote: >12. HASTINGS DICTIONARY OF THE
BIBLE; p.259.]
I believe it is best to see "concubines" as God sees them, and treat
them as Jesus tells you to treat them. Exodus 21:7-11 deals with a
female being sold as a slave to a male master and Jesus tells the
master that he must treat her as one of his wives, making sure that he
gave her the proper food, clothing and marital intimacy. Buying a
slave wife sure doesn't sound very romantic, but as her husband he is
under the Eccles 9 command to live joyfully with her, the Proverbs
5:15-19 command to live with her in sexual passion, and under the Word
of Christ he is required to kindly Love (1 Cor 13) her as Christ
kindly Loved the Church.
It is interesting to note that Jacob's Bilhah and Zilpah started out
as the slaves of Rachel and Leah, but when Rachel and Leah gave Bilhah
and Zilpah to Jacob to be his partners in marital sex, the Word
declares them to be his "WIVES".
***So she gave him her servant Bilhah as a WIFE. Jacob slept with her,
Genesis 30:3-5 NIV
***While Israel lived in that land, Reuben went and lay with Bilhah
his father’s CONCUBINE. And Israel heard of it.Now the sons of Jacob
were twelve. Genesis 35:21-23
***When Leah saw that she had stopped having children, she took her
maidservant Zilpah and gave her to Jacob as a WIFE. Genesis 30:8-10
***These are the records of the generations of Jacob. Joseph, when
seventeen years of age, was pasturing the flock with his brothers
while he was still a youth, along with the sons of Bilhah and the sons
of Zilpah, his father's WIVES And Joseph brought back a bad report
about them to their father.
Genesis 37:1-3
I believe it would be quite foolish and ungodly for any man to treat
his concubines as less than wives. Remember that in Mat 25 Jesus shows
us that what we do to one who is considered to be the least important
is considered to be what we do to Christ, our God, Savior and Judge.
He who treats his concubine as less than a wife will surely reap what
he sows for the Scriptures tell us to honor all
***Show proper respect and honor to everyone: Love the brotherhood of
believers, fear God, honor the king. (1 Peter 2:16-18) . . . Likewise,
husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor
to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of
the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered. (1 Peter
3:6-8) . . . but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, . . .
(1 Peter 3:14-16)
In addition to those principles we need to see concubines as wives
because that is the way Jesus sees them. Look at 2 Sam 12:11 “So says
the
LORD, Behold, I will raise up evil against you out of your
own house, and I will take your >>>WIVES<<< before your
eyes and give [them] to your neighbor. And he shall lie with
your >>>WIVES<<< in the sight of this sun.” These were probably the
widows of King Saul that Jesus had given to David (2 Sam 12:8), and
Jesus calls them "wives".
In contrast you see the prophet and David's contemporaries call these
same women "concubines" in 2 Sam 16: 21 “And Ahithophel said to
Absalom,
Go in to your father's >>>CONCUBINES<<<, that he left to
keep the house. And all Israel shall hear that you are
abhorred by your father. And the hands of all who [are]
with you will be strong. 22 And they spread Absalom a tent
on the top of the house, and Absalom went in to his
father's >>>CONCUBINES<<< in the sight of all Israel.”
After Absalom had sex (incest and adultery) with David's concubines-
wives,
the Bible tells us that when David returned to Jerusalem he cared for
those concubines-wives but never had sexual relations with them again.
Jesus considered David's concubines to be David's wives, and we miss
the mark if we fail to consider and relate to a man's concubines as
one would relate to another man's wives.
If God declares the concubines of His godly men to be their wives,
should we do
anything less that the same? Surely the concubines of His godly
men today are considered by Him to be their wives, just as in
times past. Where is God's denunciation of Abraham for having
concubines? Where is God's denunciation of the concubines
for marrying Abraham? Where is Abraham's confession of
his sin, if polygyny is sinful as some say?
I America and countries like America where it is illegal to legally
have more
than one wife, and where a polygynist has more than one "wife", only
one of
his wives can be his legal wife, and all the rest of his "wives" have
concubine
status, the status of women taken informally and without benefit of
the law as wives by means of an informal, private and discrete
covenant
******************************************************
Restoration and Reconciliation in Broken Relationships
Putting Humpty Dumpty Relations Back Together Again
[1.] Marriage, separation, divorce and remarriage with the saved
married to the saved (Mark 10:1-12; Romans 7:1-3; 1 Corinth
7:5,10,11,39):
So often in America, a genuinely saved wife, Mishra, separates herself
and divorces her genuinely saved husband, Shoval, and fails to do it
in the manner of 1Cor 7:1=15,39. Shoval goes on in obedience to 1Cor
7:5,9 and marries another genuinely saved wife, Shumati. Time passes
and Mishra marries Eglon. Then Mishra realizes she is still maritally
bound (Mark 10:1-12; 1 Cor7:10,11,39; Rom 7:1-3) to Shoval, and that
her marriage to Eglon is adultery. In 2 Corinthians 7 godly sorrow
Mishra diligently seeks to repent of her sin of adultery and her sin
of leaving Shoval. She respectfully but decisively tells Eglon that
their relationship is adultery and she has to leave and go back to
Shoval. Mishra chooses to return (1 Cor 7:11) to her "ex" husband who
is living with his new wife, Shumati. Shumati doesn't want her to come
back or to live with them. Scripturally Shoval must serve his wives
according to Exod 21:10; 1 Tim 5:8; 1 Cor 7:1-5 and Prov 5:18,19. So
Mishra continues to live in her own house and her "ex" husband,
Shoval, to whom she is still maritally bound in the Kingdom of God,
does his best to serve her (1 Tim 5:8; 1 Cor 7:1-5 and Prov 5:18,19)
as his concubine/wife, concubine because he cannot legally and
publicly take her on as a second wife because of the laws of the land.
Mishra is now his concubine, his unofficial wife by private and
personal covenant (Malachi 2:14; Ezek 16:8; Mat 1:18,19). These
principles apply to common law or California "Pal" or "Man Assuming
Role of Spouse" relationships, where a man and a woman informally but
solemnly covenanted and committed to be marital partners to each
other.
Then there is the situation where the genuinely saved wife, Saria,
chose her separation option (1 Corinth 7:10,11) and left her husband,
Demetrius who claims to be genuinely saved, to whom she understands
she is bound maritally as long as both of them live (Mark 10:1-12;
Roman 7:1-3; 1 Corinth 7:5,10,11,39). Demetrius claims to be genuinely
saved by reliance on Jesus alone to save him from his sins, but
Demetrius has had a bad streak in life and has become verbally and
physically abusive, addicted to porn, greedy, drug abusing and drinks
til drunk in order to fall asleep. She has told him that he is
offending her, grieving her and breaking her heart (Gal 6:1; Luke
17:3; Romans 14:13-19; Matt 18:15). She asked some elders/deacons at
her church to do Matt 18:16 and 2 Tim 2:24-26 to Demetrius. She is now
up to asking the church to do Matt 18:17 and 1 Corinth 5:3-5.
The guiding Word here is:
***1Cor 5:11 but as it is, I wrote unto you not to keep company,
if any
man that is named a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an
idolater, or
a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such a one no,
not to eat.
5:3 For I verily, being absent in body but present in spirit, have
already, as though I
were present, judged him that has so wrought this thing, 4 in the
name of
our Lord Jesus, you all being gathered together, and my spirit,
with the power
of our Lord Jesus, 5 to deliver such a one unto Satan for the
destruction of
the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord
Jesus.
If Demetrius responds to the promised chastening (Hebrews 12, the
weakness and sickness of 1 Corinth 11:30-32) and repents effectively
with genuine godly sorrow (2 Corinth 7:8-11), he is restored to the
church fellowship and restored to Saria to be her godly husband (2
Corinth 2:5-11). On the other hand, if Demetrius continues on for
months or even a year being verbally and physically abusive, addicted
to porn, greedy, drug abusing and drinks til drunk in order to fall
asleep; then the absence of genuine godly repentance and God's
chastening make it clear that he is not genuinely saved and is lost
and dead in his sins (Hebrews 12; 1 John 3:3-9). Then the Lord's Word
is "he should be unto you as the Gentile and the publican," as an
unbeliever. Then she finds herself in the Lulu and Bubu situation
described below, where she is a saved woman still maritally bound to
Demetrius as long as he wants to maritally live with her even though
she has used her separation
option :
***1Cor 7: 10 I command the married —not I, but the Lord—a
[believing] wife is not to leave, depart or separate from [Strong's
5563] her [believing] husband. 11 But if she does leave, depart, and/
or separate [Strong's 5563], she must remain unmarried or be
reconciled to her husband—and a [believing] husband/man is not to
forsake, lay aside, leave, put (send) away, divorce [Strong's 863] his
wife/woman. . . . 13 Also, if any woman has an unbelieving husband/
man, and he is willing [consents, would like] to keep on [maritally]
occupying a house, residing , cohabiting^ and/or dwelling [3611] with
her, she must not forsake, lay aside, leave, put (send) away, and/or
remit [Strong's 863] her husband/man. . . .15 But if the unbeliever
leaves, departs and/or separates himself from her [Strong's 5563], he
should go away/depart/separate/leave, [he should separate himself from
her].. A brother or a sister is not [legally, morally, maritally]
bound in such cases [in the Kingdom of God]. God has called you to
peace. . . . . .
So often in America, a genuinely saved man, Yitre, leaves and divorces
his genuinely saved wife, Yafia, in disobedience to the unqualified
command not to do so (1 Cor 7:11; Malachi 2). Yitri goes on in
obedience to 1Cor 7:9 and marries another genuinely saved wife,
Fatyah. Then Yitre realizes that he is still maritally bound (1
Cor7:10,11,39; Rom 7:1-3) to his genuinely saved "ex" wife, Yafia. In
godly sorrow Yitre diligently repents of the sin of having divorced
Yafia and now in repentance seeks to be reconciled with her and resume
their marriage, even though he is now legally married to his new wife,
Fatyah. Scripturally he must serve Yafia according to 1 Tim 5:8; 1 Cor
7:1-5 and Prov 5:18,19. So Yafia continues to live in her own house
and her "ex" husband, Yitre, to whom she is still maritally bound in
the Kingdom of God, does his best to serve her (1 Tim 5:8; 1 Cor 7:1-5
and Prov 5:18,19) as his concubine/wife, concubine because he cannot
legally and publicly take her on as a second wife because of the laws
of the land. Yafia is now his concubine, his unofficial wife by
private and personal covenant (Malachi 2:14; Ezek 16:8). These
principles apply to common law or California "Pal" or "Man Assuming
Role of Spouse" relationships, where a man and a woman informally but
solemnly covenanted and committed to be marital partners to each
other.
[2.] Marriage, separation, divorce and remarriage with the saved
married to the unsaved (1 Corinth 7:10-15):
So often in America, a genuinely saved man, Ofir, separates himself
and divorces his unsaved wife, Eifah, and fails to do it in the manner
of 1Cor 7:1-15,39, because Eifah never wanted him to leave her, still
wanted to maritally live with him. Ofir goes on and marries another
genuinely saved wife, Avida. Then Ofir realizes that he sinned in
leaving and divorcing his unsaved wife, Eifah, who still wanted, and
still wants, to maritally live with him.
***1 Cor 7:11 . . . and a [believing] husband/man is not to
forsake, lay aside, leave, put (send) away, divorce [Strong's 863]
his wife/woman. 12 But to the rest I, not the Lord, say: If any
brother has an unbelieving wife/woman, and she is
willing [consents, would like] to [maritally] continue on occupying a
house, reside , cohabiting^ and/or dwelling [3611]> with him,
he must not forsake, lay aside, leave, put (send) away, and/or
remit [Strong's 863] her.
In 2 Corinthians 7 godly sorrow Ofir diligently seeks to repent of his
sin of leaving Eifah, who didn't want him to leave, and still wants
him back. His new wife, Avida, doesn't want Eifah to live with them,
so Eifah continues to live by herself, but now her "ex" and repentant
husband, Ofir, does his best to do 1 Tim 5:8; 1 Cor 7;1-5 and Prov
5:18,19 with her, commuting back and forth between the two houses,
Avida's house and Eifah's house, because he cannot legally and
publicly take Eifah on as a second wife because of the laws of the
land. Eifah is now his concubine, his unofficial wife by private and
personal covenant (Malachi 2:14; Ezek 16:8). These principles apply to
common law or California "Pal" or "Man Assuming Role of Spouse"
relationships, where a man and a woman informally but solemnly
covenanted and committed to be marital partners to each other.
So often in America, a genuinely saved Lulu separates herself and
divorces her unsaved husband, Bubu, and fails to do it in the manner
of 1Cor 7:1-15,39, because he never wanted her to leave him, still
wanted to maritally live with her. Lulu goes on and marries another
genuinely saved man, Abdul. Then she realizes that she sinned in
leaving and divorcing her unsaved Bubu who still wanted, and still
wants, to maritally live with her. Lulu realizes that she is living in
adultery with her new husband, Abdul, (Roman 7:1-3) because she is
still maritally bound to Bubu, her unsaved "ex", because he never
wanted to stop maritally living with her (1 Cor 7:12,13,15).
***1 Cor 7:***1Cor 7: 10 I command the married —not I, but the
Lord—a [believing] wife is not to leave, depart or separate from
[Strong's 5563] her [believing] husband. 11 But if she does leave,
depart, and/or separate [Strong's 5563], she must remain
unmarried or be reconciled to her husband— . . . . 13 Also, if
any woman has an unbelieving husband/man, and he is willing
[consents, would like] to keep on [maritally] occupying a
house, residing , cohabiting^ and/or dwelling [3611] with her, she
must not forsake, lay aside, leave, put (send) away, and/or
remit [Strong's 863] her husband/man.
In 2 Corinthians 7 godly sorrow Lulu diligently seeks to repent of her
sin of adultery with Abdul and her sin of leaving her unsaved Bubu,
who didn't want her to leave, and still wants her back. She
respectfully but decisively tells her new husband, Abdul, that their
relationship is adultery and she has to leave and go back to her
unsaved man, Bubu, who never stopped wanting to maritally live with
her. If Bubu has gone on in her absence and married another woman,
Beulah, never having stopped wanting to maritally live with Lulu, then
the best Lulu can hope for is to be his concubine-wife because he
cannot legally and publicly take her on as a second wife because of
the laws of the land. Beulah doesn't want Lulu to live with them, so
Lulu continues to live by herself, but now Bubu does his best to do 1
Tim 5:8; 1 Cor 7;1-5 and Prov 5:18,19 with her, commuting back and
forth between the two houses, Beulah's house and Lulu's house,
because he cannot legally and publicly take Lulu on as a second wife
because of the laws of the land. Lulu is now Bubu's concubine, his
unofficial wife by private and personal covenant (Malachi 2:14; Ezek
16:8). These principles apply to common law or California "Pal" or
"Man Assuming Role of Spouse" relationships, where a man and a woman
informally but solemnly covenanted and committed to be marital
partners to each other.
Then there is the situation where the saved wife, Safronia, left her
unsaved husband, Brutus, when he still wanted to maritally live with
her. Brutus was and continues to be verbally and physically abusive,
drug abusing, vulgar, unkind, bossy and openly hostile to anything
that has to do with Jesus. The guiding Word here is:
***1Cor 7:10 But unto the married I give charge, yea not I, but
the Lord, that the wife
should not depart from her husband 11(but should she depart, she
should remain
unmarried, or else be reconciled to her husband); and that the
husband should not leave his wife. . . .
13 Also, if any woman has an unbelieving husband/man, and he is
willing [consents, would like] to keep on [maritally]
occupying a house, residing , cohabiting^ and/or dwelling [3611] with
her, she must not forsake, lay aside, leave, put (send) away,
and/or remit [Strongs 863] her husband/man.
Brutus is still a brute but wants to maritally live with Safronia.
Safronia left the man she is under God's
command not to leave, God's command to not terminate their marital
relationship. She is still maritally
bound to Brutus in the Kingdom of God. Having departed from Brutus
while he still wanted to maritally
live with her, Brutus still being a brute and a bully, and she being
able to successfully and continuously
abstain from sex sin, Safronia chooses the option to remain unmarried
and separated from Brutus. The
Word makes it clear that the instant Brutus no longer wants to
maritally live with her, separating himself
from her emotionally and maritally, then she is maritally free from
him in the Kingdom of God and in the
Kingdom of God she is free to marry another (1 Corinth7:15).
[3.] Dealing with complicated and controversial marriages that involve
concubines in Biblical polygyny
I believe it would be quite foolish and ungodly for any man to treat
his concubines as less than wives. Remember that in Mat 25 Jesus shows
us that what we do to one who is considered to be the least important
is considered to be what we do to Christ, our God, Savior and Judge.
He who treats his concubine as less than a wife will surely reap what
he sows for the Scriptures tell us to honor all
***Show proper respect and honor to everyone: Love the brotherhood of
believers, fear God, honor the king. (1 Peter 2:16-18) . . . Likewise,
husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor
to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of
the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered. (1 Peter
3:6-8) . . . but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, . . .(1
Peter 3:14-16)
In addition to those principles we need to see concubines as wives
because that is the way Jesus sees them. Look at 2 Sam 12:11 “So says
the LORD, Behold, I will raise up evil against you out of your own
house, and I will take your >>>WIVES<<< before your eyes and give
[them] to your neighbor. And he shall lie with your >>>WIVES<<< in the
sight of this sun.” These were probably the widows of King Saul that
Jesus had given to David (2 Sam 12:8), and Jehovah-Jesus calls them
"wives".
In contrast you see the prophet and David's contemporaries call these
same women "concubines" in 2 Sam 16: 21 “And Ahithophel said to
Absalom,
Go in to your father's >>>CONCUBINES<<<, that he left to
keep the house. And all Israel shall hear that you are
abhorred by your father. And the hands of all who [are]
with you will be strong. 22 And they spread Absalom a tent
on the top of the house, and Absalom went in to his
father's >>>CONCUBINES<<< in the sight of all Israel.”
After Absalom had sex (incest and adultery) with David's concubines-
wives,
the Bible tells us that when David returned to Jerusalem he cared for
those concubines-wives but never had sexual relations with them again.
Jesus considered David's concubines to be David's wives, and we miss
the mark if we fail to consider and relate to a man's concubines as
one would relate to another man's wives.
If God declares the concubines of His godly men to be their wives,
should we do
anything less that the same? Surely the concubines of His godly
men today are considered by Him to be their wives, just as in
times past. Where is God's denunciation of Abraham for having
concubines? Where is God's denunciation of the concubines
for marrying Abraham? Where is Abraham's confession of
his sin, if polygyny is sinful as some say?
My primary concern, as a man with a concubine/wife, is that a husband
might be so foolish as to treat his concubine as less than a wife,
especially when we see 2 Sam 12, where Jesus calls wives those who
were David's concubines. In Malachi 2 we see Jesus curse those
husbands who break covenant/promise with their wives, and we see in 1
Peter 3:7 that a man's prayers can be hindered if he lives unwisely
with his wife. In 1 Cor 11 we see that many Corinthian Christians had
become weak, sick and some had died for offending and stumbling the
poor Christian in their midst. How much more will Jesus deal with a
husband who shows partiality in his treatment of his wives because one
is a concubine and the other is a legal wife. Jesus has millstones for
the necks of those who offend His children, for surely Christ dwells
in His children who are concubines just as much as He dwells in those
who are legal wives. The sin of making arbitrary and biased decisions
and differences in the way one treats another is a serious sin (1 Tim
5:20; James 2:1,2). Ezek 17 show how Jesus hates the sin of breaking
one's promises, even to unbelievers, so surely He must also hate the
breaking of promises to one's concubines.
I believe one risks his health and life if he treats his concubines as
less than wives. Even a slave wife has the rights of EX 21:10"If he
takes to himself another woman, he may not reduce her food, her
clothing, or her conjugal rights." These conjugal rights are described
further in 1 Cor 7: 1* ¶ But concerning the things of which ye have
written to me: It is good for a male not to continue -keep on -
touching a woman; 2 but because of and to avoid sexual immorality each
man should be [sexually] having his own woman, and each woman should
be [sexually] having her own man. . . .4. The woman doesn't have
[sexual] authority over her own body, but the husband [does]; in like
manner also the man doesn't have [sexual] authority over his own body,
but the woman [does]. 5 Do not be denying each other [sexually],
unless, it may be, by consent for a time, that you may devote
yourselves to fasting and prayer, and again be conjugally cohabiting
[sexually reuniting], that Satan tempt you not because of your
incontinence.
A purpose of marriage is to give the widow, the abandoned mother
(James 1:27), a marriage, even if she gets that marriage with her
husband as his concubine..
***He gives the barren woman a home,making her the joyous mother of
children. Praise the LORD! Psalm 113:8-9
***Deut 25:5If brothers live together and one of them dies and has no
son, his wife shall not be married to a stranger outside the family.
Her husband's [single or married] brother shall go in to her and take
her as his wife and perform the duty of a husband's brother to
her. . . . [In Christ we are all brethren}
***1 Tm 5:14 Therefore, I want younger widows(5503) to marry, have
children, manage their households, and give the adversary no
opportunity to accuse us.
***1 Cor 7:8 I say to the unmarried and to bereft [abandoned or
widowed] women: It is good for them if they remain [unmarried] as I
am. 9 But if they are not consistently abstaining from sinning
sexually, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn
with desire
The Word for the godly husband, and his godly wife if he has one, who
have adequate material possessions, about seeing a widow, or a woman
who has lost her husband or the father of her children, under command
to marry and in need of a godly husband:
***1 John 3:16 This is how we have come to know love: He, [Jesus
Christ,] laid down His Life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives
for our brethren. 17 If anyone has this world's material possessions
and sees his fellow believer in need but has no pity on him, closing
his heart against him, how can the Love of God be abiding in him? 18
Dear children, we should not Love with words or speech but with
actions and in Truth. 19 This then is how we know that we belong to
the Truth, and how we assure and set our hearts at rest in His
presence . . .
***"So any person who knows what is right to do but does not do it, to
him it is sin." James 4:16-17
The concubines may have been denied protection by the government, and
their positions may have been determined by the husband's favor, but
the born again and Christ believing concubine is under the protection
of her King, Jesus, and if her husband is a man of God he will submit
to Jesus and let Father determine her position.
Since 2 Samuel shows us that God considers the concubines of His
children to be wives of His children, so if the husband does not live
wisely with his concubine, his prayers will be hindered (1 Peter 3:7).
If such a husband is partial or biased in his dealing with her (James
2:1-12), offends, spiritually stumbles, grieves and causes to sin such
a wife, such a husband will experience the chastening of the Lord
(Hebrews 12;1 cor 11:30-32; Romans 14) and needs to learn how to swim
with a millstone around his neck. Secondarily we are citizens of our
own countries and members of our own cultures, but primarily we are
citizens in the Kingdom of God (Heb 11:13-16) and ambassadors of King
Jesus (2 Cor 5:20).
=====================================
[4.] SAVED ETERNALLY & KNOWING IT
A Pastor = I submit that it is impossible for us to know whether
someone [else] is saved or not (except possibly by the Spirit of God).
Ron =True. Yet on the other hand we can KNOW that we ourselves are
saved when we are saved.
***1John2: 3 ¶ And by this we know that we have known Him, if we keep
His commandments. 4 He who says, I have known Him, and does not keep
His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But
whoever keeps His word, truly in this one the love of God is
perfected. By this we know that we are in Him. . . . 3:24 And he who
keeps His commandment dwells in Him, and He in him. And by this we
know that He abides in us, by the Spirit which He gave to us. . . .
4:13 By this we know that we dwell in Him, and He in us, because He
has given us of His Spirit. . . . 5:13 I have written these things to
you who believe on the name of the Son of God, that you may know that
you have everlasting life, and that you may believe on the name of the
Son of God.
***2Peter 1:10 Therefore, brothers, rather be diligent to make your
calling and election sure, for [if you] do these things, you shall
never fall.
pastor=Yes there is. We are not saved until we reach Heaven.
Ron = The Word says otherwise. Not even dealing with the passages that
say we shall be saved, many
show that we are saved while yet living and still imperfect.
***Mt 9:22 But turning and seeing her, Jesus said, Daughter, be
comforted; your faith HAS saved you. And the woman WAS saved from
that hour.
***Lu 18:42 And Jesus said to him, Receive your sight! Your faith HAS
saved you.
***Ac 2:47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the
Lord added to the church daily those who WERE being saved.
***Rom 8:24 For we ARE saved by hope. But hope that is seen is not
hope; for what anyone sees, why does he also hope [for it]?
***1Co 1:18 For the preaching of the cross is foolishness to those
being lost, but to us BEING saved, [it is] the power of God.
***Eph 2:5 (even when we were dead in sins) has made us alive together
with Christ (by grace you ARE saved), . . . 8 For by grace you ARE
saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, [it is] the gift of
God,
***2Ti 1:9 who HAS saved us and called [us] with a holy calling, not
according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace
which was given us in Christ Jesus before the eternal times.
***Tit 3:5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but
according to His mercy He SAVED us, through the washing of
regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,
pastor = We are in the process of Salvation, but are not saved.
Ron = That is not what the Word above says, the Word which speaks of
being saved or already saved then and there. It is true that our
salvation has three phases: Saved from the penalty of sin when saved
in the here and now, Saved from the power of sin here and now sin by
sin, and eventually saved from the presence of sin in our renewed
bodies.
***"4 But God--so rich is He in His mercy! Because of and in order to
satisfy the great and wonderful and intense love with which He loved
us, 5 Even when we were [spiritually] dead (slain) by [our own]
shortcomings and trespasses, He made us alive together in fellowship
and in union with Christ; [He gave us the very life of Christ Himself,
the same new life with which He quickened Him, for] it is by grace
(His favor and mercy which you did not deserve) that you are saved
(delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ's salvation). 6
And He raised us up together with Him and made us sit down together
[giving us joint seating with Him] in the heavenly sphere [by virtue
of our being] in Christ Jesus (the Messiah, the Anointed One). 7 He
did this that He might clearly demonstrate through the ages to come
the immeasurable (limitless, surpassing) riches of His free grace (His
unmerited favor) in [His] kindness and goodness of heart toward us in
Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by free grace (God's unmerited favor) that
you are saved (delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ's
salvation) through [your] faith. And this [salvation] is not of
yourselves [of your own doing, it came not through your own striving],
but it is the gift of God; 9 Not because of [human] works, lest any
man should boast. [It is not the result of what anyone can possibly
do, so no one can pride himself in it or take glory to himself.] 10
For we are God's [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in
Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God
predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He
prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good
life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live]." Ephes 2
Bible AB
pastor = therefore, we have the choice to walk away from HaShem and
Yeshua at anytime that we choose. HaSatan can not snatch us from the
hand of HaShem, but he can enitce us to sin and when we choose to sin,
we have walked away from Him.
Ron = Those who are in deed born from above, born again by the Spirit,
do not fall away into disbelief in Jesus. ***John 10:27 My sheep hear
My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. 28 And I give to them
eternal life, and they shall never ever perish, and not anyone
[including themselves, Satan, demons etc.] shall pluck them out of My
hand. 29 My Father who gave [them] to me is greater than all, and no
one [including themselves, Satan, demons etc.] is able to pluck [them]
out of My Father's hand. 30 I and the Father are one!
***Psa 37:28 For the LORD loves judgment and does not forsake His
saints; they are kept forever; but the seed of the wicked shall be cut
off.
***Joh 6:37 All that the Father gives Me shall come to Me, and the
[one] who comes to Me I will in no way cast out. . . . 10:28 And I
give to them eternal life, and they shall never ever perish, and not
anyone shall pluck them out of My hand.
***Jude 1:1 Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to
the [ones] called in God [the] Father, having been set apart, and
having been kept by Jesus Christ:
***Heb 10:39 But we are not of withdrawal to destruction, but of those
who believe to [the] saving of [the] soul.
***Many so called "believers" are of "withdrawal to destruction" who
believe "for a while", not fail to "believe to [the] saving of [the]
soul"------------ who only believe as Satan believes (Jas 2:19)
***Lu 8:13 Those on the rock [are] the ones who, when they hear,
receive the Word with joy. And these have no root, who for a while
believe, and in time of temptation fall away.
***1John2:18 . . . even now many antichrists have risen up, from which
we know that it is the last hour. 19 They went out from us, but they
were not of us; for if they were of us, they would have continued with
us. But [they went out] so that it might be revealed that they were
not all of us.
***2Pe 2:20 For if [they] have escaped the pollutions of the world
through the full knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus, and are again
entangled, they have been overcome by these, [their] last things are
worse [than] the first. 21 For it would have been better for them not
to have fully known the way of righteousness, than fully knowing [it],
to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them.
***Mr 4:5 And another fell on stony ground, where it did not have much
earth. And it sprang up at once, due to not having deepness of earth. :
6 And when [the] sun rose, it was scorched. And because it had no
root, it withered away. . . . 16 And these are those likewise being
sown on stony places; who, when they hear the Word, immediately
receive it with gladness.17 But they have no root in themselves, but
are temporary. Afterward when affliction or persecution arises for the
Word's sake, they are immediately offended.
++++What happens when one who truly believes but becomes snared in
sin? They are chastened (Heb 12), being made sick, weak and may even
lose their bodies in death-------
***1 Cor 5: 3 For as being absent in body but present in spirit, I
indeed have judged already [as though I were] present [concerning] him
who worked out this thing; 4 in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
when you are gathered together, with my spirit; also, with the power
of our Lord Jesus Christ; 5 to deliver such a one to Satan for the
destruction of the flesh, so that the spirit may be saved in the day
of the Lord Jesus. 6 Your boasting [is] not good. Do you not know that
a little leaven leavens the whole lump? 7 Therefore purge out the old
leaven so that you may be a new lump, as you are unleavened. For also
Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us. 8 Therefore let us keep
[the] feast; not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and
wickedness, but with the unleavened [bread] of sincerity and truth.
***1Cor 11:29 For he who eats and drinks unworthily eats and drinks
condemnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. 30 For this
cause many among you [are] weak and sickly, and many sleep. 31 For if
we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged.
++++What are we supposed to do about one who really believes but has
become snared? " deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of
the flesh, so that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord
Jesus. "
***2 Thess 3: 6 Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord
Jesus Christ, that you withdraw yourselves from every brother who
walks disorderly, and not after the teaching which he received from
us. . . . 14 And if anyone does not obey our word by this letter, mark
that one and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed. 15 Yet
do not count [him] as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.
pastor = Mt 7:16 applies to everyone - not to just false teachers.
However, if you want to get down to the minuscule, then you will have
to say that anyone who claims to be a believer but does not show the
fruits of the Spirit is a false teacher.
Ron = at least in the sense that he is misrepresenting believers since
believers Love Jesus and therefore continue to will to obey Jesus,
continue to choose to obey Jesus.
***Heb 5: 8 though being a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things
which He suffered. 9 And being made perfect, He became [the] Author of
eternal salvation to all those who obey Him,
***1John2:3 ¶ And by this we know that we have known Him, if we keep
His commandments. 4 He who says, I have known Him, and does not keep
His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But
whoever keeps His word, truly in this one the love of God is
perfected. By this we know that we are in Him. 6 He who says he abides
in Him ought himself also to walk even as He walked.
***1 John 2:3 This is how we are sure that we have come to know Him:
by continuing to keep His commands. 4 The one who says, "I have come
to know Him," without continuing to keep His commands, is a liar, and
[Jesus] the Truth is not in him. 5 But whoever continues to keep His
Word, truly in him the love of God is perfected. This is how we know
we are in Him: 6 the one who says he remains in Him should continue
to walk just as He walked. . . . many antichrists have come. Therefore
we know that it is the last hour. 19 They went out from us, but they
were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued
with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all
are not of us.
***1 John 3:4-14 stated briefly:
4 Everyone who sins breaks the Law [of God]; in fact, sin is
lawlessness. 5 But you know that He [Jesus] appeared so that He might
take away our sins. And in Him is no sin. 6 No one who lives in Him
[deliberately and knowingly] keeps on doing a sin. No one who
[deliberately and knowingly] continues to do a sin has either seen Him
or known Him. 7 Little children, let no man deceive you: he that keeps
on doing righteousness is righteous, even as He is righteous. 8 He who
[deliberately and knowingly] continues to do a sin is of the devil;
for the devil keeps on sinning from the beginning. For this purpose
the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the
devil. 9 Whosoever is born of God does not [deliberately and
knowingly] continue to do a sin; for His seed remains in him: and he
cannot [deliberately and knowingly] keep on doing a sin, because he is
born of God. 10 In this the children of God are manifest, and the
children of the devil: whoever does not keep on doing righteousness is
not of God, neither he who is not loving his brother. . . 14 We know
that we have passed from death to life, because we keep on unselfishly
and kindly Loving our brothers. Anyone who does not continue to
unselfishly and kindly Love remains in death.
A genuine child of God cannot "keep on doing a sin, because he is
born of God" and God will chasten him/her out of the sin (Hebrews 12)
with weakness, sickness or hardships to get him/her to stop sinning,
with the genuine repentance of godly sorrow (1 Cor 11:25-35; 1 Cor
5:3-5; 2 Cor 7; Prov 28:13 ). If she/he does not genuinely repent of
the sin in godly sorrow (Prov 28:13; 2 Cor 7), the chastening may even
mean the death of his/her body (1 Cor 11:25-35; 1 Cor 5:3-5) so that
her/his spirit can be saved from that sin. If His children persist in
misusing their bodies, bodies purchased with the shed blood of Christ
on the cross, He might cause their bodies to die so that they can't
continue misusing them, and then take them Home to Him
The godly in Christ who are not successfully abstaining from sex sin,
in thought or deed, experience the chastening of God (Heb 12; 1 Cor
11:30-32) and either stop continuing in sin because of weakness,
sickness or death because Jesus won't let them continue to sin. Those
in Jesus who try to continue on while failing to consistently abstain
from sex sin, choosing not to obey Jesus, encounter Jesus' discipling
and chastening, often in the form of weakness, sickness or even the
sleep of death (1 Cor 5:3-5; 11:30-32; Heb 12). Father takes His weak
and failing child Home to be with Him in Heaven, because that child
can no longer be trusted with his/her body and mind which were
purchased by Jesus (1 Cor 6:19,20). Such a failing child's body is
delivered "unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the
spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus" (1 Cor 5:5).
[5.] An invitation to personally know the God and Creator of the
universe
Do you know exactly where you stand with the God and Creator of the
universe? Have you asked Him to be your Father in the Heavens? Have
you believed/trusted/relied/depended on the Lord/King Jesus Christ ---
the God anointed Saviour/Deliverer King of Israel ----to save you from
your faults, failures and mistakes, from the wrongs you do and have
done? Salvation from personal faults/failures/mistakes belongs to the
poor in spirit. Matt. 5:3 says, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for
theirs is the kingdom of heaven." If you recognize that you are
spiritually destitute---totally incapable of deserving or earning
deliverance from your errors in any way, you are poor in spirit-- you
are humble. The poor in spirit, the humble, understand that they are
sinners/wrongdoers, totally impotent to please or to serve God. To
acknowledge that you are a wrongdoer unable to save yourself is
humility.
Why do we need to be saved/delivered in Jesus? The Daniel 3 experience
of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego illustrates why we need to be saved
and delivered in Jesus. They were safe IN the fiery furnace, and not
only safe but comfortable enough to stand around and talk with each
other. When they came out of the fiery furnace neither their hair nor
their clothes were harmed by the fire. On the other hand, when their
captors threw the three into the fire, the fire was so ferocious that
it killed them instantly. The three lived comfortably in the fiery
furnace because they were the children of the God who is a consuming
fire brighter than any star in the universe. Their captors died from
the fire because they were not compatible with the fiery God of the
three.
De 4:24 For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, . . . .
De 9:3 Therefore, understand today that the LORD your God is He who
goes over before you. Like a consuming fire, He shall destroy them,
and He shall bring them down before your face. . . .
Heb 12:29 for also, “Our God is a consuming fire.”
Mal 4:1 For, behold, the day comes, that shall burn as an oven; and
all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and
the day that comes shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that
it shall leave them neither root nor branch.
God the Father, though a spirit, is so incredibly powerful in both
nature and appearance, that He appears as a being of incredible fire,
brighter and more powerful than any star in our universe. It is not
that God wants to barbecue sinners because He wants to make them pay
for all their mistakes. It is a matter of conflicting natures. Our
human nature in incompatible with His holy and righteous nature.
Wood, hay and straw are incompatible with fire and will automatically
be burned up not because the fire wants to burn it but because their
natures are incompatible and they burn when placed in fire. Gold and
diamonds are compatible with fire and can exist in the midst of fire.
Our human body and nature are like wood, hay and stubble and His holy
nature is a consuming fire.
His fiery nature doesn’t burn up the wood, hay and stubble because it
enjoys burning up wood, hay and stubble, but because they burn in the
presence of fire. His fiery holiness, that is seen as a consuming
fire, doesn’t burn wrongdoers because He enjoys burning wrongdoers.
Wrongdoers burn in His presence because their nature is naturally
incompatible with His fiery and holy nature. He give us, who are
naturally wood/hay/stubble, the opportunity in Jesus to be made by Him
into beings of gold, silver and precious stones that can dwell with
Him safely and well in His fiery presence. Fire purifies, killing
germs, viruses and harmful organisms. His holy fire purifies the
sinners/wrongdoers in Hell, containing the infection and contagion of
their evil and wrongdoing, keeping it from contaminating and infecting
the universe again.
Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, people who have
faults, failures, mistakes, who have been unloving, untruthful and
unenlightened. (1 Tim. 1:15). Isaiah said, "When You make His soul an
offering for sin, He shall see [His] seed. He shall prolong [His] days
and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand. He shall see
the distressing travail of His soul, and be satisfied. By His
knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, for He shall bear
their iniquities." Poverty of spirit (humility) is interwoven in the
act of repentance, the life-altering change of mind about you, your
sin/wrongs and God. When you repent (change your mind), you see
yourself as you really are and you change your mind in respect to your
relationship to God the Father and to His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
The act of repentance brings you to see your sin/wrongdoing as ugly as
it is, as God sees it, and you come to a point where you want to be
free from it.
Of course, freedom from doing and being wrong comes only by believing/
trusting/ relying on the Lord Jesus Christ to save you from your
wrongdoing and wrongbeing. The one who is regularly doing and being
wrong is the slave of wrongdoing and wrongbeing. However, if the Son
shall set you free from regularly doing and being wrong, you shall be
free indeed (John 8:334,36) The poor in spirit see their inability to
free themselves from sin/failures/faults/errors. They see that freedom
is possible only through Christ's death for us, Him taking on Himself
our rap/sentence/penalty as our substitute. They recognize that
deliverance comes by God's act of undeserved and unmerited kindness
and mercy alone. They choose to believe God and His Word about
themselves and their relationship with Him.
One cannot speak of the Crucifixion apart from the Resurrection. It
is the resurrection that gives us newness of life. Christ's
resurrection testifies to two vital truths. One, it shows that the
requirements of God’s righteousness and holiness were satisfied with
the substitutionary death of Jesus Christ. Jesus became the bearer of
our wrongs. Isaiah's word is "But he was wounded/pierced for our
transgressions, bruised/crushed for our iniquities; The chastisement
for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes (from the cutting
whips) we are healed." In Romans 4:25 we read, "[He] who was delivered
up because of our transgressions, and was raised [from the dead]
because of our justification." "Raised because of our justification"
means that because Jesus' payment (the death of His body) for our sins
was adequate to satisfy the demands of the justice of the Holy God,
God could then declare us righteous, justified and made acceptable in
His sight. Jesus raised His crucified body from death and changed it
to be alive forever because His death for us satisfied the
righteousness of our Holy God, making the Way for Jesus to raise and
change the bodies of His “children” to live with Him forever.
His resurrection shows us that Jesus Christ conquered death and
alienation from God. Death had a hold over us because of our sin/error/
failures/faults/wrongs. However, once the death penalty of sin was
paid for by the death of Christ's body, death no longer had any
holding power on those who ask to be covered by Christ’s sacrifice.
"The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law" (1
Corinth. 15:56). Jesus paid the price of redemption, redeeming us from
the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us ---for cursed was
everyone who was hung on a tree/stake (Deut. 21:23; Gala. 3:13). His
death took away the power of sin/wrongs. Jesus also took the stinger
out of death by paying for our sin so that we need have no fear of
what awaits us in and after death. Because our sin debt is paid for in
full by Christ, death has no power over us. Not only that, but He has
promised His children that they would never have to suffer in dying
more than they can bear, and when the suffering is about to become too
much for us, He has also promised to end the suffering or deliver us
from it (1Cor10:13).
Have you come to the end of yourself? Have you seen your total
inability, your total unworthiness? Have you seen your nothingness
apart from God? And have you seen Jesus, God the Son, who took upon
Himself a body of flesh and blood so that He might die for you and for
all people so that they could be saved from eternal death? Have you
decided that you want His Way and Will in and for your life instead of
your own will and way? Do you believe He died in your place, taking
on Himself the just punishment that was due for your wrongdoing? Do
you believe that? Do you believe that His body was made sin for you,
so that you, a helpless and hopeless wrongdoing enemy of God, might
have His righteousness and His life? Have you repented---turned away
from self-will to believe/depend on the Lord Jesus Christ----the God
anointed Saviour King of Israel, to deliver you from all your
wrongdoing and wrongbeing? Out loud with your heart, mind and mouth
agree with God about the God anointed Saviour King of Israel, and you
will be saved, "for with the heart man believes, resulting in
righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses [Jesus], resulting in
deliverance." Romans 10:10-13.
Joh 6:37 All that the Father gives Me shall come to Me, and the one
who comes to Me I will not at all cast out.
Matt 11: 28 “Come to Me, all you toiling and burdened ones, and I will
give you rest. 29 Take My yoke* upon you and learn from Me; for I am
gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30
For it is good to bear My yoke**, and my burden is light.”
*“Take My yoke upon you” means to accept His rule and authority over
yourself.
**“To bear My yoke” means to live under and according to His rule and
authority.
This yoke, His authority, indeed is good for you and light indeed,
when compared to the load of our sins and the just and natural death
penalty for those sins. Sin and wrongdoers will burn without dying in
His holy presence just like wood, hay and stubble burn in a forest
fire. He has no pleasure in the death/burning of sinners, but wants
us to choose His unselfish and compassionate cherishing Love, Truth,
Enlightenment, Life and Peace in and by Jesus.
[6.] A glimpse into the future, Heaven and Hell
***Luke 16:22 . . . the rich man also died, and was buried. 23And in
Hades he lifted up his eyes,
being in torments, . . . 24And he cried and said, . . . I am in
anguish in this flame.
***Rev. 20: 10 And the devil who deceived them was cast into the lake
of fire and brimstone, where are both the beast and the false prophet;
and they shall be tormented day and night for the ages of ages.11 ¶
And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose
face the earth and the heaven fled, and place was not found for them.
12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne,
and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is that of
life. And the dead were judged out of the things written in the books
according to their works. 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were
in it, and death and hades gave up the dead which were in them; and
they were judged each according to their works: 14 and death and hades
were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death, even the
lake of fire. 15 And if any one was not found written in the book of
life, he was cast into the lake of fire. . . .
***Luke 16:22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and that he
was carried
away by the angels . . .
***Rev 7:9 After these things I saw, and behold, a great multitude,
which no man could number,
out of every nation and of all tribes and peoples and tongues,
standing before the throne and
before the Lamb, arrayed in white robes, and palms in their hands; 10
and they cry with a
great voice, saying, "Salvation unto our God who sits on the throne,
and unto the Lamb" . . .
15 Therefore are they before the throne of God; and they serve Him day
and night in His
temple: and He that sits on the throne shall spread His tabernacle
over them. 16 They
shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun
strike upon them,
nor any heat: 17 for the Lamb that is in the midst of the throne shall
be their
Shepherd, and shall guide them unto fountains of waters of Life: and
God
shall wipe away every tear from their eyes. . . . 21: 1 ¶ And I saw a
new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth
had passed away, and the sea exists no more. 2 And I saw the holy
city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of the heaven from God, prepared
as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice out of
the heaven, saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He
shall tabernacle with them, and they shall be His people, and God
Himself shall be with them, their God. 4 And He shall wipe away every
tear from their eyes; and death shall not exist any more, nor grief,
nor cry, nor distress shall exist any more, for the former things have
passed away." 5 And He that sat on the throne said, "Behold, I make
all things new." And He says to me, "Write, for these words are true
and faithful." 6 And He said to me, "It is done. I am the Alpha and
the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to him that thirsts
of the fountain of the water of Life freely. 7 He that overcomes shall
inherit these things, and I will be to him God, and he shall be to me
son. 8 But to the fearful and unbelieving, and sinners, and those who
make themselves abominable, and murderers, and fornicators, and
sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, their part is in the lake
which burns with fire and brimstone; which is the second death."
http://community.beliefnet.com/biblical_marriage_divorce_remarriage/?pref_tab=group
http://groups.myspace.com/ChristianMarriage - -
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MarriageDivorceRemarriageJesus2
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MarriageDivorceRemarriageJesus
http://biblicalmaturity.yuku.com/forums/66
http://groups.google.com/group/MarriageDivorceRemarriageInJesus
http://www.tagged.com/godlychristianmarriage - - -
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=4963699097
For more information on Biblical Christian Polygyny:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/OrthodoxBiblicalMarriagePolygamy
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PolyPolygamyPolygynyNJesus
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=6382095167
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2648256332
http://groups.google.com/group/BiblicalChristianPolygamyPolygyny
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PolyOption4ChristiansWithSTDs/
http://groups.google.com/group/polygamous_friends_of_tyler
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/polygynousfriendsofTyler/
http://biblicalmarriagepolygyny.yuku.com/forums/66
http://biblicalmarriagepolygamypolygyny.webs.com/
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=107582071823
R
Aug 10, 2010, 3:56:29 PM8/10/10
to MaritalRepentanceAndReconciliation
PRe: the saved married to the unsaved - Revised and Corrected
Dear Saints,
Again I have been made aware of an error in my understanding of and
writing about the saved married to the unsaved. I failed to recognize
the fact that if the unsaved separates her/himself from the saved
mate, leaving or departing from the saved mate - EVEN IF THE UNSAVED
STILL WANTED TO LIVE MARITALLY WITH THE SAVED - the marital bond would
have been broken in the Kingdom of God by that departure or separation
and they would no longer be bound maritally in the Kingdom of God. It
is the leaving, departing and/or separating that breaks the marital
bond, even if the unsaved still was willing, consenting or wanting to
live maritally with the saved partner.
departs and/or makes the separation [Strong's 5563], he/she should
go away/depart/separate/leave, [he/she should make the
separation ]. A brother or a sister is not [legally, morally,
So often in America, a genuinely saved man, Ofir, separates himself
and divorces his unsaved wife, Eifah, and failing to obey1Cor
7:1-15,39, because Eifah never wanted him to leave her, never wanted
to leave him, still wanting to maritally live with him. Ofir goes on
the one who separated himself from her. He had committed adultery
against her by divorcing her to marry another.
***"Whoever divorces his wife AND marries another woman commits
EVEN IF SHE STILL WANTED TO LIVE WITH HIM MARITALLY- the marital bond
would have been broken in the Kingdom of God and they would no longer
be bound maritally in the Kingdom of God. It is the leaving,
departing and/or separating that breaks the marital bond, even if the
unsaved still was willing, consenting or wanting to live maritally
with the saved partner.
from from her,
so the fact that she had never left, departed from or separated
herself from her willingness and her desire to maritally live with
him, the marital bond was still there and Ofir disobeyed the Lord's
command to not forsake, lay aside, leave, put (send) away, and/or
husband.
So often in America, a genuinely saved Lulu separates herself and
divorces her unsaved husband, Bubu, and fails to do it in the manner
of 1Cor 7:1-15,39, because Bubu never wanted Lulu to leave him, still
from her or separated himself from her physically or mentally (1 Cor
7:12,13,15). If he had separated himself from her, leaving or
departing from her - EVEN IF HE STILL WANTED TO LIVE WITH HER
MARITALLY- the marital bond would have been broken in the Kingdom of
God and they would no longer be bound maritally in the Kingdom of
God. It is the leaving, departing and/or separating that breaks the
marital bond, even if the unsaved still was willing, consenting or
wanting to live maritally with the saved partner.
from from Bubu, so the fact that he had never left, departed from or
separated himself from his willingness and his desire to maritally
live with her, the marital bond was still there and Lulu disobeyed the
Lord's command to not forsake, lay aside, leave, put (send) away, and/
or remit [Strong's 863] him. In 2 Corinthians 7 godly sorrow Lulu
Then there is the situation where the saved wife, Safronia, left her
unsaved husband, Brutus, when he still wanted to maritally live with
her. Brutus was and continues to be verbally and physically abusive,
drug abusing, vulgar, unkind, bossy and openly hostile to anything
that has to do with Jesus. The guiding Word here is:
***1Cor 7:10 But unto the married I give charge, yea not I, but the
Lord, that the wife should not depart from her husband 11(but
should she depart, she should remain unmarried, or else be
reconciled to her husband); and that the husband should not
leave his wife. . . . 13 Also, if any woman has an
unbelieving husband/man, and he is willing
[consents, would like] to keep on [maritally] occupying a
house, residing , cohabiting^ and/or dwelling [3611] with her,
never wanted to be separated from her. Safronia left the man she is
never wanted to separate from her. Having departed from Brutus while
he still wanted to maritally live with her and never wanted to be
separated from her, Brutus still being a brute and a bully, and she
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PolyPolygamyPolygynyNJesus
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=107582071823 (poly & divorce)
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=6382095167
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2648256332
http://www.shtyle.fm/community.do?cid=41185 - - - - - - 12
http://groups.myspace.com/BiblicalChristianPoly - -34
http://biblicalmarriagepolygamypolygyny.webs.com/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BlackPolygyny/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BrownPeopleChristianPolygamy
http://meetup.com/SanDiegoChristianPolygyny
Dear Saints,
Again I have been made aware of an error in my understanding of and
writing about the saved married to the unsaved. I failed to recognize
the fact that if the unsaved separates her/himself from the saved
mate, leaving or departing from the saved mate - EVEN IF THE UNSAVED
STILL WANTED TO LIVE MARITALLY WITH THE SAVED - the marital bond would
have been broken in the Kingdom of God by that departure or separation
and they would no longer be bound maritally in the Kingdom of God. It
is the leaving, departing and/or separating that breaks the marital
bond, even if the unsaved still was willing, consenting or wanting to
live maritally with the saved partner.
***1 Cor 7:11 . . . and a [believing] husband/man is not to forsake,
lay aside, leave, put (send) away, divorce [Strong's 863] his
wife/woman. 12 But to the rest I, not the Lord, say: If any
brother has an unbelieving wife/woman, and she is willing
[consents, would like] to [maritally] continue on occupying a
house, reside , cohabiting^ and/or dwelling [3611]> with
him, he must not forsake, lay aside, leave, put (send) away, and/
or remit [Strong's 863] her. 13 Also, if any woman has an
lay aside, leave, put (send) away, divorce [Strong's 863] his
wife/woman. 12 But to the rest I, not the Lord, say: If any
brother has an unbelieving wife/woman, and she is willing
[consents, would like] to [maritally] continue on occupying a
house, reside , cohabiting^ and/or dwelling [3611]> with
him, he must not forsake, lay aside, leave, put (send) away, and/
unbelieving husband/man, and he is willing [consents, would like]
to keep on [maritally] occupying a house, residing , cohabiting^
and/or dwelling [3611] with her, she must not forsake,
lay aside, leave, put (send) away, and/or remit [Strong's 863]
her husband/man. . . 15 But if the unbeliever leaves,
to keep on [maritally] occupying a house, residing , cohabiting^
and/or dwelling [3611] with her, she must not forsake,
lay aside, leave, put (send) away, and/or remit [Strong's 863]
departs and/or makes the separation [Strong's 5563], he/she should
go away/depart/separate/leave, [he/she should make the
separation ]. A brother or a sister is not [legally, morally,
maritally] bound in such cases [in the Kingdom
of God]. God has called you to peace. .
of God]. God has called you to peace. .
[2.] Marriage, separation, divorce and remarriage with the saved
married to the unsaved (1 Corinth 7:10-15):
[a] The saved husband sinfully leaves the unsaved wife
married to the unsaved (1 Corinth 7:10-15):
So often in America, a genuinely saved man, Ofir, separates himself
7:1-15,39, because Eifah never wanted him to leave her, never wanted
to leave him, still wanting to maritally live with him. Ofir goes on
and marries another genuinely saved wife, Avida. Then Ofir realizes
that he sinned in leaving and divorcing his unsaved wife, Eifah, who
still wanted, and still wants, to maritally live with him, he being
that he sinned in leaving and divorcing his unsaved wife, Eifah, who
the one who separated himself from her. He had committed adultery
against her by divorcing her to marry another.
***"Whoever divorces his wife AND marries another woman commits
adultery against her." Mark 10:11 Luke 16:18
If she had separated herself from him, leaving or departing from him -
EVEN IF SHE STILL WANTED TO LIVE WITH HIM MARITALLY- the marital bond
would have been broken in the Kingdom of God and they would no longer
be bound maritally in the Kingdom of God. It is the leaving,
departing and/or separating that breaks the marital bond, even if the
unsaved still was willing, consenting or wanting to live maritally
with the saved partner.
***1 Cor 7:11 . . . and a [believing] husband/man is not to forsake,
lay aside, leave, put (send) away, divorce [Strong's 863] his
wife/woman. 12 But to the rest I, not the Lord, say: If any
brother has an unbelieving wife/woman, and she is willing
[consents, would like] to [maritally] continue on occupying a
house, reside , cohabiting^ and/or dwelling [3611]> with
him, he must not forsake, lay aside, leave, put (send) away, and/
or remit [Strong's 863] her. . . . 15 But if the
lay aside, leave, put (send) away, divorce [Strong's 863] his
wife/woman. 12 But to the rest I, not the Lord, say: If any
brother has an unbelieving wife/woman, and she is willing
[consents, would like] to [maritally] continue on occupying a
house, reside , cohabiting^ and/or dwelling [3611]> with
him, he must not forsake, lay aside, leave, put (send) away, and/
unbeliever leaves, departs and/or separates himself from her [Strong's
5563], he should go away/depart/separate/leave, [he should
separate himself from her].. A brother or a sister is not
[legally, morally, maritally] bound in such cases [in the Kingdom
of God]. God has called you to peace. .
In Eifah's case, Ofir had left, departed from and/or separated himself
5563], he should go away/depart/separate/leave, [he should
separate himself from her].. A brother or a sister is not
[legally, morally, maritally] bound in such cases [in the Kingdom
of God]. God has called you to peace. .
from from her,
so the fact that she had never left, departed from or separated
herself from her willingness and her desire to maritally live with
him, the marital bond was still there and Ofir disobeyed the Lord's
command to not forsake, lay aside, leave, put (send) away, and/or
remit [Strong's 863] her. In 2 Corinthians 7 godly sorrow Ofir
diligently seeks to repent of his sin of leaving Eifah, who didn't
want him to leave, and still wants him back. His new wife, Avida,
doesn't want Eifah to live with them, so Eifah continues to live by
herself, but now her "ex" and repentant husband, Ofir, does his best
to do 1 Tim 5:8; 1 Cor 7;1-5 and Prov 5:18,19 with her, commuting back
and forth between the two houses, Avida's house and Eifah's house,
because he cannot legally and publicly take Eifah on as a second wife
because of the laws of the land. Eifah is now his concubine, his
unofficial wife by private and personal covenant (Malachi 2:14; Ezek
16:8). These principles apply to common law or California "Pal" or
"Man Assuming Role of Spouse" relationships, where a man and a woman
informally but solemnly covenanted and committed to be marital
partners to each other.
[b] The saved wife sinfully separates herself from her unsaved
diligently seeks to repent of his sin of leaving Eifah, who didn't
want him to leave, and still wants him back. His new wife, Avida,
doesn't want Eifah to live with them, so Eifah continues to live by
herself, but now her "ex" and repentant husband, Ofir, does his best
to do 1 Tim 5:8; 1 Cor 7;1-5 and Prov 5:18,19 with her, commuting back
and forth between the two houses, Avida's house and Eifah's house,
because he cannot legally and publicly take Eifah on as a second wife
because of the laws of the land. Eifah is now his concubine, his
unofficial wife by private and personal covenant (Malachi 2:14; Ezek
16:8). These principles apply to common law or California "Pal" or
"Man Assuming Role of Spouse" relationships, where a man and a woman
informally but solemnly covenanted and committed to be marital
partners to each other.
husband.
So often in America, a genuinely saved Lulu separates herself and
divorces her unsaved husband, Bubu, and fails to do it in the manner
wanted to maritally live with her. Lulu goes on and marries another
genuinely saved man, Abdul. Then she realizes that she sinned in
leaving and divorcing her unsaved Bubu who still wanted, and still
wants, to maritally live with her. Lulu realizes that she is living in
adultery with her new husband, Abdul, (Roman 7:1-3) because she is
still maritally bound to Bubu, her unsaved "ex", because he never
wanted to stop maritally living with her and never left her, departed
genuinely saved man, Abdul. Then she realizes that she sinned in
leaving and divorcing her unsaved Bubu who still wanted, and still
wants, to maritally live with her. Lulu realizes that she is living in
adultery with her new husband, Abdul, (Roman 7:1-3) because she is
still maritally bound to Bubu, her unsaved "ex", because he never
from her or separated himself from her physically or mentally (1 Cor
7:12,13,15). If he had separated himself from her, leaving or
departing from her - EVEN IF HE STILL WANTED TO LIVE WITH HER
MARITALLY- the marital bond would have been broken in the Kingdom of
God and they would no longer be bound maritally in the Kingdom of
God. It is the leaving, departing and/or separating that breaks the
marital bond, even if the unsaved still was willing, consenting or
wanting to live maritally with the saved partner.
***1 Cor 7:***1Cor 7: 10 I command the married —not I, but the Lord—
a [believing] wife is not to leave, depart or
separate from [Strong's 5563] her [believing] husband. 11 But
if she does leave, depart, and/or separate
[Strong's 5563], she must remain unmarried or be reconciled to her
husband— . . 13 Also, if any woman has an unbelieving
a [believing] wife is not to leave, depart or
separate from [Strong's 5563] her [believing] husband. 11 But
if she does leave, depart, and/or separate
[Strong's 5563], she must remain unmarried or be reconciled to her
husband/man, and he is willing [consents, would like] to keep
on [maritally] occupying a house, residing ,
cohabiting^ and/or dwelling [3611] with her, she must not forsake, lay
aside, leave, put (send) away, and/or remit [Strong's 863]
her husband/man. . . . 15 But if the unbeliever leaves, departs
on [maritally] occupying a house, residing ,
cohabiting^ and/or dwelling [3611] with her, she must not forsake, lay
aside, leave, put (send) away, and/or remit [Strong's 863]
and/or separates himself from her [Strong's 5563], he
should go away/depart/separate/leave, [he should separate
himself from her].. A brother or a sister is not
[legally, morally, maritally] bound in such cases [in the
Kingdom of God]. God has called you to peace. .
In Lulu's case, Lulu had left, departed from and/or separated herself
should go away/depart/separate/leave, [he should separate
himself from her].. A brother or a sister is not
[legally, morally, maritally] bound in such cases [in the
Kingdom of God]. God has called you to peace. .
from from Bubu, so the fact that he had never left, departed from or
separated himself from his willingness and his desire to maritally
live with her, the marital bond was still there and Lulu disobeyed the
Lord's command to not forsake, lay aside, leave, put (send) away, and/
or remit [Strong's 863] him. In 2 Corinthians 7 godly sorrow Lulu
diligently seeks to repent of her sin of adultery with Abdul and her
sin of leaving her unsaved Bubu, who didn't want her to leave, and
still wants her back. She respectfully but decisively tells her new
husband, Abdul, that their relationship is adultery and she has to
leave and go back to her unsaved man, Bubu, who never stopped wanting
to maritally live with her. If Bubu has gone on in her absence and
married another woman, Beulah, never having stopped wanting to
maritally live with Lulu, then the best Lulu can hope for is to be his
concubine-wife because he cannot legally and publicly take her on as a
second wife because of the laws of the land. Beulah doesn't want Lulu
to live with them, so Lulu continues to live by herself, but now Bubu
does his best to do 1 Tim 5:8; 1 Cor 7;1-5 and Prov 5:18,19 with her,
commuting back and forth between the two houses, Beulah's house and
Lulu's house, because he cannot legally and publicly take Lulu on as
a second wife because of the laws of the land. Lulu is now Bubu's
concubine, his unofficial wife by private and personal covenant
(Malachi 2:14; Ezek 16:8). These principles apply to common law or
California "Pal" or "Man Assuming Role of Spouse" relationships, where
a man and a woman informally but solemnly covenanted and committed to
be marital partners to each other.
[c] The saved wife leaves her unsaved husband, but - - - - -
sin of leaving her unsaved Bubu, who didn't want her to leave, and
still wants her back. She respectfully but decisively tells her new
husband, Abdul, that their relationship is adultery and she has to
leave and go back to her unsaved man, Bubu, who never stopped wanting
to maritally live with her. If Bubu has gone on in her absence and
married another woman, Beulah, never having stopped wanting to
maritally live with Lulu, then the best Lulu can hope for is to be his
concubine-wife because he cannot legally and publicly take her on as a
second wife because of the laws of the land. Beulah doesn't want Lulu
to live with them, so Lulu continues to live by herself, but now Bubu
does his best to do 1 Tim 5:8; 1 Cor 7;1-5 and Prov 5:18,19 with her,
commuting back and forth between the two houses, Beulah's house and
Lulu's house, because he cannot legally and publicly take Lulu on as
a second wife because of the laws of the land. Lulu is now Bubu's
concubine, his unofficial wife by private and personal covenant
(Malachi 2:14; Ezek 16:8). These principles apply to common law or
California "Pal" or "Man Assuming Role of Spouse" relationships, where
a man and a woman informally but solemnly covenanted and committed to
be marital partners to each other.
Then there is the situation where the saved wife, Safronia, left her
unsaved husband, Brutus, when he still wanted to maritally live with
her. Brutus was and continues to be verbally and physically abusive,
drug abusing, vulgar, unkind, bossy and openly hostile to anything
that has to do with Jesus. The guiding Word here is:
***1Cor 7:10 But unto the married I give charge, yea not I, but the
Lord, that the wife should not depart from her husband 11(but
should she depart, she should remain unmarried, or else be
reconciled to her husband); and that the husband should not
leave his wife. . . . 13 Also, if any woman has an
unbelieving husband/man, and he is willing
[consents, would like] to keep on [maritally] occupying a
house, residing , cohabiting^ and/or dwelling [3611] with her,
she must not forsake, lay aside, leave, put (send) away, and/
or remit [Strongs 863] her husband/man. . . . 15 But if the
unbeliever leaves, departs and/or separates himself from her
[Strong's 5563], he should go away/depart/separate/leave, [he
should separate himself from her].. A brother or a sister is not
[legally, morally, maritally] bound in such cases [in the
Kingdom of God]. God has called you to peace. .
Brutus is still a brute but wants to maritally live with Safronia and
[Strong's 5563], he should go away/depart/separate/leave, [he
should separate himself from her].. A brother or a sister is not
[legally, morally, maritally] bound in such cases [in the
Kingdom of God]. God has called you to peace. .
never wanted to be separated from her. Safronia left the man she is
under God's command not to leave, God's command to not terminate their
marital relationship. She is still maritally bound to Brutus in the
Kingdom of God because he still wants to live with her maritally and
marital relationship. She is still maritally bound to Brutus in the
never wanted to separate from her. Having departed from Brutus while
he still wanted to maritally live with her and never wanted to be
separated from her, Brutus still being a brute and a bully, and she
being able to successfully and continuously abstain from sex sin,
Safronia chooses the 1 Cor 7:11 option to remain unmarried and
separated from Brutus. The Word makes it clear that the instant Brutus
no longer wants to maritally live with her, separating himself
from her maritally, then she is maritally free from him in the Kingdom
no longer wants to maritally live with her, separating himself
of God and in the Kingdom of God she is free to marry another (1
Corinth7:15).
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/OrthodoxBiblicalMarriagePolygamy
Corinth7:15).
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PolyPolygamyPolygynyNJesus
http://groups.google.com/group/BiblicalChristianPolygamyPolygyny
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PolyOption4ChristiansWithSTDs/
http://groups.google.com/group/polygamous_friends_of_tyler
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/polygynousfriendsofTyler/
http://biblicalmarriagepolygyny.yuku.com/forums/66
http://religiousfreedomofspeech.ning.com/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PolyOption4ChristiansWithSTDs/
http://groups.google.com/group/polygamous_friends_of_tyler
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/polygynousfriendsofTyler/
http://biblicalmarriagepolygyny.yuku.com/forums/66
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=107582071823 (poly & divorce)
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=6382095167
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2648256332
http://www.shtyle.fm/community.do?cid=41185 - - - - - - 12
http://groups.myspace.com/BiblicalChristianPoly - -34
http://biblicalmarriagepolygamypolygyny.webs.com/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BlackPolygyny/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BrownPeopleChristianPolygamy
http://meetup.com/SanDiegoChristianPolygyny
Reply all
Reply to author
Forward
0 new messages