Dear Poly Folks, I humbly offer my sincerest apologies for not correcting a serious poly error
Elkanah
I humbly offer my sincerest apologies for not correcting a serious
error in my key file, MarDivorRemarPoly0509.html, found in the Files
section of this group.
The correction is as follows:
FROM
TITLE: DIVORCE, REMARRIAGE, CONCUBINES, POLYGYNY & JESUS; Another
Look for Christians.
COPYRIGHT JANUARY 14, 1995 All rights reserved.
Copyright 01/12/96; 11/10/05 (Revised)
SNIP
WHAT DID JESUS TELL HIS JEWISH FOLLOWERS TO DO ABOUT THE LAW OF
MOSES, THE LAW THAT INCLUDED POLYGYNY?
Matthew 23: 1 Then Jesus spoke to the crowd and to His disciples, 2
saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat. 3 Therefore
whatever they tell you to observe, observe and do. But do not do
according to their works; for they say, and do not do.Some might say
all or most of those Old Testament passages on marriage and morality
were for the nation Israel under the Law of Moses and not for Jesus'
church under the Law of LOVE in Christ. Bible history indicates quite
clearly that Jesus came not to destroy the Law but to fulfill it>96 .
Jesus showed that He was observing all the Law of
Moses as an adult when He said that whoever does the commandments and
teaches others to do the Law of Moses "shall be called great in the
kingdom of Heaven">~ . Over and over again in the Gospels you see
Jesus obeying the Law of Moses and telling His followers to obey
it>97 . Matt. 23:3, 4, and 23 are the strongest statements of this
expectation that His followers were to be obeying the marriage and
morality laws of Moses when He was still visibly with them, and Jesus
made it soon before His death.
[Footnotes:>96 (Matt. 5:17,18); >~ (Matt. 5:19); >97 (Matt. 8:4;
12:11,12; 13:54; 15:3-6, 22-26; 17:24, 27; 19:17-19; 21:12,13;
22:34-40; 23:3,4,23; 26:18,19; 26:63,64; etc.)]
IF JESUS TOLD HIS FOLLOWERS TO BOTH KEEP THE LAW OF MOSES AND
THE TEACHINGS OF THEIR RELIGIOUS LEADERS, WHY DON'T WE NON-
JEWS KEEP THE LAW OF MOSES TODAY, INCLUDING THOSE LAWS ABOUT
POLYGYNY?
Acts 15: 4 And arriving in Jerusalem, they were received by the
church, and [by] the apostles and elders. And [they] declared all
things that God had done with them. 5 But some of those from the sect
of the Pharisees, having believed, rose up, saying, It was necessary
to circumcise them and to command [them] to keep the law of
Moses.. . . . . 7 And after much disputing, Peter rose up and said to
them, Men, brothers, you recognize that from ancient days God chose
among us [that] through my mouth the nations [should] hear the word of
the gospel, and believe. 8 And God, who knows the hearts, bore them
witness, giving them the Holy Spirit even as to us. 9 And He put no
difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. 10
Now therefore why do you tempt God by putting a yoke on the neck of
the disciples, a yoke which neither our fathers nor we were able to
bear? 11 But we believe that through the grace of [the] Lord Jesus
Christ we shall be saved, according to which manner they also
believed. . . . . 22
Then it pleased the apostles and elders, with the whole church, to
send chosen men from them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas; Judas,
whose last name was Barsabas; and Silas, chief men among the brothers.
23 And they wrote these things by their hand: The apostles and elders
and brothers [send] greeting to the brothers, from [the] nations in
Antioch and Syria and Cilicia. 24 Because we have heard that certain
ones who went out from us have troubled you with words, unsettling
your souls, saying, Be circumcised and keep the law! (to whom we gave
no such command); 25 it seemed [good] to us, being assembled with one
accord, to send chosen men to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,
26 men who have given up their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus
Christ. 27 Therefore we have sent Judas and Silas, who will also
announce [to you] the same things by word. 28 For it seemed [good] to
the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these
necessary things: 29 that you abstain from meats offered to idols, and
[from] blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication; from
which, if you keep yourselves, you shall do well. Be prospered. 30
Then indeed they being let go, they came to Antioch. And gathering the
multitude, [they] delivered the letter. 31 And when they had read
[it], they rejoiced at the comfort.
WHY THIS DOUBLE STANDARD IN THE BOOKS OF ACTS?
Consider Hebrews 8, especially the Greek of verse 13:
In that he says, A new [covenant], he has made the
first [covenant] old. Now that which is becoming
obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.
Consider The Greek of 2 Cor. 3:7,11:
. . . the ministration of death, written [and] engraved
in stones, was glorious . . . How shall not the
ministration of the Spirit be more glorious? . . . For if
what is passing away [was] glorious, much more that
which is reamaining [is] glorious..
These passages show there was a period of transition (is becoming
obsolete..growing old..is ready to vanish..is passing away) from the
Sinai Law of Moses to the Calvary Law of LOVE in Christ. The book of
Acts is full of the apostles keeping the Sinai Law of Moses after
Pentecost. You see them worshipping in the Temple regularly>98 , Peter
refuses to socialize with Gentiles according to the Sinai Law>99 ,
Peter refuses to eat the
animals classified as unclean in the Sinai Law>1 , Paul circumcises
Timothy, Paul keeps the Law's feasts>2 , Paul recognizes the authority
of the Chief Priest, the believing Gentiles are released from the
Sinai Law of Moses while the believing Jews are not released >3 .
[Footnotes:>98 (Acts 4, 12, 15, 21); >99 (Acts 10, 11, Gal. 1 & 2); >1
(Acts 10 & 11); >2 (Acts 21); >3 (Galatians, Acts 15 and see Acts 10;
11:8, 23; 15:5; 16:3; 18:18, 21;21:18-25; 24:18)]
DO YOU REALLY THINK THE CHURCH WAS DIVIDED IN THE BOOK OF
ACTS, WITH ONLY THE BELIEVING JEWS KEEPING LAW?
***Acts 10: 9 On the next day, as these went on [the] road, and
drawing near the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray, about
[the] sixth hour. 10 And he became very hungry and desired to eat. But
while they made ready, an ecstasy fell on him. 11 And he saw the
heaven opened and a certain vessel like a sheet coming down to him,
being bound at the four corners and let down to the earth; 12 in which
were all the four-footed animals of the
earth, and the wild beasts, and the reptiles, and the birds of the
heaven. 13 And a voice came to him, saying, Rise, Peter! Kill and eat!
14 But Peter said, Not so, Lord, for I have never eaten anything that
is common or unclean. 15 And the voice [spoke] to him again the second
[time], What God has made clean, you do not call common. 16 This
happened three [times], and the vessel was received up again into the
heaven. 17 And while Peter
doubted within himself what the vision which he had seen might be,
even behold, the men who were sent from Cornelius had asked for
Simon's house and stood on the porch. 18 And they called and asked if
Simon whose last name is Peter was staying there.19 And [while] Peter
thought on the vision, the Spirit said to him, Behold, three men are
looking for you. 20 Therefore arise and go down and go with them
without doubting, for I have sent them. . . . . . . 26 But Peter took
him up, saying, Stand up! I also am a man myself. 27 And as he talked
with him, he went in and found many who had come
together. 28 And he said to them, You know that it is an unlawful
thing for a man, a Jew to keep company with or to come near to one of
another nation. But God has shown me not to call any man common or
unclean.
***Galatians 2: 11 But when Peter came to Antioch, I opposed [him] to
his face, because he was to be blamed. 12 For before some came from
James, he ate with the nations/Gentiles. But when they came, he
withdrew and separated himself, fearing those of the circumcision. 1 3
And the rest of the Jews also dissembled with him, so as even Barnabas
was led away with their dissembling. 14 But when I saw that they did
not walk uprightly with the truth
of the gospel, I said to Peter before all, If you, being a Jew, live
as a Gentile, and not as the Jews, why do you compel [the] nations/
Gentile to judaize?
***Acts 16: 3 Paul wanted him to go with him, and taking [him he]
circumcised him , because of the Jews who were in those places; for
they all knew that his father was a Greek. 4 And as they passed
through the cities, they delivered to them the commandments to keep,
th e ones that were ordained by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem.
***Acts 18:18 And Paul having remained many days more, taking leave of
the brothers, he sailed from there into Syria. And Priscilla and
Aquila were with him. And Paul had shorn his head in Cenchrea, for he
had a vow. 19 And he came to Ephesus and left them there. But he
himself entered into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. 20 And
they asking [him] to stay a longer time with them, he did not consent
21 but took leave of them, saying, I must by all means keep this feast
that is coming in Jerusalem , but I will return again to you, God
willing. And he sailed from Ephesus.
DO YOU REALLY THINK THE CHURCH WAS DIVIDED IN THE BOOK OF
ACTS, WITH ONLY THE BELIEVING JEWS KEEPING THE SINAI LAW?
CONTINUED
***Acts 21:18 And on the next [day] Paul went with us to James. And
all the elders were
present. 19 And having greeted them, he related one by one what things
God had done
among the nations by his ministry. 20 And hearing, they glorified the
Lord, and said to
him, You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are who
believe, and they are
all zealous of the law. 21 And they are informed concerning you, that
you teach all the
Jews who are among the nations to forsake Moses, saying that they
ought not to
circumcise [their] children, nor to walk after the customs. 22 What
is it therefore? At all
events a multitude will come together, for they will hear that you
have come. 23
Therefore do this, what we say to you: We have four men who have a vow
on themselves;
24 taking them, be purified with them , and be at expense for them, so
that they may
shave [their] heads. And all may know that what they have been told
about you is
nothing, but you yourself also walk orderly and keep the Law. 25 And
as to the nations
who believe, we joined in writing, judging them to observe no such
things, except only
that they keep themselves from both idol sacrifice, and blood, and a
thing strangled, and
[from] fornication. 26 Then taking the men on the next day, being
purified with them,
Paul went into the temple, declaring the fulfillment of the days of
the purification,
until an offering should be offered for each of them.
[ Doesn't this mean that the marriage and morality teachings
of 1 Thess. 4 ; Romans 7; 1 Corinthians 5, 6 and 7, which
were written before the time of Acts 21:16 while Paul
and the believing Jews, including the apostles, were
still obeying and teaching the marriage and morality
laws of the Law of Moses, discussed at length above
including polygyny ? Doesn't that mean that all of their terms and
definitions were in harmony and accord with the Law of Moses, which
the apostles were still keeping since they were believing Jews? Isn't
it amazing that when God made up and gave all the exhaustive lists of
sins, both in the Sinai Law and in the New Testament, He never
included polygyny? If He made sure to condemn sodomy, pederastery,
homosexuality, lesbianism, incest, adultery and fornication, then why
didn't He also make sure to condemn polygyny, if it is the sin that
some say it is?] So we see Paul, the Apostle of Grace to we non-Jews,
purify himself with four other Christian Jews under a vow, pay the
expenses of their being under the vow including the shaving of their
heads, and have an offering offered for them all so that he could show
the believing Jews that he walked orderly, keeping the Sinai Law and
its customs and telling the believing Jews to circumcize their
children and walk in Moses' customs. These
customs of Moses included the laws given to Moses regulating and
recognizing polygyny. So the apostles and believing Jews were still
keeping the Law, not for salvation, but to obey Jesus in Mat. 23:1-3,
and still they do not condemn or reject the polygyny being practiced
all around them by both Jews and Romans
WHY DON'T THE BELIEVING GENTILES/NONJEWS OF TODAY STILL KEEP THE LAW
OF MOSES, WITH ITS PROVISIONS FOR POLYGYNY?
***AB Acts 15:13When they had finished talking, James replied,
Brethren, listen to me 14Simeon [Peter] has rehearsed how God first
visited the Gentiles, to take out of them a people [to bear and honor]
His name. 15And with this the predictions of the prophets agree, as it
is written, 16After this I will come back, and will rebuild the house
of David, which has fallen; I will rebuild its [very] ruins, and I
will set it up again, 17So that the rest of men may seek the Lord, and
all the Gentiles upon whom My name has been invoked, 18Says the
Lord, Who has been making these things known from the beginning of the
world. 19Therefore it is my opinion that we should not put
obstacles in the way of and annoy and disturb those of the Gentiles
who turn to God, 20But we should send word to them in writing to
abstain from and avoid anything that has been polluted by being
offered to idols, and all sexual impurity, and [eating meat of
animals] that have been strangled, and [tasting of] blood. 21For from
ancient generations Moses has had his preachers in every town, for he
is read [aloud] every Sabbath in the synagogues. 22Then the apostles
and the elders, together with the whole church, resolved to select men
from among their number and send them to Antioch with Paul and
Barnabas. They chose Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, [both] leading
men among the brethren, and sent them. 23With [them they sent] the
following letter: The brethren, both the apostles and the elders, to
the brethren who are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia,
greetings: 24As we have heard that some persons from our number
have disturbed you with their teaching, unsettling your minds and
throwing you into confusion, although we gave them no express orders
or instructions [on the points in question], 25It has been resolved
by us in assembly to select men and send them [as messengers] to you
with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, 26Men who have hazarded their
lives for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27So we have sent Judas
and Silas, who themselves will bring you the same message by word of
mouth. 28For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to
lay upon you any greater burden than these indispensable
requirements: 29That you abstain from what has been sacrificed to
idols and from [tasting] blood and from [eating the meat of animals]
that have been strangled and from sexual impurity. If you keep
yourselves from these things, you will do well. Farewell [be
strong]! . . . . . . . . . 21:19After saluting them, Paul gave a
detailed account of the things God had done among the Gentiles through
his ministry. 20And upon hearing it, they adored and exalted and
praised and thanked God. And they said to [Paul], You see, brother,
how many thousands of believers there are among the Jews, and all of
them are enthusiastic upholders of the [Mosaic] Law. 21Now they have
been informed about you that you continually teach all the Jews who
live among the Gentiles to turn back from and forsake Moses, advising
them not to circumcise their children or pay any attention to the
observance of the [Mosaic] customs. 22What then [is best that] should
be done? A multitude will come together, for they will surely hear
that you have arrived. 23Therefore do just what we tell you. With
us are four men who have taken a vow upon themselves. 24Take these men
and purify yourself along with them and pay their expenses [for the
temple offering], so that they may have their heads shaved. Thus
everybody will know that there is no truth in what they have been told
about you, but that you yourself walk in observance of the Law. 25But
with regard to the Gentiles who have believed (adhered to, trusted in,
and relied on Christ), we have sent them a letter with our decision
that they should keep themselves free from anything that has been
sacrificed to idols and from [tasting] blood and [eating the meat of
animals] which have been strangled and from all impurity and sexual
immorality.
In fact, it is not until after Acts 22 that the Spirit has Paul
confirm in writing the confirmation of this Spirit led decision of the
Apostles by writing the following about the uncircumcised GENTILES,
those believers who are not Jewish:
***DBY+ AB EPHES. 2: 11Therefore, remember that at one time you were
GENTILES(heathens, NOT JEWS) in the flesh, called UNCIRCUMCISION by
those who called themselves Circumcision, [itself a mere mark] in the
flesh made by human hands. 12 [Remember] that you were at that time
separated (living apart) from Christ, utterly estranged and outlawed
from the rights of ISRAEL as a nation, and strangers with no share in
the sacred compacts of the [Messianic] promise. And you had no hope
(no promise); you were in the world without God. 13But now in Christ
Jesus, you who once were [so] far away, through (by, in) the blood of
Christ have been brought near.14 ¶ For *He* is our peace, who has made
both one, and has broken down the middle wall of enclosure, 15 having
annulled the enmity in His flesh, the law of commandments in
ordinances, that He might form the two in Himself into one new man,
making peace; 16 and might reconcile both in one body to God by the
cross, having by it slain the enmity; 17 and, coming, He has preached
the glad tidings of peace to you who were afar off, and the glad
tidings of peace to those who were nigh.
***DBY+AB COLOS. 2:11In Him also you were circumcised with a
circumcision not made with hands, but in a [spiritual] circumcision
[performed by] Christ by stripping off the body of the flesh (the
whole corrupt, carnal nature with its passions and lusts). 12[Thus
even though you were uncircumcised in the flesh you were circumcised
in the Spirit when] you were buried with Him in baptism, in which you
were also raised with Him [to a new life] through [your] faith in the
working of God [as displayed] when He raised Him up from the dead.13*
¶ And you, being dead in offences and IN THE UNCIRCUMCISION OF YOUR
FLESH, He has quickened together with Him, having forgiven us all the
offences; 14* having effaced the handwriting in ordinances which stood
out against us, which was contrary to us, He has taken it also out of
the way, having nailed it to the cross; 15 having spoiled
principalities and authorities, He made a show of them publicly,
leading them in triumph by it.
16* ¶ Let none therefore judge you in meat or in drink, or in matter
of feast, or new moon, or sabbaths, 17 which are a shadow of things to
come; but the body is of Christ.
***DBY 2 PETER 3:14 Wherefore, beloved, as ye wait for these things,
be diligent to be found of him in peace, without spot and blameless;
15 and account the longsuffering of our Lord to be salvation;
according as our beloved brother Paul also has written to you
according to the wisdom given to him, 16* as also in all his epistles,
speaking in them of these things; among which some things are hard to
be understood, which the untaught and ill-established wrest, as also
the other scriptures, to their own destruction.
SNIP
THE WHOLE FILE IS FOUND IN THE FILES SECTION OF
http://groups.google.com/group/BiblicalChristianPolygamyPolygyny
OR
http://BiblicalChristianPolygamyPolygyny.googlegroups.com/web/MarDivorRemarPoly0509.html?gda=7RoM30wAAABLtWnutB88kCvOk6Rz4cboDgdekP0lJutwDUWSpVOQJn9-hibd_gzKpBT1BLLWJ59TGJH13uUNRYD8tv0jjfgj_Vpvmo5s1aABVJRO3P3wLQ&gsc=iICIYBYAAAA6sQFK9DlRf_tiMFXGu66Mn_jru2-fVACx0Irg8SkaKg
David Weinshenker
> Dear Group Members,
> I humbly offer my sincerest apologies for not correcting a serious
> error in my key file, MarDivorRemarPoly0509.html, found in the Files
> section of this group.
>
> THE WHOLE FILE IS FOUND IN THE FILES SECTION OF
> http://groups.google.com/group/BiblicalChristianPolygamyPolygyny
Well, OK, but why are you posting this to the "alt.polyamory" newsgroup
on USENET instead of the "BiblicalChristianPolygamyPolygyny" mailing list
on Google Groups?
This sort of thing makes it seem like you are trying to do a thinly
disguised spam for this G.G. mailing list, except there would be no
need to do that: it's not like you're pushing the latest virus
enlargement pill from the microsoft canadian discount software
pharmacy or anything...!
If you wanted to just post a message here about this
"BiblicalChristianPolygamyPolygyny" list, that would
not have been inherently objectionable: announcements
of internet resources of potential interest to the
newsgroup are considered on-topic, as far as that goes.
(I don't know how many takers you'll get for the "Biblical
Christian" part, around here, but some might be interested:
it would be uncharitable of me to assume that nobody would.)
-dave w