Re: [UUPoly-L] New Testament and polygamy

["Michael Rios" <earthfather@cfnc.us>]

> -----Original Message-----
> From:JasmineGld@aol.com
> 
> I just learned something fascinating, indirectly from the  
> Nightline comments. The part I already knew: the instruction 
> in 1 Timothy and  Titus prohibiting multiple wives is 
> directed to the elders or deacons --  church leadership. It 
> does not apply to general followers of the church.  
> 
> The part I just learned: the "one wife" restriction had the 
> effect  of protecting the church from a takeover of all the 
> church  leadership by the wealthiest men. Wealthy men could 
> afford multiple wives.  Poor men could afford only one wife 
> at most. So the "one wife" restriction was  a double win for 
> the church. It ensured that men of different income levels  
> would be needed to fill leadership roles, and it ensured that 
> any wealthy man  who made the cut was sincerely dedicated to 
> the church enough to forego  willingly his right to multiple 
> wives. This had the effect of weeding out  wealthy men who 
> were looking for power, without saying it out loud. Not at 
> all  unlike the maneuvers churches use today to keep an 
> unwanted person off a  committee without telling them to their face. 
> 
> Nevertheless, the "one wife for elders" rule can be 
> understood as a social justice action addressing classism. Or 
> as simple protection for the integrity of  church leadership, 
> in which addressing classism was an unintended benefit. 

There was another factor as well.  The early church's view of marriage was
that it was a "necessary evil".  Paul at one point famously said that it is
"Better to marry than to burn."  (burn = be tortured).  Hardly a ringing
endorsement of the institution.  

At another point, Paul recommends staying unmarried, because an unmarried
man can spend his energy trying to please God, but a married man spends all
his energy trying to please his wife!    :-)

(This also gives an interesting perspective on the power that women *did*
have, even in a patriarchal culture.)

So having a wife was seen as taking a lot of a man's time, and someone with
more than one wife would be *way* too busy to be of much use as a church
official.

Michael Rios