The following is challenging information explaining what Scripture actually says regarding marriage and some commonly held doctrines and traditions. Please do not proceed without a desire to know and accept the truth of God’s Word.

My prayer for you:

Abba Father, I ask for YOU, our gentle Shepherd, to guide and instruct by Your Ruach (Holy Spirit) all who proceed beyond this point. Bring correction, conviction, comfort and healing through this bumpy ride of challenging the idol of certain paradigms. May You work in us to restore kol Israel according to YOUR everlasting and unchanging WORD.

B’shem Yeshua Meshichaynu, Amein!

And, a reminder that the Word does teach some hard things and there are those who turn back. Be not one of them….

John 6:60 & 66 Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it? ….. From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.

When I originally began this blog in January 2013, I did so because the Father had been teaching me a number of things from His Word that Christendom did not believe. For the last five and a half years, I have written, and will continue to write on the main blog, about those things. I had prayed one of those seemingly innocuous prayers at my desk saying, “God, I just want to know truth. I don’t care what it costs.”

Well, this blog is the result of that because the truths He taught cost my family and me a great deal. Most friends and much family abandoned us as we began to keep the Seventh-day Sabbath, the Feasts of the Lord and eat a Biblically clean diet. I was pretty quickly kicked out of the pulpit I was pastoring and almost all of the network of fellowship we had enjoyed for years evaporated. Over time, the Father replaced all of those relationships with near and dear friends and new family who the Father also challenged in a similar journey.

Over the years, the Father has continued to teach me truth from His Word, often very uncomfortable truth because it is so radically opposed to the religious systems of today.

Over the course of the last four years, He has challenged me repeatedly to study and understand His ways regarding marriage and the Biblical family. What does HE think and teach in His Word? Along the way I have spent countless hours reading not only His Word, but digging into church history, Greek and Roman history as well as reading the books and writings of numerous contemporaries who have been similarly challenged by our Father. I have spent time with many Godly people who walk in the ways of the King and counter to the cultural ideas of ‘Christian marriage.’

While I am not going to spell out my conclusions, I will share a number of quality resources. I will also state very clearly that when Christians fight for “traditional marriage” it is because most do not understand or do not care to understand “Biblical marriage.” (When they say ‘traditional marriage’ they KNOW it is tradition!) The really sad part is that there are many pastors and Christian leaders that do know the truths that follow, but out of fear – fear of their wives, fear of men, fear of loss of income or fear of losing their position and influence – they will never have the spine to stand for the truth of what God’s Word actually teaches. They will be held accountable!!

I do not think myself fearless. Indeed, daring to post this is fear inducing, but I prefer truth over the accolades of men. I desire the total restoration of God’s People and His Ways and am willing to pay the price. If “friends” separate over this truth, then they were simply fair-weather, only they now carry the guilt of judging God, His Word, His prophets and patriarchs as well as His people. Learning and knowing what follows requires acceptance of God’s truth and all who walk in it even if you personally are never called to the fullness of what Scripture allows.

The first two articles I wrote as I was learning and processing Biblical marriage led to a considerable amount of consternation and backlash. While I know and understand more today than at that time, I fully support and expand on what I have written. Those articles are:

Marriage, Adultery and Christian Error….

Does God Have Two Brides??

The bottom-line, as shared in those two simple articles, is that it is acceptable before God for a man to have more than one wife. Yep, you read that correctly. Scripture clearly teaches that it is acceptable for a man to have more than one wife. Period. Full stop.

Before adding crazy comments and sharing what you don’t know from Scripture, you need to read and process a number of the articles and resources presented. Inflammatory or wild-eyed knee-jerk comments will simply be deleted and you risk being blocked from posting on this site.

I, along with my family, have already paid the lion’s share of the price for trusting the Word of God over the traditions of men. This is a gut-wrenching paradigm-shift that will test you with a fire that is entirely unknown to all but the most persecuted. Still, truth is TRUTH. I dare not shrink back.

Here are a number of resources worthy of your time to understand God’s Word. I have written or influenced NONE of these. They are here to demonstrate that I am not crazy and that the Father is doing something in our day! Further, they articulate from various perspectives, both genders, laypersons as well as seminary professors that God’s Word has not changed!

Again, I pray,

Abba Father, I ask for YOU, our gentle Shepherd to guide and instruct by Your Ruach (Holy Spirit) all who proceed beyond this point. Bring correction, conviction, comfort and healing through this bumpy ride of challenging the idol of certain paradigms. May You work in us to restore kol Israel according to YOUR everlasting and unchanging WORD.

B’shem Yeshua Meshichaynu, Amein!

Now, put your big boy/girl undies on, buckle your seatbelt and begin to read. The first listed are free online resources that I have written or saved to my blog for you to read, print, process or even pass along. The last article is available at bible.org, all remaining links are to books, YouTube videos and other resources.

After significant study, my clearly state conclusion and how this topic relates to every believer is written below the following resources. Blessings.

Biblical Plural Marriages by Amanda Boyd

Solid and well articulated 47 page response to some religious leaders in her group that spoke against God’s Word. Highly recommended. Lay-person. Ignore a few spelling and grammatical errors.

Marriage in the Bible, by Steve Bearsley

Short 12 page paper that is a concise presentation, however does not delve into some of the concerns or false counter arguments.

Polygyny According to the Word of Yehovah by E Boyd and Kendra Daniels

Recently improved and updated, this very well articulated 51 page paper goes verse by verse through Scripture demonstrating the Truth of God’s Word. The authors share some of their personal story as well as benefits of this Biblical lifestyle. Very highly recommended.

Marriage from the Bible Alone by Samuel Dennis

Excellent general article on marriage from Scripture. Samuel Dennis does a fine job of addressing multiple related topics in short fashion laying a foundation for further study. He has a section on divorce, remarriage and concubines. The reader will be much better prepared to understand Scripture after reading this 20 page offer.

Hit Me With Your Best Shot by Mark C

Short 7 page paper addressing some concerns and pointing to unassailable truth from Scripture.

Why Poly? Why Now? by Peter Rambo

A short paper offering a few thoughts on why this subject is coming to the fore in both Christian and Hebrew roots circles. It is a work in progress that will grow as I have time to process more thoughts, add details and gather more information.

Polygyny at the Time of Yeshua and the Second Temple

Comments on and citations from a research paper by Adiel Schremer regarding the practice of polygyny among Jews during and after the Second Temple period. Enlightening resource.

Does God HATE women? by Pete Rambo

A common misconception, whether implied or spoken is that God’s unequal treatment of men and women is because He is a misogynist and hates women. Is that real a fair assessment, or, does God have a very clear purpose for why He appears to treat the gender roles differntly?

Paul’s Perspective on Polygyny

Is it possible Paul has been mistranslated and misunderstood because his writings are approached with a bias he himself did not have? Consider evidence that Christendom is wrong in its current tradition, something not embraced until around 600 CE.

Jesus’ Perspective on Polygyny

For centuries a primary defense of monogamy-only is Yeshua’s citation of Genesis 2:24 in His address of divorce in Matthew 19. Might there be more to the story? Is He overturning accepted doctrine and vilifying the Patriarchs? Or, are we assuming something that is anathema to Him and His adherence to the Torah?

14. On the Morality of Biblical Polygyny by William Luck

The 14th appendix from The Rev. William F. Luck, Sr.’s book Divorce and Remarriage; Recovering the Biblical View (Harper & Row). He is a former Professor of Bible and Theology at the Moody Bible Institute. He earned a MA in Philosophy of Religion at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He earned an MDiv (and post-graduate work in historical theology) at McCormick Theological Seminary. After working for several years with Probe Ministries of Dallas, lecturing on major university campuses around the country, He was invited to teach at Moody where, for over a decade, he taught Bible and theology, including apologetics, Biblical ethics, Church history and the history of Christian thought. Credentials continued here…

The Great Omission: Christendom’s Abandonment of the Biblical Family by Clyde Pilkington

Excellent book, 20 years in the making, that is extremely well researched with dozens of citations in each chapter proving the Great Omission of Christendom: Abandonment of the Biblical Family. Pilkington candidly exposes the utter disregard the Church has had for women and their care according to Biblical provision. Must read if you want to understand why marriage in the Church resembles the world instead of Scripture. 200pgs. Extensive bibliography.

After Polygamy Was Made A Sin by John Cairncross

A fascinating look into the strong underground polygynous Christian tradition, Cairncross’ After Polygamy Was Made A Sin, The Social History of Christian Polygamy, takes an in-depth historical and at times critical look at the practice. He demonstrates that Christendom’s seeming monolithic history of ‘monogamy-only’ is far from truth, rather, monogamy as a rule comes straight out of Romanism. The value of his work is that is identifies and highlights errors made by the movement at different junctures while generally being persecuted to the extreme in many circumstances. Highly recommended addition to your library, however, you may need to hunt for this somewhat rare volume. Occasionally, patriarchpublishinghouse.com has reprint copies on hand, or search Amazon.com.

The Biblical Case Against Polygyny and a Biblical Response by Dr. William Luck, Sr.

Available only on Kindle (to my knowledge), this excellent and thorough work by Dr. William Luck, Sr., interacts with and disassembles the leading anti-polygyny scholars in Christendom. Dr. Luck demonstrates from Scripture the theological errors, inconsistencies, and logical fallacies of various men who have published against Christian polygyny from a supposed ‘Biblical perspective.’ A medium length read that is a classic takedown, Dr. Luck’s frustration with their errors, falsehoods, and misrepresentations is palpable. Excellent resource that should be followed on by his very thorough Divorce and Remarriage (3rd Ed.): Recovering a Biblical View.

Eros Made Sacred by James Wesley Stivers

In 78 short pages, Stivers clearly and concisely make the case for re-examining what the Bible actually says about the family unit and how proper implementation will return God’s people to Biblical truth, power and blessing. In a closing chapter he shares an essay that shows the conceptual connection between monogamy, feminism and witchcraft. Terrific introductory book.

The Monogamy Lie by Maurice Nelson

From Amazon: “Western societies have been subjected to institutional indoctrination leading us to believe that anyone who dares to love more than one person at a time is doing something evil. Could this all be a lie? Why do men cheat? Maybe it is because they are fighting their very nature with every passing day. Are men morally weak or are they incredibly strong in attempts to overcome the way they are designed by Nature and Nature’s God? The Bible proves, beyond any doubt, that God never meant for men to be limited to only one wife. The Bible contains 36 named polygynists. But the real shocker is that Bible actually contains words where God declares himself a polygynist as does Jesus.” Kindle book that is a comprehensive though abbreviated look at every example from Scripture as well as solid assertions and conclusions.

Evaluating Western Christianity’s Interpretation Of Biblical Polygamy by Lauren Heiligenthal

Heiligenthal does an amazing job of exposing the untold damage Western Christian missionaries have done to African culture by enforcing monogamy as the Biblical standard when Scripture never does. Poverty, prostitution and orphans are the result of the Western monogamy-only policy that has been enforced. Heartbreaking read that supports the conclusions of Pilkington’s Great Omission, listed above. 79pgs.

Man and Woman in Biblical Law by Tom Shipley

The largest and most detailed book in this list, this is a compilation of a series of articles Shipley wrote over several years. Each article is a short read that is heavy on meat and light on fluff. He begins by demonstrating from Scripture the proper roles and relationships between man and woman according to Scripture. He then invests many pages on a detailed look and commentary on every example God provides for us of a plural marriage. The book wraps up with a number of appendices directly addressing multiple theologians and their errors regarding Scriptural interpretation on the subject matter. Solid body of work! 260+ pgs. Must have in any library for multiple reasons!

Thelyphthora by Reverend Martin Madan (edited by Don Milton)

This is Volume 1 of 3 volumes. In 1780, the most famous clergyman in the world (Martin Madan) published a book which shook the Christian world. In the book he discussed polygamy and monogamy in great detail and defended polygamy. This is the first volume of that book. It contains one of the most comprehensive discussions of polygamy you will ever read. Because of the publication of this book, the so called men of God in seminaries have erased Martin Madan from their accounts of the great evangelists, philanthropists, and composers of the Eighteenth Century. You may now read what has been censored for the last 228 years. This book covers the subjects of Marriage, Adultery, Whoredom, Polygamy, Fornication, Divorce

A History and Philosophy of Marriage by James Campbell (1869)

Previously only available on this site as a free pdf, I am happy to state that I found the book in reprint with Patriarch Publishing House. An amazing book with statistical information from Massachusetts in the 1860s as well excellent arguments from Scripture, history, and natural law, Campbell demonstrates yet again that the mainstream traditional view of marriage by Christendom is just that, tradition. It is nowhere rooted in Scripture or the history of Israel. In fact, it is not even rooted in Christendom, rather in Greco-Romanism absorbed by Christendom. Campbell’s work is as cutting edge today as it was 150 years ago. Add this hardcopy to your shelf and highlight copiously!

Prince of Sumba by Don Milton

Written as a fictional novel that weaves one fact from history after another into the story-line, this well footnoted tale is a nicely researched resource that exposes Christianity’s intentional masking of the truths in Scripture concerning marriage. Did you know that modern hymnbooks and many tunes contained therein came from Martin Madan, contemporary and close friend of Charles Wesley? Want to know why history erased this great preacher from history as if he never existed? Or maybe you are curious why Wesley’s grandson, Samuel Sebastian Wesley, author of The Church’s One Foundation Is Jesus Christ Her Lord, is oft remembered but his polygamist father, Samuel Wesley, is never mentioned? Or, the fact that Samuel Sebastian was born to Sarah Suter, his father’s second wife? Or maybe you have never heard of the great Italian Preacher, Bernardino Ochino of Sienna? Might it be because he dared to write a book about polygyny and he and his family were exiled into the cold in Germany where he died and his name was subsequently erased from history? 334 pgs with hundreds of footnotes, many leading to historical facts you’ve never dared to be exposed to… Truth is dangerous stuff!

How Did Polygamy Become a Sin?

Pastor Daniel Eshun published and excellent book that not only exposes the Greco-Roman root of false ‘traditional’ or ‘monogamy-only’ marriage, but also exposes the great damage

See our Merch stores for fun/funny Biblical Marriage related products!!

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Polygyny Specific Store

this Eurocentric doctrine did to Africa when Western missionaries enforced the doctrine on new converts. While an easy and relatively fast read, this book is an excellent and well researched account of Truth and history in African Christianity. Eshun’s lens provides a unique look into another culture and the importance of teaching what Scripture actually says, not what one culture imposes on another due to imported pagan influence. Highly recommended!!

Biblicalfamilies.org

Online blog and forum for Christian and Hebrew roots believers who share a common understanding from God’s Word regarding the roles and purposes of man and woman. Further the forum is a terrific place for support and question asking/answering as regards Scripture and marriage. Many, many verses and related topics are studied and discussed in depth as well as frank and honest testimonies from people who the Father has led to Biblical truth concerning marriage and how the family is supposed to function. While a major focus of the forum is plural marriage, that is not the only topic. It is, after all, titled Biblical Families.

BiblicalGenderRoles.com

Interesting blog I have recently encountered that explores many topics related to Biblical Marriage. I recommend perusing the ‘Categories’ list. I do not agree with the author’s stance on the Tanak/Old Testament as having limited value, but he does come to many correct conclusions on Biblical Gender Roles. So, chew the meat and spit out the bones…

Conclusion

I want to be clear on a couple matters:

We must accept Biblical truth when presented, whether we like it or not.
We may choose not to personally exercise the options God allows in His Word concerning Biblical marriage, however,
We must accept as brothers and sisters those who choose differently than we do as long as they stay within the boundaries GOD has set, not our traditional or personally comfortable boundaries.

I pray you take the time to read the many resources presented and wrestle with the truth. May Abba guide and strengthen you as you begin a deeper journey into His Word and His Ways.

Shalom!

Additional Resource, besides the YouTube videos below…

To support this work, join us on Patreon!

Additional Free (mostly) Resources

Following is the first part of a nine-part video series by former Moody Bible professor, Dr. William Luck. The whole series is excellent in balance and truth. Highly, highly recommended.

The following video is from Biblical Gender Roles. We may disagree on the place of the Torah in the life of the believer, but he is spot on with his understanding and presentation of why God created gender roles and what they mean. I highly recommend listening to this a couple times.

Refuting 119Ministries’ Polygyny Video

Several months ago, 119Ministries released a video against polygyny. In doing so, they departed from their historically accurate exegesis of the Torah. This paper uses their transcript and responds to each error with truth and correct exegesis of Scripture, both Old and New Testament. They have been made aware of this paper, but have not responded with correction or refutation of the truths contained herein.

The Stations of a Woman

This pdf infographic helps to shed some light on the various Scriptural ‘stations’ of a woman. Visually depicting the differences between covered and uncovered, sexual/non-sexual relationships, wife and concubine, etc., this is a general overview of what many struggle to understand, the various ‘stations’ of a woman in Scripture.

Correctly Understanding Leviticus 18:18

A good friend, Jesse ben Yosef, recently emailed me a paper he and a couple others wrote to refute an incorrect teaching of how Leviticus 18:18 is to be understood. They do an excellent job exposing the fallacies in understanding when the verse is not taken at face value and instead is twisted in an attempt to undermine what Scripture actually teaches on polygyny. I recommend it and hope they author some more pieces.

More on David Wilber’s Suspect Treatment of Lev. 18:18

After rereading Wilber’s article, I considered his conclusion paragraph more closely and realized the grave errors he commits in the process of trying to force a conclusion that is unsupported by Scripture. Poor logic and false conclusions lead to very bad theology which in this case curses Abraham and God Himself. Unfortunately, there are many such articles regarding polygyny that have wildly false conclusions based on bias, bad logic and improperly understood or applied Scripture. This example should serve as a warning to all of us to bring our doctrine into alignment with Scripture instead of desperately trying to bring Scripture into alignment with our (man-made) doctrine.

Dr. Martin Luther’s Authentic Voice On Polygamy

Dr. Nathan R. Jastram, chairman of the Department of Theology at Concordia University, has assembled the 82 known quotes by Dr. Martin Luther regarding polygamy. This article, published originally here, introduces them and then cites in chronological order exactly what Luther has to say. Jastram has a quality introduction as well as comprehensive conclusion section documenting his findings and the related quotes, by number, to support his understanding of Luther’s position. Having personally walked through the fire of taking a public stance on what Scripture actually says regarding polygyny, I understand but do not forgive Luther’s modified stance after 1540 and the Phillip of Hesse furor. Luther’s original position is very consistent with Scripture, though having been seriously tested in the fires of truth and public (false) opinion, he waffled and softened his stance. Luther’s final statements should be understood through the lens of public torment and merciless doctrines of men.

Shame, Reproach and the Image of Marriage

Biblical family structure not only requires understanding the role of men and women in marriage, but it also requires that we understand the plight of unmarried women and their need for ‘covering.’ This six page paper explores the image of marriage between the Messiah and the Congregation as compared to man and woman and demonstrates that just as Israel was in a state of shame and reproach when uncovered, so is woman. Culturally, we must grapple with the shameful condition of ladies who are not covered and we must begin to recognize our responsibility to meet them at their need.

The Patriarch’s Journal

An excellent online journal with periodic newsletters released, you can read The Patriarch’s Journal online or subscribe to have it delivered to your inbox. This is a valuable resource to connect with current articles authored by thinkers from a wide variety of backgrounds within the patriarchal movement. Perspectives come primarily from a mainstream Christian paradigm, but inevitably, the defense for patriarchy comes decidedly from the Torah! Enjoy previous issues linked in their blog, including this one that has an article from our very own, Pete Rambo.