Mark 10:11 and Polygyny

There are those among us that would have you believe that Mark 10:11 is Scriptural evidence of polygamy being sinful. The basic thinking behind this is that Biblical Marriage (polygyny) is tantamount to adultery.  This is a very common misconception (if not purposeful misinterpretation), and is a result of applying modern definitions to Biblical concepts.  Also, it stems from a desire to re-make the image of God into a modern equalitarian, like most christians are themselves today, and who determine for themselves waht is good, and what is evil.  Thus, the battle cry rings out:  "If God doesn't allow women to have multiple husbands, then God cannot allow men to have a multiple wives."  This position is wrong, and Mark 10:11 has nothing whatsoever to do with Biblical Plural Marraige.

Jesus said in Mark 10:11 "And he saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her. "

Additionally, let us include (Mat 19:9 KJV):

 And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.

A commentor provides their own personal commentary on Mark 10:11.

Jesus very clearly says that every man who puts away his wife commits adultery when he marries another woman (any woman, not only a married woman).

If according to Jesus a man commits adultery if he is divorced or separated from his first wife and he marries another woman, how much more!!! he commits adultery when he takes another woman to be his wife while he is still married!!!

No , you read this wrong and apply very poor logic.  What Jesus said, very clearly, was "Whosoever SHALL PUT AWAY his wife, AND marry another, committeth adultery against her."  The Gospel of Matthew adds "except it be for fornication" in two separate places, which is significant, because it stands in opposition to your point that Jesus said a man "commits adultery if he is divorced or separated from his first wife."  This would be true if he divorces his wife WITHOUT CAUSE.   There is no indication whatsoever that a man who remains married to the wife of his youth (for example)AND marries another is committing adultery.  In fact, God's law allows for this, as we all well know. 

If he take him another wife; her food, her raiment, and her duty of marriage, shall he not diminish. (Exo 21:10 KJV)

The commentor is simply adding things to Scripture that are not there.  The problem that women tend to have with God's Law-Word in this particular regard is that they lack faith and trust in their husbands (or future husbands) and fear that their husbands will become like the Pharisees who discarded old wives on a whim.  They think they might have something to lose should their husband take another wife, and have not, in effect, heeded the words of Peter, who said: 

Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement. (1Pe 3:6 KJV)

But, let us recall the context in Mark chapter 10, because it also treats the argument that God's Law-Word is not valid, that it was done away with by Jesus Christ, and that it was a curse to the people of the Old Testament, which is an idea I find blasphemous. Why?

The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. (Psa 19:7 KJV)

Amen!

Jesus was approached by the Pharisees in Mark 10:2 because they were interested in tempting him, not because they earnestly sought his wisdom.  Those Jews had a nasty habit of tempting Jesus, and they did so because they wanted very much to accuse him of either of two things:  

• Abrogating God's Law-Word, i.e Mosaic Law.  Why?  Because Jesus could then be discredited as a false prophet according to Deuteronomy 13:3, the penalty for which was death.  See, one of the tests of a false prophet is that they attempt to turn you away from the commandments of God.  "...because he hath spoken to turn you away from the LORD your God."

Witness:

3 Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the LORD your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
 4 Ye shall walk after the LORD your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him.
 5 And that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death; because he hath spoken to turn you away from the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, to thrust thee out of the way which the LORD thy God commanded thee to walk in. So shalt thou put the evil away from the midst of thee. {to turn...: Heb. revolt against the LORD}
 (Deu 13:3-5 KJV)

• They were equally interested in tricking Jesus into placing God's Law-Word above Roman law, so that they could accuse him in Roman court and have the Roman authorities take care of this rabble-rousing Jesus.  This is simplified, but should be sufficient at this time to make the point.  See Mark 12:13-17 for an example of this tactic. 

In the end, the Jews were unsuccessful in either approach and had to resort to lies, manipulation of public opinion, and political pressure to acheive the desire result.  Sound familiar?  Lies and deception are two well known hallmarks of Ha-Satan.

KJV  Mark 10:2 And <2532> the Pharisees <5330> came to him <4334> (5631), and asked <1905> (5656) him <846>, Is it <1487> lawful <1832> (5748) for a man <435> to put away <630> (5658) his wife <1135>? tempting <3985> (5723) him <846>. (Mar 10:2 KJV)

Refer to Matt. 12:10; Mk. 3:2; Lk. 3:14; 11:54; 23:2,14; Jn. 5:45; 8:6. for more examples.

Of particular (if secondary) interest in all of this is the fact that the Jews repeatedly acted as tempters and accusers.  Again, does that sound familiar? These are the very same actions of Satan in the New Testament.   The Satan, or Ha-Satan is traditionally translated as “the accuser,” or “the adversary” in Hebrew.

Incidentally, have you ever had anyone ask you a question they already knew the answer to?   It happened to Jesus quite a few times in Scripture.  Here's an example.

"And the Pharisees came to him, and asked him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife? tempting him." (Mar 10:2 KJV)

What is the point?  That the Jews were testing Jesus's position on God's Law-Word, specifically about divorce and remarriage as found in Deuteronomy 24:1-4 KJV.

KJV  Deuteronomy 24:1 When a man hath taken a wife, and married her, and it come to pass that she find no favour in his eyes, because he hath found some uncleanness in her: then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and send her out of his house. {some...: Heb. matter of nakedness} {divorcement: Heb. cutting off}
 2 And when she is departed out of his house, she may go and be another man's wife.
 3 And if the latter husband hate her, and write her a bill of divorcement, and giveth it in her hand, and sendeth her out of his house; or if the latter husband die, which took her to be his wife;
 4 Her former husband, which sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife, after that she is defiled; for that is abomination before the LORD: and thou shalt not cause the land to sin, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.

Side Note*  Matthew 4:23 and Matthew 19:9 indicate that a wife can be divorced for "sexual immorality" but this is interesting because

"sexual immorality" or "fornication" is not adultery.  God's law required the death penalty for adultery.  How can a wife commit fornication and NOT commit adultery? 

The Jews had developed a habit of interpreting Scripture according to the wicked desires of their own hard hearts, and could potentially find fault with a wife for burning the toast or putting the toilet paper on the roll backwards, and they used Deuteronomy 24:1 as justification for disposing of the wife.  This was wrong.  It violated God's Law-Word, and indicated a static, legalistic approach to God's Law-Word that completely lacked any Spirit.

What Jesus said in Mark 10:11 is that any man who does this without cause, i.e. without it being for sexual immorality, causes his wife to commit adultery if she goes to another man (and most women would), just as he says in Matthew 5:32 KJV:

 But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.

See, the woman is caused to commit adultery by going to another man, and the new man commits adultery by taking another man's wife who was divorced without cause.  This is no way has anything to do at all with plural marriage.  Biblical Marriage is just, and right, and true, and it blessed by God.

To use Mark 10:11 as justification for the hatred and persecution of Biblical Marriage is really an outward manifestation of a wicked, selfish heart that is in rebellion to God and God's revealed, unchanging and pefect Law-Word.

Jesus said that our righteousness must EXCEED that of the Pharisees.  The Pharisees had the written law, but it was obvious they didn't have that law written on their hearts.  See, God's Law-Word is law in principle, but the Pharises were not willing to apply it in principle, they wanted to use it to their own selfish ends.  Not so for us!  We are supposed to exceed, or go beyond the righteousness thereof, but we cannot have the Spirit of a law without the letter also.

 7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. {lust: or, concupiscence} (Rom 7:7 KJV)

The law of God is not sin and neither is it a curse, but ti does indeed contain curses for those who fail to obey.  To deny this and to play the legalist makes us no better than the Pharisee.  Indeed, it makes us worse!  And this is the reason I refer to most New Testament only 'christians' as Neo-Pharisees, whose only real law seems to be "Thou shalt dare not to follow the Law-Word of God!"

To quote Gary North:

If the modern church were honest,. it would rewrite one of the popular hymns of our day: “O, how hate I thy law, O, how hate I thy law. It is my consternation all the day.” But the modern church, hating God’s revealed law with all its Egyptian heart, is inherently dishonest. It is self-deceived, having no permanent ethical standards to use as an honest mirror. The hearer of the word who refuses to obey, James says, is like a man who beholds his face in a looking glass, walks away, “and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was” (James 1: 24b). The modern Christian refuses even to pick up the mirror of God’s law and look.

Tools of Dominion, Page 1