Yahoo Answer to: Is it time to bring back biblical patriarchy where a man was head of the house and could have several wives?

I answered this question at Yahoo Answers, and thought I'd post it here as well.  Truthfully, I don't think people ask questions over there out of a sincere desire to know, but to simply waste time asking questions.

Anyway, I won "Best answer', which means exactly nothing.

Is it time to bring back biblical patriarchy where a man was head of the house and could have several wives?

Biblical Patriarchs with multiple wives already exist. Is it time for society today to accept that? Yes, it would be nice, but I don't see it happening any time soon, not until an Isaiah 4:1 type event takes place, at which time society and it's opinions on the matter will both cease to be factors. Until that time, however, what we currently experience is more akin to society AND the State "Forbidding to marry....." (1Ti 4:3 KJV)"

To reply to that last statement by noting that people are allowed to engage in monogamous marriage (and serial polygyny) today misses the fact that, according to Scripture, we find no distinction between marriage to one woman and marriage to multiple women; it's simply called marriage, and so Biblical marriage is, in fact, being forbidden today.

That point being made, let us now acknowledge that there are certain patriarchal peoples or groups who seek to have polygyny decriminalized by the State, and that's probably a better way to approach the question at this point since these people already exist. Should it be decriminalized? To answer that question either way assumes that the State -which is the agency that sanctions and presides over marriage contracts in secular society, and has made Biblical marriage (polygyny) verboten- actually had the right or authority to forbid it in the first place, or to even be involved. We have no evidence of that from Scripture. Therefore decriminalization is a fruitless pursuit. Likewise, the institutional church doesn't have any authority or power to "make a marriage", not according to Scripture. God alone does; Full Stop. Refer to Matthew 19:6, and then dig a little deeper if so inclined.

The church can certainly perform some sort of marriage ritual without State sanctioning [addendum:  and quickly be in jeopardy of losing it's 501c3 tax exempt status granted to it by the State], but it would not be a recognized "legal" marriage contract in any secular court, and it's most certainly not required by God's Law to make a marriage a "marriage." Interestingly enough, both Scripture and the State do agree as to the one essential element that constitutes marriage, and that, my friends, is the act of becoming "one flesh" or "consummation." Everything else is pomp and circumstance.

In conclusion I would say that yes, it is indeed time for men to return to a Biblical model of family life, however unlikely that might be, and would note that the biblical model includes the possibility of doing so with a plurality of wives. Incidentally, it's also time to end the "unholy prudery" surrounding it.