Q. Why are bigamy and polygamy frowned upon today when there were plenty of polygamists in the Bible?  Why the double standard?

The history of marriages recorded in the Bible reflect the complications and often confusion marriages sometimes represent even today.
God’s Standard
God was very careful to provide some basic guidelines and standards for marriage in Genesis 2: 24-25 and then Moses codified some additional standards in Deuteronomy 24:1-4 to clarify marriage and divorce standards for the nation.

Jesus validated and amplified Torah teachings in Matthew 5:31-32, Matthew 19 and Mark 10.

OK, bigamy is strongly condemned through the narrative recorded in Genesis 20. Polygamy is referenced in Gen. 2:24…”Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother, and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” The concept of ‘two becoming one’ is the emphasis.  Jesus mentions this in Matt 19 and Mark 10 and Paul references it in Ephesians 5.

So the standard is clear…no bigamy, no polygamy.  Jesus’ answer to those questioning Him about marriage issues in Matt.19:8 was, “but from the beginning it was not so.” Jesus would point people back to the original standard established in Genesis 2.
Humans’ Sin
So then why did Abraham and the patriarchs and David and Solomon ignore the standard of “oneness” of monogamy. They had their not so legitimate reasons.

Abraham had trust issues.  He was promised a great nation by God (Gen 12:2), but he and his wife were unable to conceive (Gen 15:2). So Abram’s wife Sarai (later Abraham and Sarah) came up with the plan to have Abram take her maid Hagar as a wife to provide an heir.  After Ishmael was born, tension immediately developed between the two women, and Sarah ended up treating Hagar harshly and “and she (Hagar) fled from her presence” (Gen 16:6), to actually and eventually become a separate nation!

Even though Abraham was not directly called out for this disregard for the divine and later biblical standard, the complications of this arrangement, which clearly violated Genesis 2, is inescapable. You will see the same or even a greater level of complications through the life of Jacob, Abraham’s grandson, as his sons conflicted with each other measurably.

David was commanded in Deuteronomy 17:16-17 not to multiply horses, wives, or greatly multiply gold or silver.  He had a least a half dozen wives (isn’t that what kings did…maintain harems?). The conflicts that arose between the children are legend.  One son raping his half sister.  Other sons trying to take over the throne.  The intrigue continued all the way to the coronation of Solomon.

The point is…people violated the standard for marriage…and even though it appeared that heaven remained silent…the consequences demonstrated something else. Remember, the examples of God’s people in the bible (other than Jesus, God himself) are sinners. We see real examples of their sin. Yet another reason the Bible isn’t a man made book…if it were, those godly men would have simply taken out the parts mentioning their rejection of God’s teaching.

Q. How do you know if you’ve forgiven someone? Does feeling pain mean that you haven’t forgiven the person?
What Forgiveness Is
Forgiveness can be a difficult thing not only to do, but to understand.  By way of analogy, it can be seen as the relinquishing of a debt owed to you by someone else.  Often the debt is emotional, as in cases where you have been offended or maligned by someone, and you feel that they should make restitution for their offense.  If you’ve been ignored, you may feel as though the offender should give you recognition.  If you’ve been insulted, you might feel that the offender should give you accolades.  Whatever the case, there is something you feel should be done for you, or on your behalf.

This analogy can apply to our position before God.  All of us enter this world bearing the mark of sin, and because of it, we owe a debt to God which we are incapable of paying (Romans 5:12).  Jesus Christ assumed our collective debt of sin, and made restitution for it by His death on the cross (Isaiah 53:5).  The choice to forgive humanity was strictly by God’s volition.  We could not merit it; we deserve His wrath.  In the same way, when we forgive, it must be an intentional choice, regardless of how ill-deserving we think the offender may be, because that is what God modeled for us.
What It Is Not
It is a mistake to think that forgiveness and emotional healing always go hand in hand.  In fact, there will be cases when forgiveness is offered, but the pain remains.  I may pray for the strength to forgive someone who takes the life of my family member, but it will be a long time before the pain lessens.

That forgiveness is independent of emotion is what makes it so profoundly difficult (because we often think and act based on emotion).  Yet this also makes forgiveness so magnificent.  As we celebrate Easter, we reflect on the resurrection of Jesus, but also on his preceding death when, while hanging on the cross above His executioners, He asks the Father to “forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34).  Jesus felt unimaginable physical and emotional pain, yet pleaded with the Father to grant forgiveness to those who murdered Him.  In the same way, our forgiveness must be intentional, independent of our pain, and modeled after God’s forgiveness of us: “as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive” (Colossians 3:13).

Q. He (Jesus) answered, “Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her. And if she divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery.” Mark 10:11-12

In light of this verse why is it that the church as a whole seems to be so ok with marrying people who have been divorced? How does Aletheia deal with this issue?
This question has brought about much controversy in the church over the years. Once again with a proper Biblical perspective, the answer to a seemingly complicated question becomes very simplistic.

The context of the passage in question, along with other New Testament passages, needs to be comprehensively looked at in order to form a more accurate stance on if divorce is acceptable and if it is, when it is acceptable.
How Is Marriage Defined?
The Bible doesn’t contradict itself so in other words, it won’t say divorce is okay in one verse and then it’s not in another. Marriage, as we see it defined in Genesis chapter 2 by Jesus in the same passage in question (verses 6, 7, and 8 ) is understood as:

1. Marriage is between a man and a woman (two humans of different gender). God didn’t create a bunch of humans in the beginning to all inter-marry with each other and trade up a spouse for another. No, it is meant solely and distinctly for two people.

2. Marriage intends for two people to come together and literally “be joined.” This word means to be glued together. Have you ever used gorilla super glue before? That stuff is not intended to lose it’s adhesiveness ever. The same goes for the marriage union. When a man leaves his mother and father to be joined to his wife, this is meant to be forever.

3. When two people are joined in marriage, they become one flesh. This word one is a compound unity term which signifies singularity within plurality. The same term is used to describe the Lord in Deuteronomy 6:4 and a cluster of grapes in Numbers 13:23.

4. Marriage is brought together by God with a command that it not be messed with. In the same passage verse 9, Jesus says what God has brought together let now man separate. God ordains marriage and therefore it shouldn’t be tampered with by man because God is supreme.
Misinterpreting God’s Word
The Pharisees whom Jesus was directing this answer to were trying to trip Jesus up. They were taking out of context a passage in the Mosaic law (Deut. 24:1-4). That passage recognized the reality of divorce and as we see in Mark 10:4, these Pharisees answer Jesus’ statement of “What did Moses command you?” with “Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce, and to dismiss her.” Moses (through God’s help) knew that divorce was inevitable so the reason for the “certificate” was to protect the woman’s rights within the marriage and to keep things documented. The certificate allowed the woman (or man) to be released from the marriage to be remarried unless the reasons were of an sexually immoral nature.

Obviously Mosaic law taught that immorality within a marriage (adultery) was wrong (Ex 20:14; Lev 20:10). This faction of Pharisees believed that Mosaic law allowed for divorce to take place under any circumstances. They were wrong. Jesus tells them that they are rebellious and proceeds to let them know that divorce is not cool.
What Scripture Says About Divorce
Then, God goes on to use the Biblical writers like Paul to specify the grounds in which divorce is acceptable. It’s not okay under any other circumstance except when a spouse dies (Romans 7:2-3); when there is disloyalty (Matthew 19:9); when there is desertion (1 Cor 7:15). Under these circumstances, a person is allowed to remarry. There is a fourth possibility as well that you can study on your own. 1 Cor. 7:10-11 says “Now to the married I command, yet not I but the Lord: A wife is not to depart from her husband. But even if she does depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband…” This opens the door to a possibility of if a woman is in some type of danger and she has no choice but to leave. For the first three reasons, the Bible says that a person can remarry. The last obviously is clear that the wife cannot remarry if she leaves for that reason.

One more note to point out…why would we apply this teaching to unbelievers also? Unbelievers and their actions aren’t held to the same standard as a believer, before they are a believer. In other words, who are we to say that before a person submitted their life to Christ, and they went through a divorce, but then they became a Christian that now they can’t remarry? 2 Cor 5:17 says “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” Those who are in Christ are held at a different standard, the standard that Jesus and Paul give us in the Bible. We can’t expect unbelievers to be held to that same standard.

Q. What about practicing homosexuals and the church?
I’m not quite sure the specific question being asked here, but let’s be perfectly clear. Homosexuality is a sin.

Paul says plainly  “do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality,” (1 Corinthians 6:9)

As well as here: “the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, 10 the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine” (1 Timothy 1:9-10) Other clear prohibitions of homosexuality can be found here: Leviticus 18:22, 20:13, Romans 1:26-28.

What else do we notice in these passages noted above? Homosexuality is a sin, just like all the other listed sins: murder, lying, perjury, sexual immorality, adultery, idolatry, etc. It is just as horrible in God’s eyes as any other kind of sin you can find in scripture. And like all other sins we can commit, we need forgiveness of it and transformation into a life without that sin.

As for the original question’s mention of a “practicing homosexual” in the church:  if you’re asking are they welcome in church, the answer is a resounding “YES”. The church is a place where sinners can meet together, hear the bible taught and preached, and where we can repent of our sin, ask for forgiveness, trust in Jesus as God, and be changed. It’s no different than the young man who has a struggle with pornography and comes to church. He is a practicing sinner, but that doesn’t mean we kick him out of church. That’s not the point.

What IS the point is that like all other sin, the pattern of a homosexual life (thoughts, desires, actions) needs to be broken. Through Christ’s power that sin can be forgiven and that person can be transformed and given a new heart with new desires.

Q. Matthew 5:17 says “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.”-Jesus.  Does that mean that we should be following old testament law?  There is a lot of crazy stuff on the OT like you are supposed to stone your wife if you find out she’s not a virgin on your wedding night Deuteronomy 22:20 and also there is random stuff like “Do not mate different kinds of animals. Do not plant your field with two kinds of seed. Do not wear clothing woven of two kinds of material.” Leviticus 19:19.  But then of course there are certain old laws that the early church decides no longer matter like eating kosher and circumcision.  How do we know what we can discard and what we must uphold?
The law was (is) very complicated and extensive.  At the time of Jesus it represented over 300 biblical instructions (those recorded in the Torah) and over 300 unwritten and later to be recorded human, traditional, additions called the Talmud which were later placed also into a written record.

The Torah represents certain legal compartments which can be understood as…

• Civil (land measurements and distributions, corporal and capital consequences, civil law things)
• Ceremonial (or religious, Sabbaths Ex 20:8, feasts and festivals Lev 23 etc., purification things, tithes)
• Moral (e.g. most of the 10 commandments, Ex 20 “not murder, not commit adultery, not steal”)

Israel was commanded to observe the Civil, Ceremonial and Moral laws of God to represent their distinction…their uniqueness (Ex 31:13 for example).

Jesus was a Jew, and therefore of course he would keep the law, the only person ever to live on earth who did, perfectly. Additionally, at times Jesus would have to clarify or re-interpret the law (just because Israel knew the law and attempted to observe it, didn’t mean they fully understood it) Jesus says “You have heard” Matt 5:21, 27, 31, 33, 38, 43 and then he goes on to clarify. “Have you not read”  Matt 19:4 …and then he reminds them of things they were suppose to know.

The church is not Israel…a reading of the New Testament will support the church’s observance/obedience to the Moral law of the Old Testament, and that, of course, to reveal sons of God, not to produce sons of God.

Galatians 2:16 “knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ”

Q. If we are not saved by works is it necessary or even beneficial to try to be perfect? Better yet what is the point if we are not actually trying to be perfect but just drawing an extremely conservative line by the world’s standards or even the standards of other Christians?
To begin to answer this we must know what a Christian is. A Christian is one who abides in Jesus and trust him not only in death but in everyday life, through repentance and trusting faith. Conservative or Liberal, in the end its all about how people relate to sin, God, and the Bible. If we want to call ourselves liberal towards sin and the Bible we therefore strip the strict bounds of God, Authority, moral absoluteness and justice. To say someone is Conservative should just mean towards sin, the Bible and God and that these are the authority in the matters of sin, God and the Bible.
We Rationalize Sin
Many people rationalize sin because of its social normative context, and don’t even question their actions as being wrong. In fact the only thing that shows them it is wrong is the Bible. This can be seen in the words people say. For example, in society it is deemed OK to curse, in fact we hear teachers all the time say whatever without a pause. Society doesn’t restrict this freedom; only God does, because it reveals the heart behind the words.
True Faith Leads To Good Works
James 2:14 is all about people who “say” they have faith but but their lives prove they don’t. A true Christ follower abides in Christ (John 15:4-6) and produces the fruit by Him. True faith equals true works. So yes, biblically we are called to strive after perfection (Matthew 5:48), it is the desire of one who abides in Christ. Will we slip and mess up, yes (romans 7:15) but does that give us an excuse? Certainly not (Romans 6:1-2).  We see that we as Christians have every resource to learn,  develop and grow away from sin through that which is in the Scriptures (2 tim 3:16-17). We know we won’t be able to reach perfection here but this is no excuse to deny the command and strive after its divine calling for us (Philippians 3:12).
Priorities
Its all about priorities from here on out; living under human standards or being self disciplined. Allowing God to change us and adapting to his standards (Romans 12:1). This is the true nature of a christian, “For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.” (Matthew 16:25). Thank God he gives us his Spirit to allow us to live this life, because we cannot do this on our own.

Q. If you honestly devote yourself to getting plugged into a church, life groups, studies on your own time, prayer and group prayers; like really dig into a church and seek after God, and adjust your life to the Word and He doesn’t reveal himself….whats the issue then? I’ve heard many testimonies about seeking and seeking and seeking after him and just never feeling his presence.
It seems as though in this instance we are dealing with a lack of feeling God’s presence in one’s life. Theologically speaking, there is no gray area with a person who is a true disciple of Christ and who isn’t. We know that through what Mark 1:15 and Acts 20:21 tell us, we can accept the free gift of salvation that God offers by repenting and believing. We also know through Scripture that once a person has genuinely committed their life to Jesus, they cannot forfeit or lose that position (Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:38).

The items listed within the question itself can all be accomplished without truly understanding Christ’s message of truth. These items can all be done out of a false sense of security and sadly, in many cultures, these sorts of things are done merely out of some type of a cultural, governmental, or family obligation. Even James 2:19 tells us that “You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe–and tremble!” James is stating that even demons believe in God, but they obviously have rebelled and turned their back on Him so they miss the whole point.
It’s Not About What We “Do”
For those who feel like they are trying to “do things right,” it is not about that. Romans 3:10 says that “There is none righteous, no, not one,” so we know that we can’t do anything on our own to make ourselves be in good standing with God. And others might say, I just want to feel God in my life. Well, feelings many times are subjective and temporal. We can’t expect to find answers from God in the clouds or on billboards. Faith is what the Bible says it is: “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1).

We must come to the point in our lives where doing a ton of good things like going to church, helping old ladies across streets, building homes for people, and feeding the homeless aren’t going to give us the feeling of connection we need with God. Even if we are attempting with all of our might to feel God, if it is done with an improper foundation, it is useless. We must be realistic about the situation rather than emotional. Objectivity, rather than subjectivity in this case leads us to the heart of the matter: that we are sinners, undeserving of knowing, much less being able to feel God; and yet, God, showed us so much love that He sacrificed Himself for us. If our focus is on the Gospel (in greek – euangello – good message – 1 Cor. 15:1-4), then we won’t be worrying about having some type of an emotional connection with God. We will see our situation for what it really is. We will see God for who He really is. We will base our coming to God off of reason, not emotions. The emotional component will come later, as it does with any relationship.

Q. There are many people who are against abortion. I believe it is wrong, but shouldn’t women have the choice to choose between right and wrong? After all, don’t we have to choose to accept Christ?
This is an interesting question and of course a very controversial topic in our culture (secular or religious). The first thing we must address is whether the act of abortion is inherently right or wrong in God’s eyes.
Is Abortion Murder?
No matter what you try to call it, “abortion”, “choice”, or a woman’s “right”: having a baby in the womb killed voluntarily is murder. It is taking another life. Sure that life may not be full grown or be visible outside the mother’s belly, but it is medically and scientifically still a life that is being snuffed out.

The bible agrees that babies in the womb are considered valuable just like you and me. For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb (Psalm 139:13). The Lord called me from the womb, from the body of my mother he named my name (Isaiah 49:1).

God even “knows” these babies before they are conceived: Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations (Jeremiah 1:5). And when you jump to the New Testament you see John the Baptist in Luke 1 leaping with joy while in his mother’s womb in the presence of Mary (pregnant with Jesus).

It is clear that God values babies in the womb as life. Therefor to end the life of an unborn baby is no different than to end the life of an adult. Both are murder, and murder is prohibited; not only in God’s word (Exodus 20:13), but in the US Justice system as well.
The Choice To Choose Right or Wrong?
The original question suggests women should have the right (or the freedom) to choose abortion, even it is wrong. I think if we asked that question about rape or murder we’d get a clear answer. Shouldn’t people be allowed to rape children if they want to, even if it is wrong? No! Shouldn’t people be given the freedom to steal a car from a dealership even if they know it’s wrong and most of us agree it’s wrong? Of course not! That just doesn’t make sense. It’s the same with abortion.

At the end of the day we can all make our own choices, good or bad. But in most countries you are not “allowed” do just whatever you want. Governments exist to protect the people. If there were no laws then there would be chaos. Thus we have US law to protect people from murder, but we also have God’s law which protects unborn babies from being murdered.

So the short answer is no. None of us should be given the “choice” to do whatever we please if it jeopardizes the life of another human being. It’s just that simple.

Q.  We are called to be peace-makers, so at what point, at what limit, at what offense do we carry our peace-making with a peacemaker?
When delving into the topic of when or if we should stand against the worlds violence in a physical way we must first state that evil is real, God is just, and the bible is the source of authority in which we are answering this question.

So lets look at the verse,

“Blessed the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God.”

So a Peace maker is called a son of God; these are individuals who trust God as their father and who by redemption have been given the inheritance of God (1 Peter 1:4, Gal 4:4-7). We see that our Father is a God of Justice and that he is the only one who can sentence a full Just Judgment, which is his perfect desire and nature (psalm 11:5-7. psalm 19:7-9, Psa. 89:14, Deut. 32:3, 4).

As sons of God we are the individuals who are “In Christ”. When in Christ, our thinking has changed on sin and evil in the world (Romans 12) and thus now we have a discernment in the world we live in.
Peacemaking Is Ultimately Up To God
We see God as a God which says he will fulfill full justice to everyone everywhere and for us to be patient (Isaiah 66:16, 51:5). We must understand that the reality of evil comes from the individual heart which does the evil.  No amount of physical war will ever end mans selfish ability to do evil. We are called to love our enemies. In true love comes true desire for Justice. When we see a situation of oppression we are called to have action against it (Isaiah 58). We are never to hate the sinner but true hate of sin is the desire to stop it and protect those that are being affected by it.

So we should strive to be peacemakers in all situations, even to the point of national peacemakers with movements like that of non-violent revolutions (Martin Luther King Jr, Ghandi, Paul, John the baptist). But there is a point when all else fails that action must be taken; not for our personal glory but for protection of the week, and for self defense according to God’s sovereign will.

If no possible way of peace can form, we are called to love; and loving through action is needed. As for self defense, we fight for our bodies because God has given these to us to take care of and rule, but we freely give them up for our faith, so we may witness to others even to the point of death. We must have the world view that God is the only one who can properly punish and judge people/nations, he is in sovereign control of nations and peoples so we must first connect with him and by this have a discerning heart to do his will. Knowing he will never cause us to hate.

Peace on earth will only come through Christ, not some utopic desire through certain human actions. In the end it is good to remind men it is our duty to oversee our family in protection and care (1 Tim 5:8).

(http://www.openbible.info/topics/taking_care_of_our_body)

Q. Does being a devoted Christian guarantee you will go to heaven?
To answer this question we have to define what you mean when you say “being a devoted Christian.” Do you mean someone who is devoted to going to church and claiming to be a Christian to others? Or do you man someone who reads his or her bible constantly? What does a devoted Christian look like to you?

If by devoted Christian, you mean the biblical definition of a Christian, then the short answer to your question is, “Yes, you will go to heaven.” But let’s look at how the bible, God’s word, defines being a Christian.
Repentance and Faith
In the book of Mark, Jesus tells the public to “repent and believe in the Gospel” (Mark 1:15). The word to repent in the Greek means to literally “change your mind”. It simply implies that all of us, no matter who we are or where we come from, have done things wrong in our lives. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”

(Romans 3:23). None of us are perfect. But God actually IS perfect. So we have fallen short of his standard. To repent means to feel truly sorry for the things we’ve done wrong and that we want to change our lives and our way of thinking.

To believe in the Gospel means to believe in the “good news” literally. What is the “good news”? According to 1 Corinthians 15 it is that God himself came into human history (that’s Jesus) lived a perfect life that we couldn’t live, died the death we should have died, was buried in a tomb, and three days later raised himself from the dead. Jesus wants you and I to believe that actually did that as recorded in history and that he actually is God.
Jesus as Lord
Acts 20:21 tells us to have “repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.” So we must not only repent and believe that Jesus is God (like he said he was), but we must now make him the “Lord” of our lives, the manager if you will. We do what HE says and live for HIM, not ourselves. The bible reminds us that even the demons believe that Jesus is God (Luke 4:34) but that doesn’t get them to heaven.
We Can’t Earn Our Way
This is what the bible teaches about becoming a Christian. Repent and have faith in Jesus. Then and only then can you be assured a spot in heaven. We can never “work” to get to heaven, or be “good enough”. Ephesians 2:8-9 tells us that “by grace you have been saved, through faith. And this is not of your own doing. It is a gift of God, not a result of works. So that no one may boast.”

Basically you and I can’t be “devoted” enough to get to heaven. Just going to church or believing that God exists isn’t how we are saved. God freely gives that gift to those who repent and believe. We can however, spend the rest of our lives in devotion and pursuit of the things of God and what he calls us to.