Last fall I was reading a book for missionaries to remind myself of some principles that might help me be an encouragement to our missionary to Romania. The book is titled Anthropological Insights for Missionaries by Paul Hiebert. Dr. Hiebert is not a member of the church of Christ; understand that. However, he is writing about visiting a mission point in Africa, where the nation Africans practice polygamy (pages 178-179).
He shares a conversation that happens between a pastor who is visiting the mission point and an African. The man said that his first wife mocked him for having only one wife; if a man were blessed and rich, he would have more than one wife. So polygamy is a status symbol in that culture.
In that Protestant church – and the text does not say which it is – the first wife is the only one in that church who is allowed to take Communion. The husband, whose name was Omodo, responded:
“Yes, she told the missionary how hard it was for her to share her love for me with another woman. According to the church my wives are considered sinless because each of them has only one husband. I, the father, am the only sinner in our family. Since the Lord’s Supper is not given to sinners, I am excluded from it. Do you understand that, pastor?” But the preacher was confused.
Omodo continued: “Well, the pastor prays that I may not continue to commit the sin of polygamy. My wives pray that I may not commit the sin of divorce. I wonder whose prayers are heard first.”
The preacher then asked, “So your wives are afraid that you become a Christian?”
Omodo replied, “They are afraid that I become a ‘church member.’ Let’s put it that way. For me there is a difference. You see they [meaning his wives] can only have intimate relations with me as long as I do not belong to the church. In the moment that I would become a church member their marriage relations with me would become sinful.”
The preacher said, “Wouldn’t you like to become a church member?”
Omodo said, “Pastor, don’t lead me into temptation! How can I become a church member, if it means to disobey Christ? Christ forbade divorce, but not polygamy. The church forbids polygamy but demands divorce. How can I become a church member, if I want to be a Christian? For me, there is only one way, to be a Christian without the church.”
If you are a little bit confused, it’s understandable. When man leaves God’s pattern for the home and tries to define morality in his own terms, man will always make a mess of things. It is far better and far easier, even if it is sometimes more difficult, to do what God through the Bible tells us to do.
Paul Holland