New testament and polygamy

The New Testament does not explicitly condemn polygamy, but it does not explicitly condone it either. The New Testament's teachings on marriage and family are primarily focused on the relationship between a husband and wife, and the importance of monogamy is implied.

Here are some key passages that are often cited in discussions about polygamy in the New Testament:

1. Matthew 19:4-6 - Jesus quotes Genesis 2:24, which says, "Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh." Jesus adds, "So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate." This passage emphasizes the unity and oneness of a husband and wife, which is often seen as a basis for monogamy.
2. 1 Corinthians 7:2-5 - Paul writes, "Because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband. The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband. For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does." This passage does not explicitly condemn polygamy, but it does emphasize the importance of sexual intimacy within marriage and the mutual submission of husband and wife.
3. Ephesians 5:22-33 - Paul writes, "Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that he might present her to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body." This passage emphasizes the importance of mutual submission and love within marriage, but it does not explicitly address polygamy.

In summary, while the New Testament does not explicitly condemn polygamy, it does emphasize the importance of monogamy and the unity of a husband and wife. The New Testament's teachings on marriage and family are primarily focused on the relationship between a husband and wife, and the importance of mutual submission and love within marriage.