19/06/2025
Dear Christian,
Divorce is not the unpardonable sin.
Husband of one wife in Paul’s prison epistles addressing moral requirements for presbyters and deacons was referring to one wife at a time monogamy. Divorce for abandonment or marital unfaithfulnesss was clearly addressed by Jesus and Paul as dissolurion of covenant. The view that an elder or deacon can only have one marriage in a lifetime or not remarry was a later innovation in Africa five centuries after the patristic and earliest Church clearly practiced that a leader must be married to only one woman at a time.
In Israel when the civil laws of the Pentateuch were the law of the land, you would no longer be married to a person who received the death penaltry for capital crimes.
Monogamy Requirement: Many early interpreters—including prominent church fathers such as Chrysostom—understood the phrase to mean that a church leader must be married to only one woman at a time, thus excluding polygamists from leadership. This view was especially important in contexts where polygamy was still practiced among some converts (e.g., Jewish or Greco-Roman communities).
Contextual Considerations
Early church fathers were aware that polygamy was practiced in some cultures, and Paul’s instruction was seen as a way to set a higher standard for Christian leaders, distinguishing them from prevailing customs. Over time, the church increasingly emphasized monogamy as the standard for all Christians, but the earliest interpretations focused mainly on the qualifications for church office.
In summary, the earliest church fathers (Chrysostom, Tertullian) primarily understood “husband of one wife” as a requirement for present monogamy among church leaders, though some later voices (Augustine) broadened this to mean only one marriage in a lifetime which was not raised till Augustine after the fall of Rome In AD 410. He had a connon law wife and a child, was never married, and lived celibate after his conversion to Christianity.
Patristic Witness
• Chrysostom (late 4th century): Interpreted the passage as requiring present monogamy, stating that a leader must “dwell with one woman continually and never break off from her”.
• Tertullian: In his Exhortation to Chastity, he reinforced the idea of monogamous marriage as normative, though his focus was not solely on church leadership.
Key Early Leaders Who Shared This View:
• Clement of Alexandria (c. 150–215): Clement emphasized monogamy as the Christian ideal, teaching that a bishop or presbyter should be married only once and remain faithful to his wife. He argued that this standard set Christian leaders apart from both pagan and some Jewish practices, which sometimes permitted polygamy or remarriage.
• Irenaeus of Lyons (c. 130–202): While Irenaeus is better known for combating heresies, he also upheld the apostolic tradition of monogamy for church leaders, reflecting the mainstream position of the second-century church.
• Ignatius of Antioch (died c. 108): In his letters, Ignatius stressed the importance of moral integrity and marital fidelity among bishops, presbyters, and deacons, reinforcing the Pauline standard of being the husband of one wife.
• Hippolytus of Rome (c. 170–236): Hippolytus, in his writings on church order, echoed the Pauline requirement for monogamy among clergy, excluding those who had married more than once or were living in polygamous relationships from ordination.
• Origen of Alexandria (c. 184–254):
Origen, though celibate himself, interpreted Paul’s teaching as a call for marital faithfulness and monogamy for those in church leadership, seeing it as a moral qualification for office.
Between AD 40–100, marital customs varied significantly across regions, but the practice of having more than one wife—polygyny—was present to differing degrees in the Middle East, North Africa, Europe, and Asia. The prevalence, legality, and social acceptance of polygyny depended on local laws, traditions, and economic factors.
Middle East
• Ancient Near East (including Jewish society):
• Polygamy was not contrary to law or moral standards but was often limited by economic feasibility. While monogamy was generally practiced, polygamy was permitted, especially if the first wife was barren.
• In Jewish society, polygyny was legally and religiously acceptable, though it was not widespread and mostly practiced by the wealthy. The Talmud allowed multiple wives if the man could support them, but some Jewish sects (e.g., those at Qumran) forbade it.
• Concubinage (having secondary partners with fewer rights than wives) was also practiced and not always counted as polygamy.
• Persian and Assyrian Empires:
• Elite men, especially royalty and nobility, often had multiple wives and concubines. Greek sources report Persian nobles with several wives and harems, and the practice was associated with status and power.
North Africa
• Ancient Egypt:
• Polygamy, especially polygyny, existed but was mostly restricted to royalty and the elite. Pharaohs and high officials sometimes had several wives, often for political alliances.
• Among commoners, polygamy was rare, likely due to economic constraints. Most ordinary Egyptians practiced monogamy.
• Concubinage was also present, but polyandry (a woman with multiple husbands) was not attested.
Europe
• Roman Empire:
• Roman law enforced strict monogamy: a Roman citizen could have only one legal spouse at a time.
• However, powerful men, including emperors, often had sexual access to many women through concubinage and slavery, though these women did not have the legal status of wives.
• Early Christianity, which emerged in this period, promoted monogamy as an ideal and later influenced broader European marital norms.
• Other European Societies:
• In some pre-Christian and peripheral societies (e.g., early Gaelic Ireland), polygyny was practiced among the aristocracy, but by AD 40–100, Roman influence and Christian teachings were spreading monogamous norms.
Asia
• China:
• Formal polygamy (multiple wives) was generally illegal and socially disreputable, but wealthy men could have concubines in addition to a primary wife.
• The number of concubines was often regulated by law and social status; emperors and high officials could have many, sometimes hundreds.
• Concubines had lower status than wives, and only the children of the principal wife were typically considered legitimate.
