Chapter 7

            The sound of the basketball being dribbled slowly across the floor echoed through the church gym as Charles walked in.  He was wearing a pair of cut off jeans and a dingy T-shirt that had paint splotches on it from a previous house painting job.  His tennis shoes were cheap and worn.  By contrast Aaron, who was now going up for a fifteen foot jump shot, was wearing a Nike shirt, pressed blue gym shorts and a very expensive pair of Michael Jordan Nike gym shoes.

             Swish, the sound hissed through the gym as the basketball went through the hoop hitting nothing but net.  Aaron was a well coordinated athlete, who though he emphasized football during his college career, could just as well have played basketball.

            “Hey., buddy,” Charles called out, “How are we doing today?”

            Aaron ran after the ball “Fine, I guess” he responded as he grabbed the ball and executed a two handed chest pass to Charles.  Charles dribbled the ball toward the basket, leaped high in the air, and dunked it.  “That is, fine,” Aaron continued, “if you can count having fifteen or twenty women call my office today wanting to know what the Bible answer for them to get married is.”

            “Oh, really?”  Charles said with mock surprise without hiding that he was somewhat amused.

            “You think it’s funny, don’t you?”  Aaron asked as he passed the ball back to Charles, giving him the opportunity to take another shot.

            “Yeah, kinda.”  Charles replied as he went up for a jump shot that missed.

            “Well, what am I supposed to tell all these women?”  Aaron questioned as he dribbled out to take another shot of his own.

            “Tell them the truth” Charles answered as he moved near the basket to get the rebound.

            “Truth? What truth?”

            “Yeah, what truth?”  George asked as he entered the gym.

            “The truth that if we lived according to the Bible, not according to tradition, many of those women wouldn’t have to be single because some man would take on more than one wife!” Charles stated matter of factly.

            “What!?”  Aaron yelled as he grabbed the ball and held it.  All eyes were now on Charles.  They suspected this was where he was headed with all this but now he had said it out loud.

            “How can you be a Christian and say something like that?” George asked. 

            “If you had let me finish the other night rather than letting your wives break up the meeting you would understand.”

            “Understand what?” Kyle asked as he entered the gym about ten minutes late.

            “Understand God’s requirement to follow the truth of His word, not just modern traditional convention, Charles answered.  “You are all ministers, right?” he questioned.

            “Yeah, and so?” George responded.

            “But are you disciples?  Disciples of Jesus Christ.”

            “Sure, how else could we be ministers?” Kyle questioned.

            “Have you truly forsaken all to follow the Lord?  Are you ready to take up your cross and follow Him?  Are you truly continuing in His word to learn His truths and not just to get sermons for Sundays?”  Charles questioned.

            Aaron turned and shot another basket before responding.  “Charles, I almost resent what you’re asking.  You see the churches where we minister and you know our congregations are blessed by our ministries.  Why are you asking this?”

            Charles ran and got the ball, tossed up a lay-up, and got his own rebound before tossing the ball in a bounce pass to Kyle.  “Who was David’s first wife?” he questioned.

            “Michal, Saul’s daughter, so what?” George asked.

            “Who did he marry next?”  Charles continued.

            “Abigail and Ahinohem,” Aaron responded.

            “Yes, at the same time,” Charles added.

            “Was that a sin?” he questioned further. 

            “Well . . . uh . . .” Kyle started as he looked to Aaron and George to help him out.

            “No!”  Charles gave them the answer.  “David’s only sins that are mentioned in Scripture are his adultery with Bathsheba and the time he numbered Israel and shouldn’t have.”

            “Yeah, that’s Old Testament stuff” George complained.  “We have a New Covenant.  We’re under the New Testament,”  he explained.

            “George” Charles looked him directly in the eyes “Do you believe that all Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness?”

            “Well . . yeah, that’s what the apostle Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 3,” George hesitantly responded.

            “All Scripture includes the Old Testament!” Charles stated emphatically.  “If having more than one wife is wrong why did God give instructions to Moses for it on the mount?  When he came down with the Ten Commandments he also came down with the rules for having more than one wife.”

            “Where is that?” Kyle questioned unbelievingly.

            “Exodus 21:10,” Charles stated emphatically before going on to quote the verse.  “If he take him another wife, her food, her raiment, and her duty of marriage, shall he not diminish.”

            “Well can a woman have more than one husband?” George asked with a scowl on his face.

            “No.”  Charles answered.

            “So you’re saying that men and women aren’t equal?” George pressed.

            “No, I am saying God has different rules for men than He has for women,” Charles replied, “and besides, this equality of the sexes is more an American doctrine than a biblical one.”

            The young ministers were taken aback.  They looked at one another, each reflecting back his own shock at the statements that were being made.  Yet they had no idea what a firestorm repeating some of those statements would make.  Still, the men continued their discussion for several more hours before winding up and heading toward their respective homes.