Chapter 9

            Searching for Charles’ apartment at dusk was a difficult task.  Although he had given directions, nearly all of the street signs had been torn down.  The houses were older and many needed repair or painting.  Some half naked kids wearing only shorts were racing down the middle of the street where Charles’ dwelling place was located.  Aaron began to have trepidations about parking his S.U.V. in this neighborhood.

            They finally found the address and excused themselves as they passed by several middle aged men drinking beer on the front steps.  These all eyed Aaron and his wife closely as they passed by and rung the bell to gain entrance through the exterior door.

            Charles buzzed them in and they began their march up the creaky wooden stairs and past the industrial green painted graffiti covered walls.  Reaching the second floor studio apartment, they knocked and were pleased that Charles was there to let them in almost immediately.  Aaron knew that even though Charles didn’t have the nearly six figure salary and benefits package that he had as a pastor of a wealthier suburban church, he did make enough to live better than this.

            “Brother Aaron, come in” he said heartily “and Sister Cheryl.  I didn’t expect you.”  He gave them both big hugs, even though Cheryl stiffened and did not return it.

            “Juanita is coming with George as well” she stated dryly.

            “Oh really, good.” Charles replied “what about Kyle and Terry?” he asked.

            Cheryl didn’t want to tell him that Terry had decided that Kyle wasn’t going to come around Charles until they left for Africa.  Aaron spoke up “Kyle called me and said he had to take his wife shopping tonight so they won’t make it.”

            Charles pulled two chairs away from his kitchen table for Aaron and Cheryl as he offered them something to drink.  “Pepsi or Kool-Aid or water?” he asked.

            “Pepsi will be fine” Aaron said.

            The buzzer went off as he was pouring the glasses and he stopped to buzz in George and Juanita.  He pulled out two big pillows for them to sit on the floor while he positioned himself on a large bean bag.

            “Can we pray before we begin?” he asked and without waiting for an answer he began.  “Dear Lord, bring us in to your truth.  Show us what your word has to say.  Let us not be deceived in any way but lead us by your Spirit to understand your will and your way.  Amen.”

            “I’ll tell you what, instead of me asking so many questions, why don’t I just teach a little.  Then if you have questions you can ask me at the end.  OK?”

            “Wait a minute,” Juanita interjected, “How is it that Aaron has a masters in Biblical studies and George has a bachelor’s in Divinity and you seem to know more about the Bible than any of us?  Do you have any kind of Bible college or seminary degree?”

            “No, I don’t” Charles admitted.  “I just try to follow 2 Timothy 2:15 ‘Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that need not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.’  Let’s review.”  Charles continued speaking.  “When I met with the men last, we determined that polygyny (which means a man having more than one wife) was practiced before the flood.  It was practiced after the flood and before the Law.  It was practiced during the Law and specific rules were given for its practice.  We established many of God’s most famous men, the Patriarchs in the Bible, had two or more wives.

            “Abraham, Jacob, Moses, Gideon, David, and many others.  We showed that when David was chastised by God through the prophet Nathan for his sin of adultery with Bathsheba God said ‘I gave you your master’s wives.’  So if God never condemned it, and God participated by giving wives (plural) to David, then it could not have been sin.”

            Charles paused and Juanita used the pause as an opportunity to jump in.  “Yes, but that’s all Old Testament stuff.  Even if God did allow them to do that then, that doesn’t mean He allows it now!”

            “Ah yes, that brings us to tonight’s study.  What does it indicate about polygyny?  Did God change His mind and say, ‘sorry I made a mistake.  Were changing all the rule?  If the rules were changed on this issue, do you think that God would be shy about saying so?  None of the passages where the New Testament guidelines for good behavior and bad behavior say anything against men having more than one wife.  Did it say in Acts 15 when they wrote the letters to Gentile believers?  No!  It said abstain from fornication and things strangled, and from meats offered to idols and from blood.”

            “Did it say it was a work of the flesh in Galatians five?  No?”

            “Wait a minute,” Cheryl interrupted, “it does say adultery is a work of the flesh and if a man already has a wife and claims to marry someone else and has sex with her that would be adultery!” she said as she tossed her head back in a look of defiance.

            “Is that an American definition of adultery or a biblical Hebrew definition of adultery?” Charles asked slowly.  “Aaron why don’t you grab that Strong’s concordance off the shelf and hand George that American Dictionary that is over to its right” Charles ordered.

            Aaron looked to his left and saw the several shelves of books.  There were several translations of the Bible and several copies of the King James.  Numerous other spiritual or religious books on a number of topics and study materials included the Strong’s, Greek Interlinear Bibles, Vines Bible Dictionary and others.

            “Why don’t you each look up the definition of adultery and read what it says,” Charles suggested.

            “I’ve got it,” George said after a few moments.  “It says ‘adultery -- the act of a married person having sexual intercourse with one who is not his or her spouse.’”

            “Okay, that’s what it says in the dictionary and that’s what most people, especially Americans, believe that it is.  But let’s hear what God’s definition is.  Do you have it, Aaron?”

            “Yes.  It says in the Strong’s Hebrew and Chaldee Dictionary ‘na’aph, pronounced as naw-af;  a woman that breaketh wedlock.’”

            Charles continued “Adultery is when a woman breaks wedlock by having sex with someone who is not her husband or when a man has sex with another man’s wife as King David did.  When a man has sexual relations with any of his own wives it is never called adultery!”

            Both Aaron and George had looks of revelation dawning on their faces; however their wives were becoming more desperate.  Cheryl and Juanita eyed each other almost reading each other’s minds.  They wouldn’t let this go on.  They had to find a way to stop it.

            “Well what about a husband of only one wife as it says in Timothy” Cheryl blurted out.

            “Yes, what about that?” Charles responded calmly.  “Let’s turn to it and read it exactly.  ‘This is a true saying, if a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.’”  Charles leaned back on his bean bag as he read by the light of a pale lamp near his corner of the room and quoted from the book of Timothy. 

            “‘A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife.’”  Charles stopped to emphasize “It doesn’t say only one wife, it says one wife.  There are several Greek words that can be translated one.  If Aaron will look in that Strong’s Concordance again he’ll find that mia, which is the Greek word that is translated one in First Timothy 3 verse 2, is in other places translated as first. 

            He paused to let that much sink in.  Then he continued.  “So Paul is giving the guidelines for choosing a bishop, elder, or overseer in these passages in Timothy and Titus.  These guidelines do not restrict the man to a single wife, but merely advocate that he be married.”  He paused again, then he said “Look down at verse 5: ‘For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God.”

            “You see,” Charles continued, “the context in verse 5 shows that ruling a household is good experience for ruling in the church.  If a man has no wife and therefore no children, he can have no such experience.”

            Once again Cheryl’s attempt to stop what she considered a mad dash toward polygyny was thwarted.  Juanita stood up.  “Are you saying that men can have as many wives as they want?  Well. . .” she went on without waiting for an answer “. . it is illegal here in the United States, mister!”

             Charles dropped his head and spoke softly.  “It’s not in Kenya.  It’s not in Kenya” he repeated.

            “George, take me home!”  Juanita demanded as she headed toward the door of the one room apartment.  George obediently got up and headed toward the door, but looked back apologetically at Charles and shrugging his shoulders as if to say ‘I don’t understand.’

            As Aaron and Cheryl drove home there was a long silence before Cheryl spoke up.  “I don’t care what he thinks the Bible says, I still think it’s wrong.  It is sin and I don’t like the influence he’s having on you men.”

            “Whoa, wait a minute!  What influence?”  Aaron reacted sharply.

            “I saw your face.  You were going along with it all,” Cheryl replied.  “You think having a bunch of wives is a good idea!  Don’t you?”

            “Wait.  Where did that come from?”  Aaron protested.

            “Admit it.  Admit it,” Cheryl demanded.

            Aaron clammed up, being a little upset that he had been falsely accused.  At that moment he had no idea that the next day would bring beautifully timed bliss and a badly timed bombshell.