Page 33 - The Marriage Covenant

in the creation will continue unchanged.
In the New Testament, there is no condemnation of Christian men having more than
one wife. The practice, however, is prohibited if a man desires to serve in a position of
leadership in the church.

I Timothy 3:2-3
An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate,
prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not addicted to wine or pugnacious,
but gentle, uncontentious, free from the love of money.

I Timothy 3:12
Let deacons be husbands of one wife...

Titus 1:5-9
For this reason I left you in Crete, that you might set in order what remains, and
appoint elders in every city as I directed you, namely, if any man be above reproach,
the husband of one wife, having children who believe, not accused of dissipation
or rebellion. For the overseer must be above reproach as God's steward, not
self-willed, not quick-tempered, not addicted to wine, not pugnacious, not fond of
sordid gain, but hospitable, loving what is good, sensible, just, devout,
self-controlled, holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the
teaching, that he may be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those
who contradict.

These instructions about the appointment of overseers, deacons and elders were only
necessary because there were men in the church who had more than one wife.
Some men were living with more than one wife. Others had divorced a wife and taken
another, and were therefore the husband of more than one living wife. In both cases, God
viewed them as having more than one wife. In neither case was this considered adultery, or
even fornication, for as we have observed, man was never forbidden to have more than one
wife.
Why then, did the apostle Paul give as a requirement for spiritual office that a man
must have only one wife? The reason is that the man is a role model for the church, and as
a role model he must exercise self-control and moderation in all things. A man was not
declared a transgressor to have more than one wife, but the man with more than one wife
demonstrated an inordinate attention to earthly matters that was not suitable for one who
would stand in a spiritual office. The apostle elsewhere speaks of marriage as being a
distraction to pure devotion to God.

I Corinthians 7:32-34
But I want you to be free from concern. One who is unmarried is concerned about
the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord; but one who is married is
concerned about the things of the world, how he may please his wife, and his
interests are divided.

If you look at the context of Paul’s words concerning qualifications for elders and
overseers, you will observe that the issue of moderation and self-control is predominant.