The law/rule of marrying the childless wives of your dead brothers never stopped being a law/rule for believers. Rather, it became a custom to not obey this law/rule. The evidence that the law remained active - and is essentially active among Christians today - is in the New Testament books of 1 Timothy and Titus:
1 Timothy 3:12:
Titus 1:6:
If the law/rule of marrying your dead brother's wife had not been part of the life of the early Christian church, Paul (who wrote the above verses) would not have had to make that distinction for Timothy and Titus. So we see by what Paul wrote, that one wife is better, but more than one is understood as having been allowed... and even advocated in some circumstances.
Thanks for enlightening me about this issue with Bible as a basis. Actually, I understand it and you convinced mw somehow that it's alright to make your deceased brother's wife as your own wife too but how about the other people which are very conscious regarding this? How can you convince them all? I don't think you can. My point is that most of the laws/rules in previous times are no longer applicable in today's generation. Even how hard you explain and show many proofs like the Bible verses and everything, the majority of our society will not agree upon it. Marrying the wife of your deceased brother, whether they got children or not, is legal back on those times but today it was already a form of betrayal in the eyes of others. 1 Timothy 3:12:
Quote from: https://biblehub.com/1_timothy/3-12.htm
A deacon must be the husband of but one wife, a good manager of his children and of his own household.
Titus 1:6:
Quote from: https://biblehub.com/titus/1-6.htm
An elder must be blameless, the husband of but one wife, having children who are believers and are not open to accusation of indiscretion or insubordination.
If the law/rule of marrying your dead brother's wife had not been part of the life of the early Christian church, Paul (who wrote the above verses) would not have had to make that distinction for Timothy and Titus. So we see by what Paul wrote, that one wife is better, but more than one is understood as having been allowed... and even advocated in some circumstances.
This post answers the post directly above this one, as well. The answer is outside of the direct question of more than one wife.
We are supposed to do everything for the benefit of our neighbor, especially in the area of salvation. If we are living in a area or under a government that says "no polygamy," we are to abide by the ideals that keep peace, and don't offend other people. BUT, this doesn't include areas where God has commanded certain things. We obey God rather than men.
God has said to live at peace with other people, not offending them in things of adiaphora, such as polygamy. This is why I say, move to an area where polygamy is accepted if you are going to do it. Or move away from other people altogether. If you can't, then don't marry more than one wife.
While I don't know the following factually, you know that concubines were permitted in the O.T. times, as they are in many countries, today. The concubine tradition might have developed, in part, out of the idea of not having more than one wife. The second and third, etc., might have been called concubines just to keep from offending people that were strictly against polygamy.
