Opinion: Polygamy and the B’nai Yahshua Synagogues Worldwide

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By Rab. Jackson Snyder, BGS, M Div, DHL; YAH Prince of Peace B’nai Yahshua Synagogues Tallahassee and Vero Beach, FL.

As a result of the Convocation of the BYSW Rabbim held on the historic date of July 12, 2008, the BYSW became “the first and only Nazarene Yisraelite or Messianic organization in history to welcome plural marriage families....”  This addition to the BYSW was accomplished by an oath, with several affirming Rabbim listed in the announcement.

Those Rabbim and potential Morim standing and receiving the “Emancipation of Plural Families” did, in fact, become proper polygamists then and there in the name of the Almighty. 

The polygamist Rabbim named in the announcement are:

Rab. Jenkins

Rab. Nolan

Rab. Altaf

Rab. Aguilar

Rab. Thompson

Rab. Koniuchowski.

Though not mentioned, the vow was received in Newberry, South Carolina, so Rab. Rendelman might also be among these polygamists.  And we further assume that the legal wives of these rabbim are in one accord with the vow. 

Polygamy, or Plural Marriage, may be permitted through some readings of the Scriptures.  However, it is against the law of Greater Israel as personified by the United States of America (Machir).  In addition, our generation has seen devastating judgment fall on religious groups practicing polygamy, including various Latter-day Saints organizations, The Peoples’ Church of Indianapolis / Guyana, The Branch Davidians, and lately, the Jeffs personality cult of the FLDS.

In these notorious examples of polygamist groups, the primary infractions were not related to polygamy at all, but to endangerment of children, child abuse, child sexual abuse, kidnapping, slavery, and a host of even less savory crimes.  It is very hard to deny that (at least) the more disreputable polygamist camps were rife with child molesters, child rapists, sociopaths, and misanthropes.

To publicly endorse polygamy (much less to make polygamy one of the pillars of salvation) seems untimely and destructive in the extreme, providing critics with the broadest possible appearance of evil, bringing the blessed name to naught, and leading the BYSW into affiliation with the aforementioned devilish cults by association.

To make matters worse, the announcement I received as a clergy member of B’nai Yahshua contained the following solicitation:

“Many families are looking for the blessing of sharing their Torah walk and intimacy with other Yisraelite single women. We have a few already. If you are a mature woman who has come to understand the great blessings and responsibilities of plural patriarchal marriage and are looking for one of these families that Yahweh has for you, contact (... ).  Only respond if the Ruach HaKodesh is leading you into this lifestyle.”

Yes, this is definitely an advertisement for more women to add to those the few they already have.

Our Messiah was not a polygamist – had this practice been part of the rites of salvation, he certainly would have married and married again.  Though some Gnostic movements today claim that Messiah was married, they can only point to sketchy legends in polluted apocrypha.  The Rabbi Shaul did not marry either; but advised, ‘better to marry than to burn.’  The Nazorean literature that survives informs us that priests (rabbim) of the movement did not marry, except in some cases to rescue orphans and widows from impoverishment.

My heart has been very heavy about this vow taken by my spiritual kin.  I have waited in prayer and meditation before I responded to this strange turn of events.  I have been wrong before, and the Apostle has given me appropriate direction.  This time, however, I realize that, though polygamy may or may not be lawful, it definitely is not expedient in furthering the business of revealing the elect of YHWH.  Therefore I stand against the practice of polygamy and regretfully disassociate myself from all practitioners, including those of the B’nai Yahshua Synagogues Worldwide Movement and any other Messianics or Nazoreans that permit its practice.

Dr. Jackson Snyder