{"id":43896,"date":"2022-08-17T20:14:48","date_gmt":"2022-08-17T17:14:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wingulamashahidi.org\/?p=43896"},"modified":"2025-05-02T08:03:28","modified_gmt":"2025-05-02T05:03:28","slug":"he-will-receive-a-hundredfold-now-sisters-mark-1030","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wingulamashahidi.org\/en\/2022\/08\/17\/he-will-receive-a-hundredfold-now-sisters-mark-1030\/","title":{"rendered":"He Will Receive a Hundredfold Now\u2014Sisters\u201d (Mark 10:30)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\u00a0<\/h3>\n
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Question:<\/strong>
In Mark 10:30<\/strong>, Jesus says that whoever leaves things for His sake will receive “a hundredfold now.” Some argue this includes receiving many “wives,” suggesting polygamy is acceptable. Is that what Jesus meant?<\/p>\n

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Answer:<\/strong>
Let\u2019s carefully examine the Scripture in question.<\/p>\n

Mark 10:28\u201331 (NKJV):<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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28<\/strong> Then Peter began to say to Him, \u201cSee, we have left all and followed You.\u201d<\/em>
29<\/strong> So Jesus answered and said, \u201cAssuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel\u2019s,<\/em>
30<\/strong> who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time\u2014houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions\u2014and in the age to come, eternal life.<\/em>
31<\/strong> But many who are first will be last, and the last first.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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Clarifying the Phrase “a Hundredfold Now”<\/strong><\/h3>\n

First, note what Jesus actually lists<\/em> as part of the reward: houses, brothers, sisters<\/strong>, mothers, children, and lands. He does not<\/em> say, \u201cwives.\u201d While verse 29 acknowledges that some may leave their wives for the sake of the gospel, verse 30 does not say they will receive “wives” in return\u2014let alone “a hundred wives.”<\/p>\n

The Greek word used for “sisters”<\/em> is \u1f00\u03b4\u03b5\u03bb\u03c6\u1f70\u03c2 (adelphas)<\/strong>, which specifically refers to female siblings or fellow believers. This is consistent with New Testament usage that views fellow Christians as part of a new spiritual family (see Matthew 12:49\u201350<\/strong>):<\/p>\n

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\u201cAnd He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, \u2018Here are My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.\u2019\u201d<\/em> (NKJV)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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Does This Support Polygamy?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Absolutely not. Jesus consistently upheld God\u2019s original design for marriage: one man and one woman.<\/em> In Matthew 19:4\u20136 (NKJV)<\/strong>, He says:<\/p>\n

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\u201cHave you not read that He who made them at the beginning \u2018made them male and female,\u2019 and said, \u2018For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh\u2019? So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Jesus refers to \u201cthe two\u201d<\/em> becoming one flesh<\/em>\u2014not three or four or a hundred. This aligns with God\u2019s original intention for marriage in Genesis 2:24<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Therefore, Mark 10:30 cannot be used to justify polygamy. Jesus was not talking about receiving multiple spouses but rather about the new, expansive family one gains in the body of Christ.<\/p>\n

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What Then Does “a Hundredfold” Mean?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

When Jesus says we\u2019ll receive \u201ca hundredfold now in this time,\u201d<\/em> He\u2019s referring to the richness of Christian fellowship and support. If someone leaves behind family, they will gain spiritual brothers, sisters, mothers, and children within the Church\u2014people who love, help, and walk with them in faith.<\/p>\n

This doesn\u2019t mean literal biological relationships, just as \u201cbrothers in Christ\u201d aren\u2019t our siblings by birth. Rather, it’s about a spiritual family<\/em> formed through faith, community, and service.<\/p>\n

Even the mention of \u201cchildren\u201d<\/em> should be understood spiritually: many will become spiritual mentors or spiritual parents to others in the faith (cf. 1 Corinthians 4:15<\/strong>, where Paul calls himself a \u201cfather\u201d to the Corinthians).<\/p>\n

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What About Leaving a Spouse for the Gospel?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

If someone truly sacrifices a marriage for the sake of following Christ, God will provide support, comfort, and companionship in other ways\u2014but not through multiple new marriages<\/em>. Instead, He may raise up co-laborers in ministry, loving spiritual sisters, or fellow believers who provide the help and encouragement similar to what a spouse might offer. This reflects God\u2019s faithful provision, not<\/em> an invitation to polygamy.<\/p>\n

As Genesis 2:18<\/strong> says:<\/p>\n

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\u201cIt is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

While that verse originally applied to Eve, the principle stands: God provides companionship and support in many ways, including through His people.<\/p>\n

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Why Does Jesus Promise These Rewards?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

It\u2019s to affirm the value of surrender. In Luke 9:24 (NKJV)<\/strong>, Jesus says:<\/p>\n

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\u201cFor whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Those who lay down their worldly security to follow Christ fully will never regret it. God repays in this life\u2014with deeper relationships, purpose, and provision\u2014and in the life to come, with eternal life.<\/p>\n

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Conclusion<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Mark 10:30 is a powerful promise of spiritual community and divine provision, not a justification for polygamy. Jesus never endorsed multiple marriages. Instead, He affirmed the richness of life in the family of God for those who follow Him faithfully\u2014even at great personal cost.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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