Tony Dungy Challenges an Ohio Pastor Who Claims That Believing in Monogamy Is Entirely 'Unbiblical'

Former NFL coach Tony Dungy challenged Ohio pastor Israel Ford's defence of polygamy in an exchange on X, citing biblical passages to dispute the LifeWorks Church co-founder's argument that teaching men to have only one wife is 'unbiblical'.

Ford had announced to his congregation that he had a second wife and described himself as married to two women. The announcement prompted discussion about his interpretation of biblical marriage and the responsibilities of church leaders.

Tony Dungy Cites Bible Verse Against Polygamy

Dungy entered the discussion after an X commenter challenged Christians to identify a passage expressly prohibiting a man from having multiple wives. The commenter demanded a specific reference and rejected answers based on church tradition or personal interpretation.

'I'm still waiting for someone to show me ONE Bible verse that explicitly forbids polygamy. Not opinions. Not church traditions. Not personal interpretations. Chapter and verse. I'm waiting...' the commenter wrote.

Dungy responded with Ephesians 5:31-32, invoking its description of two people becoming one and its comparison between marriage and the relationship between Christ and the church. He presented the passage as support for his argument against polygamy.

His response also drew on Mark 10:11, which addresses divorce, remarriage and adultery. Dungy connected that teaching to the question of whether a man could marry another woman while his existing marriage continued.

'Do you think if divorcing your wife and then getting married is a sin it would be ok to get married again while still married?' Dungy wrote.

The former coach's question applied a passage about divorce and remarriage to the arrangement Ford described. It was Dungy's argument about the implications of the text, rather than a quotation expressly mentioning multiple wives.

A Further Challenge to Tony Dungy's Interpretation

The commenter remained unconvinced by those references and repeated the request for an explicit prohibition.

'My question remains: Where does the Bible explicitly forbid a man from having more than one wife? Chapter and verse'.

The disagreement concerned what would constitute a sufficient biblical answer. Dungy cited descriptions of marriage and teachings about adultery, while the commenter sought wording directly addressing a man having more than one wife.

In a separate exchange, another participant drew a different conclusion from the relationship between Jesus and his followers.

'Just like Jesus has many followers, a man can have many wives', that participant asserted.

Dungy returned to Ephesians 5, arguing that the church constitutes one bride. His response distinguished the collective body of believers from the individual followers invoked by the other participant.

He also cited Ephesians 5:6 as a warning against attempts to excuse sin. That reference formed part of his rejection of the argument advanced in the exchange.

Beyond Tony Dungy, the Question of Church Leadership

Ford's position was also expressed in a social media statement challenging the teaching that a man should have only one wife.

'As a nation, we have been taught that a man should have one wife only. This is unbiblical.'

His statement framed the disagreement as a question of biblical teaching. Dungy's response rejected that position through passages he interpreted as supporting monogamy, while one commenter questioned whether those passages explicitly prohibited polygamy.

The Christian apologetics website Got Questions also opposes polygamy and argues that a pastor who enters such an arrangement is disqualified from church leadership. It cites 1 Timothy 3:2 and 3:12 and Titus 1:6 in support of its interpretation.

The website's interpretation concerns eligibility for Christian leadership and does not establish that Ford has been formally removed from his position at LifeWorks Church.

Ford also announced plans for a live online conversation with the women he describes as his wives, offering viewers an opportunity to submit questions.