When Tradition Trumps Truth: A Rebuttal to the Protestia Article on Pastor Rich Tidwell

[Abraham Kilian]

SUMMARY:​

In an age where outrage masquerades as orthodoxy, Abraham JF Kilian’s newest article, “When Tradition Trumps Truth: A Rebuttal to the Protestia Article on Pastor Rich Tidwell,” confronts the growing habit of condemning by culture rather than Scripture.

After Protestia publicly denounced Pastor Tidwell for acknowledging his plural marriage—offering no exegesis, no history, and no theology—Kilian dismantles their unsubstantiated attack with surgical clarity. He exposes how the Church’s “monogamy-only” dogma was not born of Moses or Paul, but of Rome: from Numa’s Law to Justinian’s Code, from Constantine’s respectability politics to Protestant inheritances that never broke free.

Drawing from scholars like John Cairncross, William Luck, John Witte Jr., and Tom Shipley, the article proves that Scripture regulates plural marriage while the West criminalized it. Paul’s phrase mias gynaikos andra (“a one-woman man”) is shown to describe moral fidelity, not numerical restriction—a virtue list, not a legal code.

Kilian highlights the deep irony of Protestia’s stance: if taken seriously, it would forbid plurality in the pulpit while permitting it in the pews—a theology of hypocrisy, not holiness. He challenges modern church leaders to debate rather than denounce, to rediscover the Hebrew roots of covenant law, and to stop confusing Roman moralism with Biblical truth.

This is more than a defense of Pastor Tidwell—it is a theological indictment of a Church that has forgotten its own Scriptures. When Tradition Trumps Truth calls believers back to exegesis over emotion, covenant over custom, and revelation over respectability.

Read the full rebuttal here:
https://www.maximapotentia.com/post/when-tradition-trumps-truth-rebuttal-protestia-tidwell

Sincerely,
Abraham JF Kilian

 

[Mojo]

Nice article in reply to a drive by hit piece. It’s nice of you to point out the fact that the writers did not consult with brother Tidwell one on one first, or even in the sight of only two or three witnesses. They just blasted him without any biblical protocol.

Biblical outrage porn.

 

[Man_in_the_Middle]

View attachment 11754

SUMMARY:​

In an age where outrage masquerades as orthodoxy, Abraham JF Kilian’s newest article, “When Tradition Trumps Truth: A Rebuttal to the Protestia Article on Pastor Rich Tidwell,” confronts the growing habit of condemning by culture rather than Scripture.

After Protestia publicly denounced Pastor Tidwell for acknowledging his plural marriage—offering no exegesis, no history, and no theology—Kilian dismantles their unsubstantiated attack with surgical clarity. He exposes how the Church’s “monogamy-only” dogma was not born of Moses or Paul, but of Rome: from Numa’s Law to Justinian’s Code, from Constantine’s respectability politics to Protestant inheritances that never broke free.

Drawing from scholars like John Cairncross, William Luck, John Witte Jr., and Tom Shipley, the article proves that Scripture regulates plural marriage while the West criminalized it. Paul’s phrase mias gynaikos andra (“a one-woman man”) is shown to describe moral fidelity, not numerical restriction—a virtue list, not a legal code.

Kilian highlights the deep irony of Protestia’s stance: if taken seriously, it would forbid plurality in the pulpit while permitting it in the pews—a theology of hypocrisy, not holiness. He challenges modern church leaders to debate rather than denounce, to rediscover the Hebrew roots of covenant law, and to stop confusing Roman moralism with Biblical truth.

This is more than a defense of Pastor Tidwell—it is a theological indictment of a Church that has forgotten its own Scriptures. When Tradition Trumps Truth calls believers back to exegesis over emotion, covenant over custom, and revelation over respectability.

Read the full rebuttal here:
https://www.maximapotentia.com/post/when-tradition-trumps-truth-rebuttal-protestia-tidwell

Sincerely,
Abraham JF Kilian

I am very pleased to say, WELL DONE! Nice job on this article Abraham !!!!

 

[frederick]

Thanks for the link. An excellent article to challenge the monogamy-only error being espoused.

 

[Joleneakamama]

Nice article in reply to a drive by hit piece. It’s nice of you to point out the fact that the writers did not consult with brother Tidwell one on one first, or even in the sight of only two or three witnesses. They just blasted him without any biblical protocol.

Biblical outrage porn.

The reason they don't confront a polygynous man with scripture is there is no verse anywhere in the whole Bible that actually says it is wrong. Only one man in our community exampled a sincere concern and attempted to call out my husband. He was given the challenge by my husband to "Bring me the verses that say it is wrong" and here we are about 3 years later still waiting. The local paster only talks about us... behind my husband's back...not to his face.
All their heavy hitting verses are found in the "1st book of opinions." They might HATE IT....but they know deep down they won't win if they actually engage.

 

[Mojo]

1st book of opinions."

Right next to II Traditions

 

[frederick]

....but they know deep down they won't win if they actually engage.

That seems to me to be the reason they don't/won't follow the Matthew 18 pattern for dealing with a "sinning" brother. If the error is so obvious biblically there should be no problem for them to deal with it as Jesus Christ set out. It's rather sad they refuse to open their eyes and look at what is actually Written. Ah well...

 

[Mark C]

Indeed, the irony is striking: if Protestia’s reading were taken seriously, it would forbid plurality only in the pulpit while permitting it in the pews—creating a church where the congregation may live in covenants the elders themselves are barred from modelling.

That 'irony' may be the ONLY thing that Roman pagan xtianity is consistent about: They already forbid 'fathers' from any Covenant Marriage whatsoever. (And the results there they have tried to hide for centuries.)