Ephesians 6:5

It’s Crazy Bible Verse Tuesday and today’s verse comes from the book of Ephesians and makes it clear that slavery is supported in the Bible.

“Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ.” – Ephesians 6:5

Not only are there slaves, but these slaves must obey their masters with respect and fear.  WTF?!?!?  This is one of many verses on slaves in the Bible and these verses make it clear that the supposedly all-perfect God supports and wants you to have slaves.  What does this say about the god of the Bible?  Is God worthy of your worship if he demands some people be slaves?  Nope.

And to the apologists out there who will reply back with “but we are all slaves to our jobs,” just shut up.  You know that’s not what this means.  This is clearly the enslavement of one human to do the will of another, no questions asked.

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Ephesians 3:14

Today’s crazy Bible verse is a bit different.  Let me begin by giving it to you.

“For this reason I kneel before the Father,” – Ephesians 3:14

At first glance you may be thinking “where’s the crazy?”  Let me give you some the back story.  The other day while out in public I saw a lady with a shirt with this verse on the back.  Nothing was on the front other than the church’s name.  In the Bible you’ll see Ephesians 3:14 is the beginning of “A Prayer for the Ephesians” that continues for several more verses.  The T-shirt I saw, however, only included Ephesians 3:14 and it was not the KJV or NIV.  I’m not sure what version it was and I suspect it was the church’s own version of this verse.  Here’s what the shirt said:

“For this reason I sink down to my knees in front of my Lord Jesus.” – Random T-shirt

If these are the words on a shirt and there is nothing to put it in context, what’s the first thought that comes to mind?  It’s okay, you can be dirty!  J  I know you’re thinking the same thing I’m thinking.  I get down on my knees to give Jesus a blow job!  Seriously, what is one to think if those are the words on the shirt?  I’m fine with people wearing a religious shirt in public, but please, please have a teenager read your shirt design before printing it.  It will avoid embarrassing moments such as this!

Ephesians 5:22-24

This week’s crazy Bible verse brings us more misogyny.

“Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord.  For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.” – Ephesians 5:22-24

Wives must SUBMIT to their husbands in EVERYTHING!  This makes it very clear that wives are to listen to their husbands and do whatever they are told.  The Christian apologist will argue that the next verses provide commands on how a husband should treat his wife.  The apologist is correct here, but let’s see what the next couple of verses say.

“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.” – Ephesians 5:25-28

Husbands are indeed commanded to LOVE their wives, but that is much, much different than wives SUBMITTING to their husbands.  If the Bible truly wanted equality, both wives and husbands would be commanded to love each other and nothing more.