Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”
NL Daily Devotion for Friday, May 28, 2021
by R. M. Fergus, Clergy Stuff
While I love Paul and much of what he has to say, I believe there is everything wrong with this chapter of Ephesians beyond this first sentence. In his attempt to present to the Ephesian church what it means to live a Christian life, he sets up “rules” that will be used by the church for centuries (and continue to be used to this day throughout the world) to firmly establish male control over women, and a list of purity norms for oppressing anyone whose behavior doesn’t conform to what makes said men (and compliant women) uncomfortable. He creates a hierarchy which, intentionally or not, places men in the place of God in regard to human society.
I won’t “throw the baby out with the bathwater” as they say. The vast majority of what Paul has to say is absolutely critical to understanding Jesus. But I simply do not hold with people who insist you much accept every word of the Bible as correct and applicable in any circumstances, even modern ones. Heck, I don’t think this chapter of Ephesians should have been listened to even when it was written.
Yeah, yeah, context, specific audience, yada yada yada. It’s just bad theology. I hold firmly to the litmus test that any theology that oppresses or in any way harms another human being or creation is not of God. Therefore, these opening verses exhorting the Ephesians to “be imitators of God” means extending unconditional love, grace, and selfless service to all of creation. Nothing that follows in this chapter supports the initial statement.
[Gets down from soapbox.]
Do any of my beliefs lead me to behave in ways that are harmful or oppressive to others?
![1 Kings 17:1-16 [17-24], God’s Care for the Widow](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56b39b61ab48de92d991a40a/bf37035e-33d5-439f-a0d6-a68b02d0f1bc/24-11-03.jpg)
