Ephesians

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Paul's epistle to the Ephesians is a letter that Paul of Tarsus supposedly wrote to those in the Christian church at Ephesus.[note 1]

Themes[edit]

Commonly cited passages[edit]

  • Ephesians 6:10-18 is some tripe about "the Armor of God"; the passage uses a suit of armor as a metaphor for virtues and spiritual warfare.[note 2]
    • One verse in this passage can be interpreted to discourage warfare or activism in the name of Christ:
      Ephesians 6:12
      For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
  • The passage that tells wives to submit to husbands (Ephesians 5:22-24) is used to justify things ranging from gender roles to wife beating.[note 3]

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. Scholars now doubt the authorship of Ephesians, and ascribe it a much later date, anywhere from 70 CE to 100 CE.
  2. It uses such language as "the belt of truth"; it does not, however, mention "the mustard of your doom" as a weapon of "the enemy".
  3. The next paragraph, however, tells husbands to love their wives just like Christ loves the Church, weakening some of the more wingnut positions.