Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Evangelical
Religious Music and Entertainment
The Difference Between Kanye West’s Bride and Jesus’ Bride

The Difference Between Kanye West’s Bride and Jesus’ Bride

Last updated on: February 6, 2025 at 10:58 am by Pastor Kelly M. Williams

The Difference Between Kanye West’s Bride and Jesus’ Bride 2025-02-06T10:58:13-07:00 Pastor Kelly M. Williams

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Pastor Joel Osteen preaching and Kanye West Performing.

In 2019 Pastor Joel Osteen gave Kanye West a platform to declare His “greatness.”RobertMWorsham, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons / Rodrigo Ferrari, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

In 2019, Pastor Joel Osteen of Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas, hosted rapper, Kanye West on stage at one of his weekend services, so Kanye could declare himself, “the greatest artist that God has ever created.” Kanye went on to tell Pastor Joel and his church audience of tens of thousands and millions online and on television, “God Himself speaks directly thru me.”

Kanye goes on to say, “All of that arrogance and confidence and cockiness that y’all see me use before, God is now using for Him.”

Pastor Joel Osteen gave Kanye a platform to declare His “greatness.”

The Reality of “Reality Television Church”

Here is the sad reality of “reality television church,” we have concluded it is about us! Kanye told the congregation that day that he has a stream of consciousness with God, Himself, and “I would like everybody to be completely silent so I can let God flow through me as I speak to you guys today.”

Kanye went on to talk about strip clubs and how they are doing sex trafficking because at the end of the night the manager asks, “How much traffic did we get?”

From Church to the Red Carpet: A Troubling Contrast

Now, fast forward to now, the Grammys and the Red Carpet. Kanye brought his new wife Bianca Censori. The 30-year-old, who walked the red carpet of the 67th Grammy Awards February 2nd fully exposed alongside Kanye, proudly showing off her bold fashion choice with the world.

The video shows Kanye walking his wife out for the world to see and then indicating to her it was time to remove her coat. She then proceeds to expose herself to the entire world. He stands there while the world consumes his wife’s radiance at her expense.

The Biblical Parallel: Israel’s Exploitation and Betrayal

Strangely enough, the nation of Israel had sunk to a similar low during the time of Ezekiel.

Israel, the bride of God, had been exploited by the leaders of Israel like Kanye exploited his wife on the Red Carpet, at the Grammy’s. The bride of God, because of her leadership, had lost any sense of self-worth and value. Ezekiel the prophet on God’s behalf declared in Ezekiel 16:2, “Confront Jerusalem with her detestable sins. 3 Give her this message from the Sovereign Lord. 15 You thought your fame and beauty were your own. 16 You used the lovely things I gave you to make shrines for idols, where you played the prostitute.”

Then God said to Israel in Ezekiel 16:33, “Prostitutes charge for their services—but not you! You give gifts to your lovers, bribing them to come and have sex with you. 34 So you are the opposite of other prostitutes. You pay your lovers instead of them paying you.”

Kanye’s Role: A Modern Reflection of Ancient Warnings

Kanye didn’t turn his bride into a prostitute, because she didn’t get paid, he made her worse than a prostitute. He advertised her body to the world for free. No man of God would ever do this. No man of God would ever cheapen his wife to be a prostitute, and certainly not to become one without pay for the world to consume her radiance and her beauty.

The Enemy stole Bianca’s dignity, radiance, self-worth and beauty on February 2, 2025, and Kanye as “the spiritual leader” of their marriage was the vehicle that not only allowed it but partnered with the Enemy to make it happen.

God’s Design for Husbands and Their Brides

How does God intend for husbands to treat their brides? Ephesians 5:25 says, “Husbands are to love their brides like Christ loves His bride, the Church.” How did Jesus love his bride, the church? Ephesians 5:25 says, “He gave up his life for her 26 to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word.”

Jesus did this so that he could present the church, his bride, as glorious without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish so that she could be holy and without fault.

Kanye exploited his wife to make himself feel better. He trafficked her like a manager of a strip club but asked her to work for free like the leaders of Israel did in Ezekiel’s day.

How sad!

The Responsibility of Pastors and Spiritual Leaders

Pastor Joel Osteen’s choice to put Kanye on stage was, it seems, to exploit him, like Kanye exploited his wife. If it makes dollars for them, it must make sense to exploit others. This grieves the heart of God. This shows just how broken and sick the American church is today.

It would be good for Pastor Joel Osteen, who is one of probably the most well-known pastors in the world to stand up and say, “Kanye, this is wrong. You shouldn’t have done this.”

But I doubt Pastor Joel will have the courage or conviction to do so, which is a sad commentary on the sickness of the American church and the leadership that nationally and internationally represents millions and millions of Christians who are a part of the body of Christ, His Bride.

The Stark Contrast: The Bride of Kanye vs. The Bride of Christ

While Kanye’s bride exposed herself to the world, Kanye stood there fully clothed standing at a distance with sunglasses on motioning for his handler to pick up the fur coat she shed so the world could get unobstructed pictures of his wife’s exposed body.

Ephesians tells us that husbands ought to love their wives as their own body. For a husband who loves his wife shows love for himself. This tells me, Kanye, equally has no respect or love for himself, sadly.

A Call to Husbands and Pastors to Protect Their Brides

Husbands, listen to me, Jesus expects you to protect the dignity, self-worth, radiance, and value of your wife like He does the church.

Pastors, listen to me, Jesus expects us to protect His bride, the church. He expects us to lead her and love her, and not to exploit her for our own gain or self-satisfaction.

What is the difference between the bride of Kanye West and the Bride of Jesus? Hopefully, it is you and me. Husbands, rise up and protect the purity of your bride. Pastors rise up and protect the purity of Jesus’ Bride, the church.

If pastors will protect Jesus’ bride, the church, and husbands will protect their brides, this world will radically change for the glory of Jesus and the good of all!

Blessings,

Pastor Kelly

General Christian

Religious Music and Entertainment

Relationships and Religion

Kayne West

Kayne West and Joel Osteen

About Pastor Kelly M. Williams

I was born in 1971 with a birth defect. I had four surgeries in the first three and a half years of my life. I am not supposed to be here. I thank God for the prayers of a godly mother. I spent my childhood on a dairy farm in south-central Kentucky about one and a half hours north of Nashville, Tennessee. My father was a bi-vocational SBC pastor and farmer, and from an early age, I desired to be a pastor. In 1989, I graduated from Barren County High School and began attending Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia. In the spring of my freshman year of college, I began dating Tosha. During our dating years, in March 1992, a drunk driver killed my godly mom. This greatly shaped my view of what it means to live in a real relationship with God and others. I won the 1993 Liberty University preaching award and got to personally meet with Dr. Jerry Falwell. Additionally, I got to speak to 5k plus people in the weekly convocation service. In 1993, I married Tosha, graduated with a bachelor’s degree in pastoral studies, and began studies at Dallas Theological Seminary. While pursuing my seminary education, I worked as a youth pastor at South Park Baptist Church in Grand Prairie, Texas. I became the interim senior pastor of that church during my final year in Dallas. I graduated cum laude from DTS with a master’s of theology (Th.M.) degree in pastoral studies in 1996. After completing seminary, Tosha and I became qualified as church planter apprentices with the Southern Baptist Convention. We moved to Colorado Springs to start Vanguard Church of Colorado Springs. Vanguard quickly raised local media attention as well as national attention in media outlets such as Time, The 700 Club, Christianity Today, The New York Times, and ABC World News Tonight. I have now served as the Senior Pastor of Vanguard for 24 years and have transitioned from being a church planting/founding pastor to being a senior pastor. You can read more about the author here.

Previous Post

February 4, 2025

The Progression of Pastoral Destruction

Next Post

March 1, 2025 Scandals at Elevation Church and Potter's House

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category 1 Peter Abortion Asbury Revival Bearing Burdens Blessings of God BOOK OF MICAH charlie kirk Charlie Kirk and Steven Furtick Christmas Church Church Scandal Covid disicpleship Dr. James Dobson Ezekiel Fear Finances Francis Chan Gender Gender and Sexuality Gospel Grace Hearing the Voice of God Heart For God Homosexuality Israel Jesus Kayne West Kayne West and Joel Osteen Lauren Daigle Lauren Daigle and Steven Furtick Lauren Daigle and Steven Furtick Leaving Your Places Of Shittim Live Courageous Love Making A Name For Yourself For God Pastors and Churches Peace and Encouragement Personal Philip Yancey Politics Presidential Election Real Relationships Same Sex Ceremonies Sexual Abuse in the church Song Review Southern Baptist Churches and Women Teachers Suffering Thanksgiving Day The Bible The Good Pastor The Mystery of 23: God Speaks The Mystery of 23: God Speaks Again Uncategorized Visions and Dreams William Tyndale Woke Women Pastors

Select a Month September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 June 2024 April 2024 February 2024 January 2024 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 June 2023 May 2023 February 2023 January 2023 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Which Christian denomination is most common in Russia?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Baptist Methodist Eastern Orthodox Catholic