|
by
Doug Ward |
The apostle Paul reached Ephesus, the largest city in Asia Minor,
during his third missionary journey. Speaking at the synagogue and later at a
local lecture hall, he reached both Jews and Gentiles with the Gospel (Ac
19:8-10). When the power of the resurrected Messiah was demonstrated through
miracles, many were persuaded to abandon magic and occult practices (vv 11-20).
Paul
stayed at Ephesus for three years (Ac 20:31). One special challenge he faced
there was the pervasive influence of the goddess Artemis, whose worshipers saw
the Gospel as a threat to their traditions and livelihoods. At one point their
protests sparked a riot, with people chanting, "Great is Artemis of the
Ephesians!" (Ac 19:28)
Other
historical sources confirm that Artemis was the chief deity of Ephesus in the
first century. Ephesus was the home of the Artemision, a great temple of
Artemis that was one of the wonders of the ancient world. The Artemision drew
thousands of visitors each year and also functioned as a bank. It was a center
of worship, tourism, and commerce.
According
to Greek mythology Artemis, the daughter of Zeus and Leto, was born near
Ephesus. After her birth, Artemis witnessed Leto endure a long and grueling
labor before the birth of her twin brother Apollo. As a result, Artemis decided
that she would not marry or have children. At the same time, she wanted to aid
women who were in labor.
Artemis
was often pictured as a virgin huntress. Among her followers were the Amazons,
independent warrior women who were said to have played a role in the founding
of Ephesus. Pregnant women in Ephesus often prayed to Artemis, asking that she
would either grant them a short labor or use her arrows to give them a painless
death.
Women
played key roles in the worship of Artemis. Wealthy women often sponsored
banquets and festivals in honor of Artemis, and some had the privilege of
adorning her image at the Artemision for these events. These women were to be
single and celibate, following the example of the goddess.
|
First
Timothy in Context |
The prominence of Artemis in Ephesian life may elucidate some
details in Paul's first letter to Timothy, which Paul wrote to help Timothy
combat false teaching in Ephesus (1 Ti 1:1-3). Paul
specifically mentions "myths" (v 4), which could include the
mythology of Artemis.1 He exalts
the God of Israel as "Savior," "King," and "the only
God," and Jesus as Lord (1:1-2; 17) Since Ephesians held Artemis to be
lord, savior, queen, and first among the deities, Paul's implication is clear:
it is God the Father and Jesus the Messiah who are supreme, not Artemis.
In
Ephesus all non-Jewish people were expected to pay homage to Artemis as a civic
duty. Gentiles hearing the Gospel would be tempted to simply add Jesus to their
list of deities. In particular, women facing the dangerous experience of
childbirth would be tempted to continue praying to Artemis for help. This may
be why Paul speaks of women being "saved through childbearing-if they
continue in faith and love and holiness, with self-control" (1 Ti 2:15). Rather than turning to Artemis for deliverance,
Christians should follow Jesus and live holy lives. Then the true God would see
them through their pregnancies safely.2
There
was a large number of single women among the believers in Ephesus, including
many widows (1 Ti 5). This demographic detail may be
related to the esteem in which the virginal Artemis and Amazons were held in
Ephesian society. Elsewhere in the letter, Paul is critical of those in Ephesus
who would "forbid marriage" (4:3).
Among
the younger widows in Ephesus were "gossips and busybodies, saying what they
should not" (5:13). The word translated "busybodies," periergos, appears elsewhere in the New Testament
only in Acts 19:19, where it refers to "those who had practiced magic
arts." The word for gossips, phlyaros,
refers to "those who talk nonsense." These widows went "from
house to house," which could mean "from house church to house
church," as in Acts 5:42; 20:20. They seem to have been spreading false
teaching, perhaps involving magic, among the believers.
Paul
concludes, "So I would have the younger widows marry, bear children,
manage their households ..." (5:14). This ruling, specific to the
situation in Ephesus, differs from his instruction in 1 Corinthians 7:8 that
single people stay single, if possible, in order to concentrate on serving God.
Special situations in different congregations could warrant instruction
tailored to those situations.
Paul's
statement in 1 Timothy 2:12, "I do not permit a woman to teach or to
exercise authority over a man," also may be directed to a specific problem
in Ephesus and not intended as a universal rule for all times, places and
churches. This is suggested by Paul's use of the first person singular ("I
do not permit") as well as the prominent role that women played in the
early church. Note, for instance, the number of female evangelists singled out
in Romans 16 and the example of Priscilla, along with her husband Aquila,
teaching Apollos a more accurate understanding of the faith (Ac 18:24-26).
The
situation Paul addresses in 1 Timothy 2 involves strife during communal prayers
(v 8). Perhaps wealthy women with great prestige in Ephesian society were
trying to exercise their high status in the assembly of believers (v 9). In
Ephesus such status was often connected with the cult of Artemis, who was said
to have born before Apollo and was first among deities. However, in the
biblical account of origins, Adam was created first and Eve was deceived (vv 13-14). Women who had previously held Artemis as a role
model should listen, learn the truth, and not disrupt worship.
1
Timothy 2:8-14 is a debatable passage, and attempts to reconstruct the
background behind it are necessarily speculative. Whatever the precise details,
close attention to the historical context of 1 Timothy, including the role of
Artemis in Ephesian culture, should lead us to a more accurate understanding of
the epistle. There is much to suggest that 1 Timothy 2:12 addresses a specific
problem in Ephesus and is not intended as a universal prohibition of women
exercising gifts for teaching or leadership.
1The name of Artemis
does not appear in the epistle, but we should remember that Paul never mentions
the name of any pagan deity in his letters.
2See
Sandra Glahn, Nobody's Mother: Artemis of the
Ephesians in Antiquity and the New Testament, IVP Academic 2023, chapter 6.
File
translated from TEX by TTH,
version 3.66.
On 21 Jun 2024, 14:27.
