Dr Paul Allen

While bantering about Paul’s comments about women in 1 Timothy 2, we easily miss how he uses Artemis to contextualize his message for the Ephesian church. After 2,000 years, it’s no wonder we would miss the subtle ways he addresses the issues facing Timothy. I should say “subtle” to us, but his original audience would not have missed his points. How can we expect to pick up what Paul throws down today? Insert Sandra Glahn’s Nobody’s Mother: Artemis of the Ephesians in Antiquity and the New Testament. As I explained before, Glahn makes a remarkable contribution to the church. Her study is unique because it is comprehensive yet accessible when explaining Artemis in her Ephesian context. Based on ancient evidence, no other god or goddess besides Zeus, enjoyed Artemis's renown. Naturally, we’d expect such background to influence the church in Ephesus (where Timothy lived) and to shape Paul’s letter to them. Why Paul Says What He Does Contextualization has multiple parts. We want to exa...

The Artemis of Ephesus, 1st century AD (Ephesus Archaeological Museum) (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) There are certain themes in Scripture that tend to beat you over the head with their persistence. Idolatry is one of those. It’s such a prominent theme in Scripture that some have said it is the central theme of the entire Bible . [1] And when it comes to idolatry , we humans are endlessly creative. As John Calvin said, “The heart of man is a perpetual factory of idols.” Give us the chance, and we’ll replace God with any and every object, person, ideal, or dream. Most modern people don’t quite get the Bible’s obsession with idolatry. We think of idolatry as an ancient problem for backwards people who bowed down to statues, not a relevant one for sophisticated folks like us. But we aren’t beyond idolatry. We simply dress it up in different clothes. Acts 19 gives us 5 insights into the reality of idolatry for us today: 1. An idol is anything that promises a life of security and ...

Image via Wikipedia Image via Wikipedia Image via Wikipedia Image via Wikipedia Author: Tim Challies . Demetrius was right to be worried. The Ephesian silversmith made shrines for the goddess Artemis, and what kept him up at night—worrying about his job security—was the rapid growth of Christianity in his city. Up until a missionary named Paul arrived, the silver trade in Ephesus had been rather lucrative. The worship of Artemis “brought no little business to the craftsmen” ( Acts 19:24). But Christianity meant the end of idolatry, and this posed a threat to their livelihood. So Demetrius called the silversmiths together and said: Men, you know that from this business we have our wealth. And you see and hear that not only in Ephesus but in almost all of Asia this Paul has persuaded and turned away a great many people, saying that gods made with hands are not gods. And there is danger not only that this trade of ours may come into disrepute but also that the temple of the g...