Apostle Paul's contextualization of Artemis
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...