The Book of Isaiah

Chapter 1 V.1 Part 3.4

Paul & the Female Controversy 2

In accordance to the book, “Paul, The Mind of the Apostle,” by A. N. Wilson, the following information about the problem Paul was dealing with in Corinth is as follows. (I will put direct information/quotes from the book in italics as opposed to quotation marks, and my comments and paraphrased notes from the book will be interspersed in the regular type.)

First, Corinth (Korinthiazesthai in the greek) means to fornicate. It was the sacred hill-city of Aphrodite which crowned the high mountain on which the city stood. The temple was staffed by a thousand female slaves. This was a place of sexual license.

Shortly after Paul left – the Christians in Corinth got involved in a sexual scandal. A member of the church had an affair with his stepmother. (Considering all of Paul’s boasting in the books of the Corinthians – this no doubt caused him great embarrassment.) Paul was scandalized, claiming that if the guilty couple intended to marry, they’ll be breaking Roman law, which had a code relating to the spouses of parents. Sons were not allowed to steal their father’s women. This issue was, according to this writer, the reason for the inequality scriptures in the books of the Corinthians. However, he did note a few things about the support of women to Paul as well.

The foundation of the church in Europe owed everything to Paul’s friendship with a rich business woman named Lydia. (It started with associations or trading communities; Lydia and the cloth makers, in Phillipi; Priscilla and Aquila and the tentmakers in Corinth.)

It is absolutely ludicrous to think that Paul, who was so supported by women in these communities, both in the spirit, financially and economically, and pretty much in whatever he requested of them; would turn on them in such a divisive and insulting manner and basically tell them all to just sit down and shut up. This ideology just does not flow with Paul’s doctrine in general, nor does it fit his efforts to explain in his letters the actions and attitude of those seeking to follow the Lord.

Further on, he references the perceptions of the modern church against the established “occasional” letters of Paul’s to his friends and converts.

Paul is the great libertarian of religious history. Though a Jew of Jews – by his own account – he had the most cavalier view even of the written word of God. These good evangelicals will produced phrases of Paul’s to enforce their arguments one way or another, as if Paul’s letters were ‘Scripture’ in the sense of the Torah being ‘Scripture.’

This is what Paul’s letters were destined to become in later ages of Christendom, in fact, remarkably soon after his death. But when he wrote his letters, they were all occasional pieces, in response to particular needs and queries which had arisen among his friends and converts.

2Cr 3:1 Do we begin again to commend ourselves? or need we, as some [others], epistles of commendation to you, or [letters] of commendation from you?

 2Cr 3:2 Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men:

 2Cr 3:3 [Forasmuch as ye are] manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.

Here, the author speaks about Ephesus as well. I felt this was relevant in that in both cases of Ephesus and Corinth, there was a problem of Aphrodite/Artemis/Diana worship, thus I thought it was pertinent to see what was happening in both places, seeing as how both were huge centers of this goddess worship.

Ephesus was a great centre of magic and magicians, and above all, its presiding deity, Artemis, had the most powerful magic of all and power over the ‘powers.’ The temple of Artemis was regarded as one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Artemis, or Diana, as the Romans called her, was more widely worshipped than any other deity known to the Greek traveler Pausanias.

Artemis was big business in Ephesus – an entire month was dedicated to her; festivals, temple merchandise etc; Paul and his followers were interfering with capitalism in Ephesus.

Act 19:23  And the same time there arose no small stir about that way.

 Act 19:24  For a certain [man] named Demetrius, a silversmith, which made silver shrines for Diana, brought no small gain unto the craftsmen;

 Act 19:25  Whom he called together with the workmen of like occupation, and said, Sirs, ye know that by this craft we have our wealth.

 Act 19:26  Moreover ye see and hear, that not alone at Ephesus, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and turned away much people, saying that they be no gods, which are made with hands:

 Act 19:27  So that not only this our craft is in danger to be set at nought; but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana should be despised, and her magnificence should be destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worshippeth.

 Act 19:28  And when they heard [these sayings], they were full of wrath, and cried out, saying, Great [is] Diana of the Ephesians.

 Act 19:29  And the whole city was filled with confusion: and having caught Gaius and Aristarchus, men of Macedonia, Paul’s companions in travel, they rushed with one accord into the theatre.

 Act 19:30  And when Paul would have entered in unto the people, the disciples suffered him not.

 Act 19:31  And certain of the chief of Asia, which were his friends, sent unto him, desiring [him] that he would not adventure himself into the theatre.

 Act 19:32  Some therefore cried one thing, and some another: for the assembly was confused; and the more part knew not wherefore they were come together.

 Act 19:33  And they drew Alexander out of the multitude, the Jews putting him forward. And Alexander beckoned with the hand, and would have made his defence unto the people.

 Act 19:34  But when they knew that he was a Jew, all with one voice about the space of two hours cried out, Great [is] Diana of the Ephesians.

 Act 19:35  And when the townclerk had appeased the people, he said, [Ye] men of Ephesus, what man is there that knoweth not how that the city of the Ephesians is a worshipper of the great goddess Diana, and of the [image] which fell down from Jupiter?

  Act 19:36  Seeing then that these things cannot be spoken against, ye ought to be quiet, and to do nothing rashly.

 Act 19:37  For ye have brought hither these men, which are neither robbers of churches, nor yet blasphemers of your goddess.

 Act 19:38  Wherefore if Demetrius, and the craftsmen which are with him, have a matter against any man, the law is open, and there are deputies: let them implead one another.

 Act 19:39  But if ye enquire any thing concerning other matters, it shall be determined in a lawful assembly.

 Act 19:40  For we are in danger to be called in question for this day’s uproar, there being no cause whereby we may give an account of this concourse.