Saved Through Childbearing - The Artemis Cult and 1 Timothy 2:15

Discover the meaning behind the Scripture that women will be saved through childbearing in 1 Timothy 2:15. This does not mean that becoming a mother or bearing children is a spiritual requirement for women. Paul is addressing concerns of the day that were intermingled with worship of the goddess Artemis. 

"But she will be saved through the childbearing, if they continue in faith and love and holiness with self-control." -1 Timothy 2:15 

There are many ideas about what is meant by this phrase. Some people will tell you any woman who gives birth is given some sort of spiritual extra credit. Others claim that this means that all women have a spiritual obligation to give birth, but this is demonstrably false because in 1 Corinthians 7:8 Paul encouraged many women to stay unmarried. Others contend that this means women are saved through the childbirth. That is, the birth of Jesus. But this explanation seems out of place in the text; even if that was intended that word choice would be odd to make that point.

So what does saved through childbearing mean?

To understand this, we need to be aware of the time and culture these words were written in. Obviously this letter was written to Timothy, who at the time was living in Ephesus. As we know from the book of Acts (and many other historic sources), this city was the home of the Temple of Artemis, and the hub of her religion. In Greek mythology, Artemis was the goddess of - among other things - chastity and childbirth. 

Artemis was a virgin goddess, and many of her followers did not marry, which is likely why Paul needed to address many groups of single women in this book. But her status as the midwife goddess is what we will be focusing on here.

In Greek mythology, the mother of Artemis died while giving birth to her and her twin brother Apollo. Awareness of agonizingly painful childbirth lead Artemis to remain a virgin and inspired her to help women in childbirth - either by a safe delivery or by gentle euthanization if things went tragically. Then as now, childbirth was dangerous and a painful death was a legitimate thing to fear.

So the culture of the day in this city where Timothy lived was that pregnant women and their families prayed to Artemis in hopes of a safe delivery. This would have been what everyone did, and anytime someone saw the Temple of Artemis (a breathtaking sight, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world) they would be reminded of that. So what did someone who was a new convert to the way and following Jesus do when she became pregnant? It's easy to see how there would be enormous pressure from friends and family to just do what everyone else does and plead to Artemis for help. 

When we realize this was a huge part of life in this city, it makes sense that Paul would address this!

While Paul never expressly names Artemis in any of his writings, he alludes to the culture of her worship in a way that wouldn't have been missed by his original readers. There are actually a lot of veiled references to Artemis in 1 Timothy, and we should note that when Paul calls Jesus 'Savior' it nearly always is directed to those in cities with prominent Artemis cults, because Artemis was called Savior and Paul seems to be correcting that.

Why is the wording of this verse so awkward?

In her book Nobody's Mother, scholar Sandra L. Glahn suggests that the strange wording could be an indication that Paul is riffing on a phrase of the Ephesians. It would make sense if there was a saying like, "She will be saved through childbearing," at the heart of the Artemis cult, with it's emphasis on the midwife goddess. Glahn says, "The fact that the writer changes from singular to plural in the same sentence (she will be saved if they....), violating a rule of grammar to do so, provides a hint that he may be borrowing a local quote." 

Borrowing from local vernacular is something we see Paul do other places in Scripture. Notably in 1 Corinthians 6:12 and 7:1-2, as well as in 1 Timothy 4:8. In Athens he quotes a local poet. This means it wouldn't be surprising if that's what Paul was doing here by using a common phrase and adding to it in a way that serves his point.

The very next sentence is further evidence to support this idea. While most translations typically pair the phrase, "This is a trustworthy saying," with the idea of people desiring to be church deacons in the following verse, it is certainly plausible that it could have been intended to go with this idea, reading: "But she will be saved through the childbearing, if they continue in faith and love and holiness with self-control. This is a trustworthy saying."

It makes sense to conclude that Paul was borrowing a saying the Ephesians had that was related to Artemis the midwife goddess.

This was not intended as an absolute truth or a universal saying. We know that not all women survive childbirth, then or now. This makes it easy to see how concerns for safe delivery would have caused stress in many members of the early church (and outside the church, as slaves in households of converts may not have held much autonomy over their own religious practices), and would have caused many to consider praying to the midwife goddess for her blessing. This would have been an issue that Timothy, Paul, and other church leaders needed to address and contend with.

From the evidence we have looked at, it makes sense that Paul mimicked a local saying as a way to reassure pregnant women and their loved ones that relying on Artemis was not necessary for safe childbirth. He meant to assure Ephesians that they didn't have to participate in local customs or family traditions or the methods of other religions to get through childbirth. Paul was not alluding to salvation through Jesus or suggesting that giving birth or becoming a mother is a requirement for all women. Paul simply borrowed from local vernacular to convey that God cares for the physical safety and well-being of women. 

By taking the time to examine the historical context of the world these words were penned in, we can better understand Scripture. 

Related posts:

Does 1 Timothy 3 Mean Women Can't Be Leaders in the Church?
What Really Happened on Mars Hill
1 Timothy 4 Explained

The Meaning of Elisha and the Widow with the Olive Oil (2 Kings 4:1-7)

Here we take a look at the deeper meaning of the story of Elisha helping a widow escape a creditor in 2 Kings 4:1-7. This story is not simply a recorded miracle, it conveys the truth that God and his law are against the exploitation of the poor and widows, and that biblical commandments instruct us not to extract usury payments. In this story Elisha addresses one of the biggest issues of his day and ours: social justice.

Here is how the story goes in Scripture: 

One day the widow of a member of the group of prophets came to Elisha and cried out, "My husband who served you is dead, and you know how he feared YHWH. But now a creditor has come, threatening to take my two sons as slaves."

"How can I help you?" Elisha asked. "Tell me, what do you have in the house?"

"Nothing at all, except a flask of olive oil," she replied.

And Elisha replied, "Borrow as many empty jars as you can from your friends and neighbors. Then go into your house with your sons and shut the door behind you. Pour olive oil from your flask into the jars, setting each one aside when it is filled."

She did as he said. Her sons kept bringing jars to her, and she filled one after another. Soon every container was full to the brim! 

"Bring me another jar," she instructed her sons.

"There aren't any more!" he told her. And then the olive oil stopped flowing.

When she told the man of God what had happened, he said to her, "Now sell the olive oil and pay your debts, and you and your sons can live on what is left over." -2 Kings 4:1-7

It's easy to read through stories like this, and really a huge section of 1 and 2 Kings where it rapid-fire lists obscure things that happen. Most Christians will read through these and focus on that all things are possible with God, and that miracles happen even in the most unlikely ways.

Those are important takeaways, but Scripture has depth. There's more that's going on than just the surface level, even though the surface does of course matter. There's a reason this story is recorded in the Bible and it goes beyond just that God does miracles.

Here Elisha is addressing one of the biggest issues of his day. He is touching on one of the flagstone justice issues that concerned every biblical prophet. The story of the widow and the olive oil is recorded because the author of this book of Scripture wants it known that Elisha denounced usury.

You may not be familiar with the word usury, but you have not escaped its existence. Usury is the practice of charging interest on a loan. Many people will tell you that usury is charging exorbitant interest rates on loans, but Hebrew and Greek (and Latin) don't have separate words to distinguish between interest and usury.

Take a look at what the widow says. The issue is not just that the bills are piling up and she's not sure how she will pay them. The creditor her husband borrowed from was going to take her two sons from her and make them slaves!

Scripture specifically condemns this entire mess and the creditor's behavior multiple times. We see in Exodus 22:22 a warning not to exploit widows. Ezekiel 18:22 says that a child will not be held accountable to pay for the sins of their parents. Leviticus 25:37 says that no one should take interest from the poor. The creditor is violating all of these commandments in this story. 

Elisha was angry that this powerful creditor was attempting to exploit this poor widow by calling in a loan on the threat of taking her sons as punishment. This story was recorded in 2 Kings as a protest against the behavior of powerful people like this.

Yes, God provides and does miracles. But God also stands against exploiting the poor. The story of Elisha and the widowed woman is a straightforward denunciation of usury. 

Related posts:
Jesus, the Jubilee, and Prozbul: The Financial Issues of the New Testament
12 Times Old Testament Prophets Denounced Rulers for Failing to Protect the Poor
How John the Baptist Prepared the Way for the Messiah

The Beginner's Guide to the Feast of Tabernacles

Are you new to celebrating the Feast of Tabernacles and the other biblical holidays? Are you wondering why to take part in Tabernacles, when it is, what the Bible says about it, or who should celebrate it? This post will go over the details for you and make observing this time doable and spiritually meaningful as a believer in Messiah.

What you need to know about the Feast of Tabernacles:

-It is an eight-day holiday that typically happens in the early fall (in the northern hemisphere).

-The first and last days are considered Sabbaths, which means we shouldn't work on them.

-The Hebrew name for this holiday is Sukkot, which is the plural form of the Hebrew word for temporary dwelling or tent.

-Sukkot, the Feast of Booths, or even the Feast of Tents can be used interchangeably with Tabernacles.

-The Bible tells us we should rejoice at this time!

-The eight day of Tabernacles is considered very special. The New Testament calls it, "the last and greatest day." 

Spiritual significance of the Feast of Tabernacles:

-Sukkot is the time when we remember God's promise that he will dwell with us!

-The Bible tells us that we should participate in Tabernacles as a way to commemorate and remember that the Israelites lived in tents when God brought them out of Egypt.

-It is believed that the Messiah was born during the Feast of Tabernacles. Some scholars say that he wasn't born in a manger but rather a sukkah!

-Tabernacles comes up frequently in the Bible, as do mentions of sukkahs or booths - like when Peter suggests they could build booths to commemorate seeing Moses and Elijah with the Savior.

Where the Feast of Tabernacles is in Scripture: 

-Exodus 23:16

-Leviticus 23:34

-Deuteronomy 16:13-15

-Ezra 3:4

-Nehemiah 8:14-18

-Zechariah 14:16-20

-John 7     

These are direct mentions of Sukkot in the Bible. There are lots of other mentions of sukkahs and booths that hint indirectly at the Feast of Tabernacles. These appear everywhere from the Psalms to the birth of the Messiah to the book of Revelation. 

How to observe the Feast of Tabernacles:

-Take the first and last days off of work, errands, homework, and household chores. Honor YHWH with your full attention on these days. Work is permitted on the other days, but if possible you could cut back in order to have more time to enjoy this holiday.

-Come up with some sort of tabernacle. Some people go camping for the full duration of the holiday, others pitch a tent and sleep out in their backyard. Others travel, or put up some sort of sukkah or canopy in their yard or on a balcony to spend time in and eat meals in. Come up with a way to have a temporary dwelling during this time.

-Worship. Sukkot is about remembering what God has done and praising him for it. It's an opportunity to remember the miracles in the Bible - like his people surviving for forty years in the desert, but also to look back on where you have seen God at work in your life and community. 

-Bring joy. Since joy is a tenant of Tabernacles, be intentional about doing something to bring someone else joy. Make time to visit an elderly person, pay off a child's school lunch account, compliment a stranger, donate to a good cause. Find ways to bring joy this season.

-Gather with other believers, if possible. Attend congregation if that's an option or think about inviting friends and family over for Bible study, worship, or fellowship time.

-Provide for the homeless or displaced. Think about a service project you could do to remember those in need during this time. That could be volunteering at a homeless shelter, sponsoring an orphaned child, sending care packages to those in need, or sending money to a ministry that serves refugees. 

-Have a special meal outside. Good food is an easy way to add fun and festivity to any special occasion, so think about what you'd like to enjoy! If you're getting together with other believers, consider having a potluck. 

More about the Feast of Tabernacles:
What the Bible Says about Tabernacles
Scripture Reading for Sukkot
8 Days of Activities for the Feast of Tabernacles

Earning Favor with God by Observing Biblical Holidays? (Galatians 4:10 Meaning)

In this post we will explore Galatians 4:10, and the passage about becoming enslaved by observing certain holidays or special times. We will see that this is not about celebrating God's Biblical holidays or set apart times, and learn the truth behind this passage of Scripture.

"You are trying to earn favor with God by observing certain days or months or seasons or years." -Galatians 4:10

Many people believe this to be about Biblical holidays like Passover or the Feast of Tabernacles, and will tell others that taking part in God's holidays will somehow lead them away from freedom or that their intentions for doing so are actually motivated by fear that they have to somehow impress God in order to be accepted by him. At first glance, it's easy to make the assumption that this is what Paul is getting at.

But if we back up, we can see that the context here is not about keeping the Biblical holidays. Take a look at the verses just prior to this statement.

"Before you Gentiles knew God, you were slaves to so-called gods that do not even exist. So now that you know God, why would you want to go back again and become slaves once more to the weak and useless spiritual principles of this world?" -Galatians 4:8-9

Trying to earn favor was something people did with the gods of the Roman Empire. We see this throughout Roman and other types of mythology. The gods would be angry if certain things weren't done, and in order to have a good life you had to constantly appease them, or else they would punish you.

Galatians 4:8-9 tells us that verse 10 is not about trying to earn favor with the Living God. This is about returning to spiritual practices from before these people knew the Living God.

This fits with what we about legal issues of worship in the ancient Roman Empire. Most citizens were legally required to worship certain gods. This is because it was believed that the Roman gods and more localized deities would be angry if certain rituals, sacrifices, and festivals were not done to honor them. Citizens were expected to do their part to appease these gods, and it was believed that blessings like bountiful harvests, good weather conditions, and military success had to be earned from these gods. The favor of Rome's gods had to be earned.

Paul is warning believers against returning to these practices, otherwise they become "enslaved again"...something there would be no precedent for from YHWH, since the group Paul is addressing is new to the faith. They had been enslaved before to "so-called gods," but certainly not to the Living God. The slavery in question wasn't about physical chattel slavery. It was about spiritual slavery.

You see, when mankind sins the problem is not just that we aren't perfect in God's sight. Sin indicates that we have worshiped something in place of YHWH. And that means that we have given the power and authority that God has given us to other spiritual forces. These forces then run rampant. Human lives and the natural order and beauty of Creation are destroyed. And those are the powers that we risk becoming enslaved to if we return to ungodly customs.

This passage is not warning us that keeping God's law or celebrating his holidays would somehow enslave us to negative things. What Paul is speaking of here is returning to the Roman tradition of serving local gods in order to benefit from them. Scripture does not warn against celebrating God's work during the Biblical holidays. This is about not returning to the cultural holidays that a corrupt empire wanted its citizens taking part in.

Scripture tells us repeatedly that we are to take part in holidays like the Feast of Trumpets, and Shavuot in order to remember the things that God did for his people. Taking part in Scripture's holy days was never about "earning favor," with YHWH. The holidays were always about marking the year in order for God's people to learn of the miracles he did and to remember the story of how he redeemed them. Passover, for example, was never because God was angry and he wanted people to jump through hoops, it was always to fill people up with hope when they looked back on how he delivered Israel from slavery.

The biblical holidays are about celebrating that God delivered us from slavery...taking part in them is not what what returns us to slavery. Does it make more sense that we would be enslaved by celebrating God's provision during the holidays he created or that we would be enslaved by the holidays of our culture? The slavery that Galatians 4:10 is talking about comes from turning to things other than YHWH. 

How we know Galatians 4:10 is not about biblical holidays:

-The verses immediately prior speak of returning to customs the people participated in before knowing YHWH.

-The biblical holidays were never about appeasing or earning favor with God, according to Scripture.

-Historical evidence demonstrates that Roman deities did expect favor to be earned.

-Scriptural holidays are actually about remembering God leading his people to freedom! 

Related posts:

Why Everyone Should Celebrate Scripture's Holidays
Understanding the Shadow of Things to Come in Colossians 2:16-17
The Beginner's Guide to the Biblical Holidays