What is Revealed in The Revelation to John? - Part III

EPHESUS / WOMEN

The Revelation to John Chapter 2: 1-7

Ephesus was a wealthy city and, during the time of the early church, was also the seat of worship of the goddess Diana. Her temple was destroyed by Goths in 262 CE and it is suspected that columns from her temple were incorporated into the church of St. Sophia. The role of women, specifically Mary, Jesus' mother, is inextricably linked with this city and the events that happened in it during both the time of John's revelation and later church history. Jesus' admonition to the Ephesian church foreshadows these things.

An important church council was held in Ephesus in 431 CE. The major issue under discussion at this council was how to interpret Jesus' deity. The contenders were Nestorius, Bishop of Constantinople, and Cyril, Bishop of Alexandria. Cyril was, by all reports a harsh man and likely a misogynist. He is suspected of instigating the murder of Hypatia by a band of monks - she was a prominent Alexandrian woman and respected pagan philosopher. While Cyril had the political backing of Pope Celestine, Nestorius was supported by Emperor Theodosius II.

The debate regarding Jesus' nature impacted the role of His mother, Mary. Nestorius was concerned that if Jesus was co-equal with God the Father then Mary, by extension would also have to share the divine nature of deity. Cyril was adamant about Jesus' God-nature. One wonders if, in the spiritual realm, this debate was more about Mary than it was about Jesus. Was Mary being positioned to be the spiritual stand-in for the goddess Diana? That this council took place in Ephesus, the former seat of the worship of Diana, aka, Artemis, is very suggestive. Other parallels exist with Mary, e.g., Artemis was a virgin, and both Diana and Artemis presided over birth.

The debates between Cyril and Nestorius were heated and the participants were jailed for a while due to unruly behaviour. In the end, it was Cyril's take on things that won the day. Did this mean Nestorius' fears were realized? That somehow the understanding in that day and in that culture about the substantial nature of Jesus' deity implied a form of deity for Mary, who would then take unto herself a form of worship? Is this subtle shift a prophetic part of what Jesus meant when he warns the Ephesian church of having "lost its first love"?

Although the tie in with Jesus' admonition may be a bit of a stretch, it is suggestive that the gnostic sect of Nicolatians, whose works both Jesus and the church hated, held a doctrine regarding the "community of women". If we believe that physical locations are imbued with spiritual significance or heritage, then perhaps the distorted role of women in spiritual practice railed against by Jesus and the Ephesians, still had power to influence decisions taken several centuries later in the same location.

Even though the Ephesian church worked hard at being dogmatically correct, not tolerating those diverging from the truth, and had endured "without flagging", Jesus was no longer their first priority. Cyril would fit this description as someone who was known for his ruthless zeal. Losing their "first love", if not repented of, would result in the removal of God's light from their midst. In all his fierce attachment to holiness, did Cyril really succeed, not in glorifying Jesus, but in making a way for the spirit of the goddess Diana / Artemis to be worshiped within the Christian church? Could this be the meaning behind the incorporation of columns from Diana's wrecked temple in Ephesus into the church of St. Sophia? Indeed, legend has it that Mary lived out her last years in the neighbourhood of Ephesus - there is even a church built there in her honor, The Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary! Very intriguing coincidences, I think. Finally, the message in all of this is that our love relationship with Jesus out trumps religious dogma when it comes to discerning truth, to seeing things in the light of Christ.

An encouraging note: While the message is for the church body, the rewards are to the individual, in other words, even if the church fails and the candlestick is removed, the "one who overcomes I will grant to eat from the tree of life in Paradise." I figure this means that Nestorius, though he lost the battle, may still be eating from the tree of life in Paradise.