Paul left Timothy behind in Ephesus to stop false teachers;
1Tim 1:3. The church
there was fighting many false doctrines from the religion of Artemis because
Ephesus was the world center of her worship. The mystery religions and Gnostic
beliefs shared many of these same beliefs.
Here are five of these false doctrines widely believed in Ephesus:
1. Eve was created before Adam and received "special knowledge" when she ate the
forbidden fruit.
2. Female "Mediators" passed this "special knowledge" on to men during sexual
rites featuring intercourse.
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3. Mediator women mixing sex with worship were called "Authenia" from the
Greek word "Authenteo".
4. Warrior women called Amazons. who were superior to men, founded the city of
Ephesus and set up the worship of the fertility goddess Artemis.
5. Artemis, whose name meant SAFE, could keep a woman safe during the dangers
of childbirth.
Paul is arming Timothy against every one of these evil doctrines! He warns him in
1Tim 1:20 against two teachers who blaspheme, one a female named Hymenaeus
meaning "Wedding Song" and the other a male named Alexander. The doctrine of
female Mediators is countered in
1Tim 2:5, "For there is one God and one Mediator
between God and men...". A few verses later Paul moves to stop female teachers
such as Hymenaeus by instructing, "I do not permit a woman to teach or to
"AUTHENTEIN" a man, but to be in silence." (copied)
However to any Bible teacher this is a well known fact...