Sermon for the Sixth Sunday after Trinity – 11 July 2021: Ephesians 1, 3-14; Mark 6, 14-29
Fr Leonard Doolan, St Paul’s Athens
Last Sunday we read from St. Paul’s letter to the Christians in nearby Corinth. This morning we have travelled North East, to the capitol of the Roman Province of Asia, Ephesus. The two cities are connected, as it is known that Paul wrote to the Corinthians from Ephesus.
Ephesus was not only the centre of Roman Administration of the province, it was also home to one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient world the Temple of the Goddess Artemis who was worshipped by a cult of wealthy noble women who were her priestesses and acolytes.
While in Ephesus St. Paul caused a great stir among the silversmith workers, headed up by one Demetrios. He gathered his fellow craftsmen together, and the artisans and sellers of the little silver replicas of the temple, and, no doubt, silver images of the goddess, maybe earrings, brooches, bracelets and fascinators.
The accusation is that St. Paul has been preaching against the main source of their trade and livelihood, maintaining that gods made with hands are not gods at all. (Acts 19 26). Demetrios was concerned that their temple and its cult would be discredited across Asia – but I guess his main concern was loss of income.