Ancient gods, Modern Worshipers- Part 7 Fertility goddesses
In the previous part, we discussed the fertility goddess — Artemis of the Ephesians. In this part, we will look at another fertility goddess — Aphrodite.
Aphrodite
Aphrodite is not mentioned in the Bible, but like the Greek goddess Artemis, she impacted the character of her worshippers. Many societies took on the character of their most revered deities. Aphrodite was the Greek goddess of love, lust, beauty, pleasure, passion, and procreation. In some cities, she was worshiped as the goddess of war. The Romans adopted a syncretized version of her worship and called her Venus. Aphrodite had similarities with Ashtoreth and other fertility goddesses worshipped in different cultures. Aphrodite was formed from the foam of Uranus’s genitals, cut off by his son Cronus, and thrown into the sea. Aphrodite is portrayed as a promiscuous goddess, who had several lovers. Hence, she had several children, one of her children Eros, is the Greek god of love and sex. One of the available surviving sculptures of the goddess shows her nude.
She was revered as the patron of all prostitutes and a yearly celebration called Aphrodisia was held in her honor. She encouraged unrestrained expressions of sexuality and one of her major centers of worship was Corinth. Historically, prostitution became rife in Corinth, as prostitutes saw their work as sacred, and the patronage of prostitutes (male and female) became customary. Corinth was one of the cities where the Apostle Paul had his ministry.
After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had ordered all Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see them, and because he was a tentmaker as they were, he stayed and worked with them. Every Sabbath he reasoned in the synagogue, trying to persuade Jews and Greeks. When Silas and Timothy came from Macedonia, Paul devoted himself exclusively to preaching, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah. But when they opposed Paul and became abusive, he shook out his clothes in protest and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent of it. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.” Then Paul left the synagogue and went next door to the house of Titius Justus, a worshiper of God. Crispus, the synagogue leader, and his entire household believed in the Lord; and many of the Corinthians who heard Paul believed and were baptized. Acts 18:1–8
Sadly, the surrounding sexual perversion had infiltrated the church at Corinth. Paul addressed this issue in his first letter to the Corinthian church.
It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that even pagans do not tolerate: A man is sleeping with his father’s wife. 1 Corinthians 5:1
Paul had been informed about a case of incest, where one of the Christian men was in an open sexual relationship with his stepmom. His recommendation was to excommunicate the erring brother from the assembly of the saints.
So when you are assembled and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present, hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord. 1 Corinthians 5:4–5
The phrase “hand over to Satan” was an early church euphemism for the ex-communication of individuals who persisted in sinful behavior. The goal was to inspire godly sorrow and bring about repentance.
Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it. Though I did regret it — I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while — yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. 2 Corinthians 7:8–10
Paul also addressed questions regarding the patronage of prostitutes.
“I have the right to do anything,” you say — but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything” — but I will not be mastered by anything. You say, “Food for the stomach and the stomach for food, and God will destroy them both.” The body, however, is not meant for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, “The two will become one flesh.” But whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit. Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body. Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies. 1 Corinthians 6:12–20
Paul clarifies that the popular custom of patronizing male and female prostitutes for sexual pleasure was not something believers in Christ should engage in. He instructed that all forms of sexual immorality be avoided. Earlier in the chapter, he stated that those who engaged in these things had no place in God’s heavenly kingdom.
Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men. 1 Corinthians 6:9
At Rome where Aphrodite was worshiped as Venus, Paul established a link between idolatry and sexual depravity. He writes this in his letter to the Romans.
Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator — who is forever praised. Amen. Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. In the same way, the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men and received in themselves the due penalty for their error. Romans 1:24–27
Paul recommended the proper practice of marriage, between a man and a woman, as the appropriate expression of sexual desire.
Now for the matters you wrote about: “It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.” But since sexual immorality is occurring, each man should have sexual relations with his own wife, and each woman with her own husband. The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband. The wife does not have authority over her own body but yields it to her husband. In the same way, the husband does not have authority over his own body but yields it to his wife. Do not deprive each other except perhaps by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. 1 Corinthians 7:1–5
Paul also addresses the issue of proper roles and fidelity within the marriage relationship. He uses an adopted Jewish practice that had become a recommendation for Christian married women. In the Jewish law women who were suspected of breaking their marital vows through adultery, were to uncover their hair.
And the priest shall set the woman before the Lord, and uncover the woman’s head, and put the offering of memorial in her hands, which is the jealousy offering: and the priest shall have in his hand the bitter water that causeth the curse: Numbers 5:18
Head covering became a symbol of submission of married Christian women to their husbands and a proof of fidelity in the marital relationship.
I praise you for remembering me in everything and for holding to the traditions just as I passed them on to you. But I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God. Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head. But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head — it is the same as having her head shaved. For if a woman does not cover her head, she might as well have her hair cut off; but if it is a disgrace for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, then she should cover her head. A man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but woman is the glory of man. For man did not come from woman, but woman from man; neither was man created for woman, but woman for man. It is for this reason that a woman ought to have authority over her own[c] head, because of the angels. Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. For as woman came from man, so also man is born of woman. But everything comes from God. Judge for yourselves: Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? Does not the very nature of things teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him, but that if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For long hair is given to her as a covering. If anyone wants to be contentious about this, we have no other practice — nor do the churches of God. 1 Corinthians 11:2–16
In a society where prostitution and infidelity were common, it was important to set apart married Christian women. By covering her hair, the married, Corinthian, Christian woman acknowledged that she was submitted to the leadership of her husband, as the proper order set by God. The husband was not required to cover his head because he was accountable to the leadership of God, in his dealings with his wife. However, to avoid any sense of false superiority, Paul states that there would be no men without women, as men are born by women. Instructing women to submit to their husbands does not imply that they are inferior and should not be an opportunity for subjugation.
Thank you for reading. In the next part, I will conclude the discussion on the fertility goddesses.
