Topical Bible: Idolatry: Ephesians

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In the context of the New Testament, the Apostle Paul's letter to the Ephesians addresses various aspects of Christian living, including the renunciation of idolatry. Ephesus, a prominent city in the Roman province of Asia, was known for its temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and was a center of pagan worship and idolatry. This cultural backdrop provides a significant context for understanding Paul's exhortations to the Ephesian believers.

Ephesians 5:5-6
In Ephesians 5:5-6, Paul warns the believers about the consequences of idolatry, equating it with immorality and greed: "For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure, or greedy person—that is, an idolater—has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on the sons of disobedience." . Here, idolatry is not limited to the worship of physical idols but extends to any form of covetousness or greed, which Paul identifies as a form of idolatry. This broadens the understanding of idolatry to include anything that takes precedence over God in one's life.

Ephesians 4:17-19
Paul further elaborates on the lifestyle that believers are to abandon, contrasting it with their new life in Christ. In Ephesians 4:17-19, he writes: "So I tell you this, and testify to it in the Lord: You must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardness of their hearts. Having lost all sense of shame, they have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity, with a craving for more." . The reference to the Gentiles' way of life, characterized by futility and impurity, implicitly includes idolatrous practices prevalent in their culture.

Ephesians 1:15-23
In contrast to the idolatrous practices of the surrounding culture, Paul emphasizes the supremacy of Christ and the believers' identity in Him. Ephesians 1:15-23 highlights the power and authority of Christ, who is "far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in the present age but also in the one to come." (Ephesians 1:21). This passage underscores the futility of idolatry by affirming the ultimate authority of Christ over all creation, encouraging believers to place their trust and worship solely in Him.

Ephesians 2:1-10
Paul reminds the Ephesians of their past state and the transformative power of God's grace. In Ephesians 2:1-10, he describes how they were once "dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you used to walk when you conformed to the ways of this world and of the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit who is now at work in the sons of disobedience." (Ephesians 2:1-2). This passage highlights the spiritual bondage associated with idolatry and the liberation found in Christ, who "made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in our trespasses." (Ephesians 2:5).

Ephesians 6:10-18
Finally, Paul instructs the Ephesians to stand firm against spiritual forces, which can include the temptations of idolatry. In Ephesians 6:10-18, he urges them to "put on the full armor of God, so that you can make your stand against the devil’s schemes." (Ephesians 6:11). The spiritual armor, including the belt of truth and the shield of faith, equips believers to resist the allure of idolatry and remain steadfast in their devotion to God.

Through these passages, the letter to the Ephesians provides a comprehensive understanding of idolatry, urging believers to reject all forms of it and to live in the light of their new identity in Christ.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Acts 19:28
And when they heard these sayings, they were full of wrath, and cried out, saying, Great is Diana of the Ephesians.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Ephesians v. 5, 6
... the blessed Paul, at this time when he wrote to the Ephesians, spoke thus ... thou hear
again another argument, to teach you how covetousness is idolatry, and more ...
/.../homily xviii ephesians v 5.htm

Homilies on Galatians and Ephesians.
... Apostles, &c., Ephesians 4:11, 12; the subordination of the Christian ministry not ...
Covetousness is idolatry in Christians, [194]133-34; leads to the death of ...
/.../homilies on galatians and ephesians.htm

Connection Between Covetousness and Idolatry. Certain Trades ...
... to equipping or forming idols, can be free from the title of idolatry; unless we
interpret idolatry to be ... The two places are Colossians 3:5, and Ephesians 5:5. ...
/.../tertullian/on idolatry/chapter xi connection between covetousness and.htm

Professions of Some Kinds Allied to Idolatry. Of Astrology in ...
... We observe among the arts [207] also some professions liable to the charge of idolatry. ...
English margin.]. [208] See Ephesians 5:11, 12, and similar passages. ...
/.../tertullian/on idolatry/chapter ix professions of some kinds.htm

The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Ephesians
... to a creed which affected the vested interests of idolatry was the ... is not mentioned
in the Epistle, but the connection between Ephesians, Colossians, Philemon ...
/.../pullan/the books of the new testament/chapter xv the epistle of.htm

On Idolatry
... 3:5; Ephesians 5:5.) But so far is that opinion or knowledge (by which he does not
esteem the idol as a god) from acquitting him of idolatry, who adores ...
/.../arminius/the works of james arminius vol 1/disputation 23 on idolatry.htm

Exhortation to Abandon the Impious Mysteries of Idolatry for the ...
... Chapter I."Exhortation to Abandon the Impious Mysteries of Idolatry for the Adoration
of the Divine Word and God the Father. ... [869] Ephesians 2:2. ...
/.../clement/exhortation to the heathen/chapter i exhortation to abandon the.htm

Ephesians vi. 8-May
... Ephesians vi.5-8 ... The Devil never proposes to us sins in their proper colors; he does
not speak of idolatry, but he sets it off in another dress, using "wiles ...
/.../homily xxii ephesians vi 8-may.htm

Ephesians vi. 14-17
... in this language, "Look, therefore, carefully how ye walk." (Ephesians 5:15 ... is
corruption, corruption more dangerous than any other, and leading on to idolatry. ...
/.../homily xxiv ephesians vi 14-17.htm

But the Freemen Shall be Tried by Penance for Three Years...
... And they indeed made haste to preserve their own lives, and drove their fellow-servants,
who might have escaped, to idolatry. Footnotes: [2298] Ephesians 6:9. ...
/.../peter/the writings of peter of alexandria/canon vii but the freemen.htm