Ephesians

City of Ephesus
Location
Ephesus was located on the western shores of Asia Minor, in a plain at the mouth of the River Cayster. It was some 300 miles east from Corinth. In ancient times Ephesus was a seacoast town, but the heavy silting of the Cayster had gradually filled up the gulf until, in Paul's day the city was about three miles from the sea. However it was still an important seaport.

Road Leading into Ephesus
View of the Ancient Harbour
View of overgrown Ancient Harbour

Commerce
When Paul labored in Ephesus it was the great commercial center of western Asia Minor, ranking with Antioch and Alexandria as the three greatest trading centres in the eastern Mediterranean. Her prosperity was to a large extent due to her geographical location. You could find ships from every marine nation at her docks.

Commercial Agora #1, Ephesus
Commercial Agora #2, Ephesus
Commercial Agora #3, Ephesus
Civic Agora, Ephesus
Ephesian Coin

Status
Ephesus prided herself on being the commercial, intellectual, and religious metropolis of the Roman province of Asia. While it was not the official capital of the province it was recognised as the first city. Under the Romans Ephesus enjoyed the status of a free city.

Temple of Artemis
The chief glory of Ephesus and its top attraction was its magnificent temple, dedicated to its patron goddess. It was the centre of worship of the goddess of sex. By the Greeks she was called Artemis, by the Romans Diana. This temple was proudly called one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. It measured 343 ft. by 164 ft. and had more than 100 columns about 60 ft. high, 36 of which were beautifully carved. In the inner shrine was the image of the goddess, a mummy-like figure with many breasts, the symbol of fertility or sex goddess. Their worship was a kind of religious hysteria. Heirclitus said 'their morals were lower than animals.'

The practice of magic was intimately related to the worship of Artemis. On the statue of the goddess was inscribed certain mystic formulae to which a magic efficacy was ascribed. Ephesus was pre-eminently the city of astrology, sorcery, incantations, exorcisms, and every form of magical art.

Behind the sacred shrine was the 'treasury' which served as the bank of Asia. It was also an asylum for criminals. It was a safety spot. No one could infringe on the sacredness of Diana.

Acts 19:24-28 shows us the intimate relationship that this temple had on the daily business of the city. They manufactured and sold all kinds of little statues to hang around their necks, arms, and ankles. In 262 A.D. it was destroyed by the Goths and never rebuilt.

Temple of Artemis, Smyrna
Goddess Artemis

Theatre
Another architectural wonder, was the great theatre. It was the largest Greek theatre in Asia Minor and is reputed to have accommodated fifty thousand spectators. It also had a great stadium where races were run.

Theatre overlooking Arcadian Way, Ephesus
Theatre seats, Ephesus
Theatre Stage, Ephesus

Other Buildings
Leading up from the Ancient Harbour to the Theatre was the Arcadian Way. To the left was the commercial marketplace or Agora along with two gymnasium's known as the theatre gymnasium and the Harbour Gymnasium.

In the centre between these two gyms stood the Verulan Hall. Not far from here on Curetes St. was the Library of Celsus which has recently been restored. The statues have been placed in front of the library. Curetes St. still displays the beautiful marble pavement. Lining Curetes St. could be found the Brothel, Baths of Scholasticia, Temple of Hadrian, Fountain of Trajan, Odeum, Nymphaeum, Temple of Domitian, Civic Agora and Prytaneion or town hall. On the outskirts of the city were two gymnasiums. At the North end of the city was the Vedius Gymnasium beside the Stadium and meat market. At the east side of the city was the female Gymnasium. To the North of the Harbour Gym is the Council Church which displays a baptismal tank and several crosses on the buildings. Outside the Church stands a large wash basin and looking inside the building an altar is visible. There were also public toilets along many of the streets.

Arcadian Way
Library of Celcus
Temple of Domitian

The Church in Ephesus
We don't know who first brought the Gospel to Ephesus first. There were Jews from Asia present at Pentecost. During Paul's second missionary journey he made a weekend visit to the synagogue in Ephesus and left his helpers, Aquila and Priscilla. It appears that there was a group of Christians in Ephesus before Paul began his ministry there. The church however, seems to have received its definite organisational beginnings with the ministry of Paul. (Acts 19:9)

During Paul's third missionary journey as was his practice, he began his ministry in the Jewish Synagogue. When fierce opposition arose, Paul separated the disciples, organised the believers as a separate and distinct group, and began a two-year ministry centred in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. (Acts 19:8-10) The Gospel ministry began to have dramatic effects on the worship of Artemis and the magical arts and when severe opposition broke out Paul was forced in leaving the city after three years of ministry. Paul left the Church under the leadership of her own elders. (Acts 20:17) He returned briefly after his release from the first Roman imprisonment. (1 Timothy 1:3)

Occasion
Unlike the other pauline epistles, the contents of Ephesians doesn't help decide why Paul wrote Ephesians. It does not seem to have been written to meet any particular crisis. Probably because of it similarities with Colossians, the conflict which caused the writing of Colossians prompted Paul to write Ephesians. With Tychicus going to Asia it offered Paul an opportunity to write to his friends in Ephesus. Ephesians is the most impersonal of all the Pauline epistles and because of its lofty nature has been called the 'heavenly epistle'.