August 26 - This week we made our first foray into Turkey. I had no idea it was such an amazing country. It is clean, modern and progressive; and blessed with an incredibly rich historical legacy. The people would remind you a lot of Americans. However, in this country of 78 million people, there is not a single pair of workers. Truly the need is great, and the fields white unto harvest.
Ephesus was the fourth largest city in the Roman Empire, possessing some 200,000 souls. It was double the size of Jerusalem. To see how astounding this is by historical standards, London and Paris did not reach this size until the 16th century. In Paul's day it was a harbor town, situated right on the Aegean Sea. Now, due largely to the silting up of the Cayster River, it lies about five miles from the sea. The area between is rich, productive farmland. The upper part of the city lies between two hills, and the lower part was right on the ocean. The two parts were connected by a gleaming road of marble, with statues on both sides. I paced it off, and it is 20' to 25' wide, wider than many Greek streets today.
The story of the Gospel in Ephesus begins in Acts 18:19. Paul came to the city, left his companions there, went to Jerusalem, and came back. In his absence, Apollos, Aquila and Priscilla moved there. Although he had an imperfect understanding, Apollos was teaching Christ in the synagogues. He was Jewish, as was the initial nucleus of believers. Paul's stayed there two full years, and the mission yielded spectacular results among the Greeks. Perhaps he alludes to the miracle of the Gospel bringing the two peoples together in Ephesians 3:14. "For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us."
The first two pictures below show the amphitheatre which was the setting for Acts 19:23ff. Paul's companion's, Gaius and Aristarchus, were hauled there to face the wrath of the silversmiths. "Great is Diana of the Ephesians," the mob shouted for two hours. The acoustics are superb in the theater, and it would have been incredibly intimidating. The theater is scooped into the hillside in the lower city, not far from the harbor. The current design holds about 25,000 people, larger than in Paul's day. It had been expanded up the hillside in the second century. Autzen Stadium was likewise renovated a few years ago to seat more than the 50,000 rabid Duck fans it used to hold.
Eight or ten years later, the Spirit, through the apostle John, had a message for the Ephesian church, Revelation 2:1-7. He compliments them on their labor and patience, and for their discernment in rejecting the false apostles who had come their way. These were the circumcising missionaries who were telling the gentile believers they had to keep Torah to be saved (see 2 Cor. 11:3, 4, 13ff). But they had lost their first love, and their zeal for the things of God had cooled. Paul had also admonished them to "walk in love" and reminded them of the necessity of being "rooted and grounded" in love. "That Christ may dwell in your heart by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge ....." (Eph 5:2, 3:17-19)
The amphitheatre where they shouted, "Great is Dianna of the Ephesians."
Another view of the ampitheater
The library of Celsus
The view from the upper city down the marble roadway to the lower city
The public latrines
The foot incised in marble.
Keep the information coming! Very interesting to learn the census data on Ephesus.
ReplyDeleteI've seen colored drawings of what the temple of Diana might have looked like, created after the 19th century archaeologists found traces of color (early paint) on stones in the ruins.