Where in the World is Ephesus
Notes
Transcript
Introduction: Demons, spirits, ancestors and gods all exist as realities in the human mind and possess the power to harm and harass the living. This is true of today’s world just as it was in the ancient world. But satan is not merely a mental reality, he is actually at work in the world, now just as he was in ancient times. Research into the cultural background of the ancient city of Ephesus suggests that the occult, belief in and worship of unseen beings and powers other than the God of the Old and New Testaments may furnish important background for understanding Paul’s reasons for writing this letter and for centering on the themes he chose. Given current world wide interest in the occult, Ephesians becomes a timely challenge to modern as well as ancient beliefs and practices.
During Paul’s stay in Ephesus the people were dealing with idolatry, Emperor worship, the occult, spiritism, and astrology. The sun, moon, planets and stars influenced them greatly about what they would or wouldn’t do. They were very fearful of the things such as spirits and natural forces and they believed their lives were controlled by them. This created a need to appease these gods, spirits or natural forces. Which gave rise to religions of all sorts.
This ties into what is going on in the world today. People all over the world worship their ancestors, false gods, idols and spirits that hide under every rock and in every nook and cranny. People are looking for salvation but they are looking in all the wrong places. All of this stuff and their religion defines them and creates their identities.
Identities that we used to hold also, an identity that some of you may still be holding onto. This letter to the Ephesians is full of basic instructions to break the hold of the evil one on your life. This letter is full of truth about the identity of a son or daughter of the King. This letter tells us who we are in Christ Jesus and how to stand up to the darkness that so easily binds the hearts of men and women.
The epistle begins with a simple introduction.
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are at Ephesus and who are faithful in Christ Jesus:
2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Transitional Sentence: Paul’s epistle to the Ephesians has a lot to do with who we are in Christ because our world is still as messed up as the world the Ephesians lived in.
Ephesus - The City
a. Where in the world is Ephesus?
It is located within what was once the estuary of the River Kaystros, Ephesus comprises successive Hellenistic and Roman settlements founded on new locations, which followed the coastline as it retreated westward. Excavations have revealed grand monuments of the Roman Imperial period including the Library of Celsus and the Great Theatre. Little remains of the famous Temple of Artemis, one of the “Seven Wonders of the World,” which drew pilgrims from all around the Mediterranean. Since the 5th century, the House of the Virgin Mary, a domed cruciform chapel seven kilometres from Ephesus, became a major place of Christian pilgrimage. The Ancient City of Ephesus is an outstanding example of a Roman port city, with sea channel and harbour basin.
b. When was Ephesus an active city?
Founded about 600 BC. In 133 BC Asia Minor (modern day Turkey) was incorporated into the Roman Empire and Ephesus was designated as the capital of this new provincial area. As the capital of the Roman province it enjoyed all the benefits of Roman culture. However, by the 8th century it had begun to decline due to the silting of the Kaystros river creating a swamp and attacks by the Arabs and Turks. By the 15th century it had been totally abandoned and left in history.
c. Who lived there?
At the time when Paul was planting a church in Ephesus the city was a mixing pot of peoples and cultures. In the 600 years since the city had been founded it had been conquered and destroyed multiple times. Because of it’s location as a port city it was a stopping off point for people going to and from Asia Minor to Greece and other locations in the Mediterranean. Ephesus was also the home of many Temples for many gods including the Temple of Artemis, which is considered to be one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. This Temple was a place of pilgrimage for many in the Greco-Roman world. So the Temple was a huge tourist site and which had a whole economic system which supported and was supported by the Temple.
2. What was Ephesus like for religion?
In Latin, “religio” means “something that binds.” For Romans, religion was a force that bound families together, bound subjects to their ruler and bound men to the gods.
As a mixing pot of people and cultures it was steeped in the fear of everything. This fear created a pantheon of gods and religious practices trying to appease the gods and other spirits. They had private and public religious practices.
Private and public
Roman religion was divided into two. Spirits watched over people, families and households, and the paterfamilias was in charge of the household worship that honored them.
Romans also had a set of public gods, such as Jupiter and Mars. State worship was much more formal: colleges of priests paid tribute to these gods on behalf of Rome itself.
a. Emperor worship - (emperor cult)
Divine rule
Aeneas and Romulus themselves were believed to have been made gods after their deaths and the family of Augustus traced their roots back to these divine ancestors. As a result, the fact that Julius Caesar and his descendants were made into gods after they died was not just a way of honoring their achievements in power, it was also simple recognition of the fact that they belonged to a divine family.
idolatry - (roman idols worship)
Cult worship
Unlike most religions today, the Roman gods did not demand strong moral behavior. Roman religion involved cult worship. Approval from the gods did not depend on a person’s behavior, but on perfectly accurate observance of religious rituals. Each god needed an image – usually a statue or relief in stone or bronze – and an altar or temple at which to offer the prayers and sacrifices.
occultism -
Examination of the ancient testimony from the mid-republic through the first three centuries of the empire reveals many variants of magic and the occult, including sorcery, witchcraft, incantations for healing, binding spells, necromancy (attempted communication with the dead), the wearing of amulets as protection against evil and disease, the interpretation of dreams, and astrology.
spiritism -
Every home had household spirits that needed to be appeased to ensure everything in the home went well.
Astrology -
Keeping track of the Sun, Moon, Stars and Planets was believed to provide information about all sorts of daily activities. Much like we have in today’s society. The Horoscope.
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b. Typical Greco-Roman city with a Roman social order.
Like other Roman cities there were bath houses, theaters, a 25,000 seat amphitheater, gymnasiums, and Temples for many gods and goddesses and even one for the Emperor Domitian (but not while Paul was there). They had a major market area, a library, schools and brothels. Living quarters included everything from palatial villas to tenements. Everything a city would need.
And in this city the people lived within a relatively rigid social order. Mostly based on wealth, land ownership and family heritage.
Sitting at the top of Roman society were the emperor and the patrician classes.
Senators came next.
Equestrians - Ranking immediately below senators, equestrians became an important human resource, whose work underpinned the smooth running of the Roman Empire.
Plebeians - Rome’s working class, the plebeians had little individual power. Grouped together, however, they became a Roman mob and had to be handled carefully.
Slaves. Slavery in ancient Rome differed from its modern forms in that it was not based on race.
Soldiers - The Roman Army was one of the most successful in the history of the world and its soldiers were rightly feared for their training, discipline and stamina.
Women - Defined by the men in their lives, women in ancient Rome were valued mainly as wives and mothers.
c. The claim to fame in Ephesus.
The Temple of Artemis. A grand structure dedicated to the worship of the Greek goddess Artemis, or for Romans the goddess Diana. She was the patron of the hunt, the wilderness and the moon, who despite being a goddess of childbirth was known for her chastity.
This temple is considered to be one of the “Seven Wonders of the Ancient World” and was a huge tourist attraction. This temple is specifically mentioned in Acts 19:27 “27 “Not only is there danger that this trade of ours fall into disrepute, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis be regarded as worthless and that she whom all of Asia and the world worship will even be dethroned from her magnificence.””
3. The Epistle
a. This epistles was written by the Apostle Paul as evidenced by the first verse. “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus.” It was written sometime in the early 60’s while Paul was in prison in Rome (Acts 28:11-31).
b. Primary purpose of writing the epistle?
The exact reason for writing the epistle is unknown but much of what he writes is an encouragement for the believers in Ephesus to strengthen them and their identity in Christ. The believers would have left lives entangled in Emperor worship, idolatry, the occult and spiritism which could easily draw them back into that life. His words help to prevent returning to the old life if taken seriously and used by the believers. Then and now.
c. Paul’s history in Ephesus - Acts 19
i. Acts 19:1-6 tells us about the beginnings of Paul’s ministry in Ephesus.
1 It happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the upper country and came to Ephesus, and found some disciples.
2 He said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said to him, “No, we have not even heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.”
3 And he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” And they said, “Into John’s baptism.”
4 Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in Him who was coming after him, that is, in Jesus.”
5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
6 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking with tongues and prophesying.
So Paul found some disciples. The last couple verses of chapter 18 tell us that a man named Apollos preached the gospel in Ephesus before Paul came onto the scene. But when Apollos baptized them, he baptized them into John’s baptism not that of Jesus.
John’s baptism is one of repentance, he told the people to believe in Him who was coming after him, in other words believe in Jesus.
Baptism into Christ Jesus was one of a new life and birth into the kingdom of God as a child of God. So these disciples were baptized in the name of Christ Jesus. And so began the church in Ephesus.
ii. Next we are told that Paul entered the synagogue, as was his practice. Acts 19:8
8 And he entered the synagogue and continued speaking out boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God.
Always go to the Jews first - then the Gentiles. It says he spent three months reasoning with and persuading them about Jesus.
Reasoning - is the action of thinking about something in a logical, sensible way. Here are some quick methods of evangelism
The Pray and Say, The G.O.S.P.E.L. Journey, The Romans road, The 1 Minute Gospel, The Four Spiritual Laws, Steps to Peace with God (Billy Graham), The 5 Finger Method - In-Depth Gospel Messages - Walk through the Bible, Testimony, The Way of the Master, Share Jesus without Fear, C2C Story App, $20.00 Bill Method, One Verse Evangelism, 3 Circle Method (From Dude Disciple.com)
Persuading - is to cause someone to do something through reasoning or argument. Ask if they want to accept Jesus.
So, Paul talked about Jesus in a logical and sensible way causing them to think about and some to even come to a saving knowledge of Christ Jesus. But after a while the people started talking evil against the Way to the people. They grew hard of heart and would no longer listen.
That brings up a good question. When was the last time you reasoned with someone and tried to persuade them to believe in Jesus? Were the people hard of heart or did they listen and seem interested? The block party yesterday was a perfect chance to practice your evangelism skills.
iii. Great miracles were happening:
11 God was performing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul,
12 so that handkerchiefs or aprons were even carried from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out.
The gospel message was spreading with signs and wonders, the physical manifestation of the Holy Spirit working to prove the power of Christ Jesus over the things that held people captive.
iv. Paul was having an impact. People were accepting Christ and turning away from the darkness. Acts 19:26 says:
26 “You see and hear that not only in Ephesus, but in almost all of Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away a considerable number of people, saying that gods made with hands are no gods at all.
Many people were turning away from their past and walking into a brand new future.
That is when the persecution began. It started with the Craftsmen. Specifically a silversmith named Demetrius. His trade of making shrines for Artemis was suffering. Christians don’t need idols to worship so he wasn’t getting as much business as before and he didn’t like it. So, he gathered together the guild and as one they tried to take things into their own hands. This is when riots start. This is when people get hurt.
When everything from the riot had calmed down Paul called the disciples together. After exhorting them in the Lord he left. That ended his two years of ministry in Ephesus. But life went on in Ephesus and the church continued.
A few years later Paul wrote this letter to the church in Ephesus. Whether he received a visitor or letter from the church or just remembered what they were dealing with is unknown. Nevertheless he wrote this letter to equip them to stand against the dark forces of this world. What he wrote has been passed down to us and it can equip each of us to stand against those same dark forces of this world.
Exit: The city of Ephesus around 50 A.D. was a hard place. It was full of darkness but the gospel made a way for people to step into the light. This valley that we live in has become a hard place too, but the same gospel that made a way in Ephesus for people to be saved can make a way here too.
The disciples in Ephesus needed strengthening, encouragement and they needed to know their identity in Christ Jesus. So Paul used this epistle to do just that but, what Paul taught to the Ephesians can also strengthen, encourage and show us our identity in Christ. It can equip us to stand against the schemes of the evil one and to walk in the abundant life that God wants each of us to live.
Jesus didn’t die on the cross to save us from sin and death so that we can continue to live in fear, trapped in tombs of our own making simply because we refuse to walk out of the tomb after the stone has been rolled away.
If you are a child of the one True God then walk out of the tomb and into the light. Put aside your old self and put on Christ Jesus, put on the armor that God has provided for us to stand against the dark forces of this world.
If you are not a child of the one True God then today is the day for you. Let the truth of the gospel roll away the stone that is holding you captive and walk out into the light. Now is the day for you to change your identity, now is the time for you to become a child of the one true God.
Pray!!
