Paul met with a clash of deities when he took the Gospel of Christ to Ephesus. Ephesus was a center for black magic, the occult and idolatry. It is the home of the great temple of Artemis, one of the wonders of the ancient world. Artemis was the goddess of the hunt and fertility. She was the daughter of Zeus and Leto; the twin sister of Apollo. Her worship involved temple prostitution and wild orgies. Demetrius, the silversmith who created statues and shrines of Artemis, instigated a riot against Paul when he preached against man-made gods.
Located on the east coast of Turkey on the Aegean Sea, Ephesus was the home of a great library (the ruins are pictured above) and a huge amphitheater that seated 24,000. Timothy led the first century church there and the Apostle John lived and died there after he fulfilled his sentence at Patmos. Ephesus was one of the seven churches John wrote to in the book of Revelation. This is what he said: “I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first” (Revelation 2:2-5).
How did the Ephesians fall so far from their first love? I believe it was because of the city with its many attractions, both commercial and religious. Everyone seemed to worship the gods of the times. They probably enjoyed the wild parties inside the temple. It was the accepted thing to do. But it was not God’s way, and God’s way clashed with many things in Ephesus. Paul, Timothy and John established the early church there, and because they did, we have the gospel of Christ today.
Prayer: Thank you, Lord for Paul, Timothy and John, who were faithful preachers and teachers of your word. Open our eyes and our hearts to the truth established through their hard work and ministry. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
A Closer Walk with God 