Ephesus was one of the great cities of the Roman Empire and was the connecting point for trade routes between the eastern steppes of Asia and the western part of the empire. The population at the time of Paul has been estimated at between 225,000 and 333,000. While Pergamum was considered the formal capital of Asia, Ephesus became the seat of the proconsul and his staff as well as the main port of the province and the seat of the provincial assembly. The population included a large community of Jews who began settling in the area years earlier. They were tolerated by the Romans because of the size of their community and the importance of the city. (It has been estimated that at this time over seven million Jews lived in the Roman Empire – about 7% of the total population.)
The streets were well paved and lighted; the main street was 70 feet wide and paved with marble. It led to the temple of Artemis (Diana), one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. The city contained numerous public baths, libraries, a science museum, a theater that seated at least 25,000 and one of the empire’s leading medical schools.
Because of the importance of its location, the history of Ephesus is filled with political upheaval and changing allegiance. In 88 BC, Ephesus joined with other Asian cities in a revolt against Rome. On two occasions, she supported the loser in Roman civil wars, but this did not seem to affect her importance with Rome. Soldiers were a familiar sight in the city, as were physicians, merchant seamen, philosophers, businessmen, traders, magicians, cult hierarchy and a variety of nationalities.
The Temple
The temple of Artemis was 350 feet by 180 feet and was surrounded by 128 columns, each the gift of a king. It contained magnificently carved pillars and arches.
Eunuch priests were attended by virgin priestesses and many slaves. In addition, 10,000 priestess harlots were assigned to the temple.
Artemis was the Greek goddess of wild animals, the hunt, vegetation, chastity and childbirth (not conception). When the Romans conquered the Greeks, Artemis was merged with Diana, the Roman goddess associated with fertility.
Decline
Due to deforestation of the area, the city began to decline economically by Paul’s day. Topsoil slipped from the bared hillsides, streams became swamps and the rivers reached the sea loaded with silt, choking the harbors. Today, the harbor of Ephesus may be traced seven miles inland from the sea.
The coinage of Ephesus carried the title of the city, “The Landing Place.” Coins of the third century A.D. display an oar-propelled barge rather than a deep-hulled merchant ship, possibly indicating the filling in of the harbor.
After the Gothic conquests of the third century, the temple was looted and some of the green stone columns were carried to Constantinople to (fittingly) become part of the church of St. Sophia. On a similar note, in 431 A.D., a general council was held in the church of St. Mary in Ephesus and the Catholic church upheld the “cult of the virgin” who declared Mary as the theotokos, “mother of God.”
Background from Acts
The first mention of Paul being in Ephesus is Acts 18:19. Apparently Priscilla and Aquila had a home there. He stayed briefly, reasoning with the Jews. When he left, he promised, “I will be back if it is God’s will.” Before Paul returned, Apollos learned the Truth there from Priscilla and Aquila.
On his third missionary journey, Paul kept his promise and moved on to Ephesus after strengthening the brethren in Phrygia and Galatia. Some disciples at Ephesus had not heard of the baptism of the holy spirit, only the baptism of John the Baptist. Paul opened their understanding and thus began a fruitful stay of nearly three years in this city.
He began his evangelizing in the synagogue. After three months, when Jewish opposition hardened, he moved to the lecture hall of Tyrannus where he presented the Truth daily for two years.
Following many miracles, several of the magicians living in Ephesus were motivated to burn their books on sorcery, repenting of their evil deeds. The Truth spread so effectively in Ephesus that the trade in silver idols dropped to the point that the guild of the silversmiths started a riot. They seized two Macedonian converts and rushed them into the great theater. With the danger mounting, the brethren and provincial officials implored Paul to keep out of the street. The Jews, fearing they might be connected with Christians, selected Alexander to deny any association with Paul. However, their tactic served only to inflame the crowd to chant, “great is Diana of the Ephesians.” The crowd finally disbursed after the city clerk appeased them, urging them to take any real charges to the Roman courts.
Paul shortly left Ephesus for Macedonia and the ecclesias he established on his second missionary journey. On the return leg of that journey, Paul did not stop at Ephesus itself but did visit the port city of Miletus, some 30 miles away, where he had a tearful farewell meeting with the Ephesian elders. At that meeting, he reviewed the content of his message to them; he had declared the “whole counsel of God.” He then exhorted them to care for the ecclesial flock, being aware of coming problems and relying upon the “word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.”
The epistle
The beginning of this epistle refers to the saints in Ephesus. This verse is not found in the oldest and best manuscripts of the epistle. No mention is made of any of the individual members of this ecclesia even though Paul spent more time there than in any other city of Asia. It should be noted, as well, that almost 30% of the language of the epistle is shared by that to the Colossians.
Perhaps, while mainly intended for the brethren and sisters in Ephesus, the letter was to be circulated in the general area. The Colossian letter, while similar, contains specific references to problems in that ecclesia. The indication is that, while much of the Ephesian letter would be of wider value, Colossae needed a more specific letter.
The theme
The stress seems to be on the unity of the ecclesia — Jew and Gentile made one in Christ. Eph. 1:10 states, “that in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him.” This is the ultimate goal — all one in Christ. The work of accomplishing that goal is going on now. God, “even while we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ…and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” We are now being “fitly framed together…builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit” (2:5,6,21,22) With Christ as our head, we are “the body fitly joined together.” (4:16)
We are no longer Jew and Gentile, “for he is our peace, who hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; having abolished in his flesh the enmity…for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace.” We are the temple of the living God, with Jesus Christ our cornerstone; in contrast to the temple of a non-existent goddess Artemis.
The physicians were told of another body, a more important one, that is growing up unto the “head, even Christ from whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth…maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.” (4:15,16)
Unlike the unsavory relationships associated with the cult of Diana, the ecclesia and Christ are presented as the perfect example of a right relationship between a man and a woman.
We are to be soldiers of a different order from the Roman legions. We are to become “strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might…putting on the whole armor of God.” Our armament is to consist, not of carnal weapons, but of faith, hope and the word of God.
We have not believed cunningly devised fables of a mystic cult; we have not embraced the mysteries of a secret society of magicians and nature worshipers. We have been shown the mystery of the gospel of salvation in Christ Jesus. In him, there are no secrets but rather understanding of the purpose and principles of the living God.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One