PAUL ENCOURAGES EPHESIAN BELIEVERS TO RETAIN UNITY DESPITE PERSECUTION

EPHESIANS

In the letter written “to the saints at Ephesus” (Eph. 1:1), Paul celebrates the blessings the Lord showers on his church and holds up a picture of what it means to be one in Christ. The church at Ephesus was on its way. Through three years of Paul’s labor (Acts 20:31), the Holy Spirit had established a church in Ephesus that remained influential for centuries.30 But during the first century Paul wrote a letter to the Ephesian fellowship encouraging them to retain unity despite the political, social, and financial persecution under way. We will see that this church, in this city, needed to hear that message for a reason.

The city of Ephesus enjoyed a significant Jewish population.31 When Paul arrived in this city, he spent the first three months boldly and persuasively teaching about Jesus in the synagogue (Acts 19:8). When many there refused to listen and even began to publicly malign the followers of Jesus, Paul moved to the lecture hall of Tyrannus, where he continued to work for another two years (Acts 19:9–10).

The location of Ephesus on the Aegean coast made it an important commercial center.32 And the emperor thought it important to establish a college of messengers here.33 It is no surprise, therefore, that Paul chose to preach so long at this hub of human movement. When he did, “all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord” (Acts 19:10).

Years later, during the time of Paul’s imprisonment, he wrote the church in Ephesus a letter (Ephesians).34 In particular he encouraged these disciples to remain focused on Christ and to remain united in the face of coming persecution. Paul’s call to remember the key message of Christ (Eph. 2:1–10) was critical to people living in Ephesus, who were surrounded by other religious attractions. In Acts we hear about two of those attractions. Luke reported that “a number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly” (Acts 19:19). These may well have been the famous “Ephesian Writings,” scrolls that contained magical practices and incantations designed to manipulate life.35 The second and even larger attraction unique to Ephesus was the great temple of Artemis (also known as Diana). Artemis was an idol of nature who promised to provide fertility to those who came to worship at the massive, marble temple built in her honor.36 People would flood into Ephesus from throughout the region in order to honor this image. When they did, they boosted the local economy by purchasing votive offerings from the local artisans. As the church took root in Ephesus, the local artists began to suffer financially since there was less demand for these images. At one point, things became so tense that a riot developed, and a public demonstration was held in the theater at Ephesus (Acts 19:23–41). Eventually the city clerk dismissed the assembly, but the temple and its attraction continued. Thus Paul urged the Ephesian church to remain focused on Christ in the face of these destructive alternatives.

Idol of Artemis (Diana) of Ephesus (first century AD).
© Dr. James C. Martin. The Ephesus Museum.

Paul encouraged Ephesian believers to retain unity despite persecution. Rejection of Artemis, witchcraft, divination, and emperor worship had already brought persecution to the church at Ephesus. Upcoming events would continue to bring untold hardship their direction (Eph. 2:11–22; 4:1–16). Nero was the emperor of Rome at the time,37 and he soon began to blame the followers of Jesus for problems that he himself had caused. As scapegoats, Gentile believers in the Messiah Jesus were considered traitors who were disloyal to the Roman emperor, and they were subject to various forms of persecution, torture, and execution. In the face of that hardship, Paul urged the church at Ephesus to recognize the true enemy, to remain united, and to put on the full armor of God while standing firm against the devil’s schemes (Eph. 6:10–18).

The harbor road, theater, and cardo of Ephesus (aerial view looking east).

The Ephesus theater, with a seating capacity of seventeen to twenty-five thousand, was originally built by the Greeks and later renovated under the Roman rulers Claudius, Nero, and Domitian.