The Mission Work in Ephesus – Acts 19:1-20

If we can use the length of time that Paul spent in various cities as a judge of the importance the mission work there, then Ephesus was one of the most important places of his entire ministry.

At least as far as what took place in his three missionary journeys, Paul spent more time in Ephesus than anywhere else.

And between Corinth and Ephesus, it’s hard to say which was more important.

Sure, he wrote two long letters to the church in Corinth, and only one short one to Ephesus,

But that difference is made-up by the fact that the Lord Jesus dictated a letter to Ephesus,

and tradition says that later the Apostle John pastored there.

With some differences, the third missionary Journey began in the same way that the second had begun.

We don’t know if Paul took any companions with him when he left Antioch.

But he did take the same inland road to the west, returning first to Lystra and Derby, Iconium and Antioch.

There is some scholarly debate about what Acts 19:1 means when it speaks about the “upper coasts.”

Some experts say that this is talking about the high country overlooking Ephesus.

But I agree with those who think that from Galatia, Paul traveled north, just as he had done earlier, visiting communities along the Black Sea and Bosporus, west to Troas & eventually down to Ephesus.

Certainly, that route fits the description of “upper coasts,” if we define “upper” to mean “northerly.”

But if that was the case, apparently once again, not much was accomplished or established during this part of his journey.

At least there was nothing significant enough to bear repeating by our divine-directed historian.

Eventually Paul made it to Ephesus

It could be that Ephesus was Paul’s primary focus even on the day that he first left Antioch.

After all, he had told the people of the Jewish synagogue there, that he would be back.

And then, after spending two years in Ephesus, we read verse 21:

“After these things were ended, Paul purposed in the spirit, when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, After I have been there, I must also see Rome.”

But then it seems that things got even more interesting, requiring even a longer stay than expected.

“So he sent into Macedonia two of them that ministered unto him, Timotheus and Erastus; but he himself stayed in Asia for a season. And the same time there arose no small stir about that way.”

Although he eventually visited most or all of the churches and missions which he, Silas and Barnabas had started, the central focus of this trip seemed to be Ephesus.

What was so important about Ephesus?

Well, first of all, it was the Roman capital Asia – that western part of Asia Minor that we now call “Turkey.”

It was the official seat of the proconsul, one of the higher ranks of Roman officials.

But unlike a couple of the other missions, that man didn’t seemed to play any part in Paul’s ministry.

Historians tell us that Ephesus was colonized principally by people from Athens.

It was basically due east of Athens and Corinth.

It seemed to be the first stop for a lot of shipping out of those cities.

Aquilla and his wife may have moved there from Corinth, just like many of the Greeks had done.

In the time of the Romans it bore the title of “the first and greatest metropolis of Asia.”

My dictionary say that today the site is occupied by a small Turkish village called “Ayasaluk.”

Ephesus was famous for the Temple of Diana and the bustling business of heathen religion.

As we shall see there will be sharp persecution there, as there had been in many other places,

but this time it will come from the Gentile quarter.

And once again, this time the basic problem is monetary rather than doctrinal or ideological.

The people who made and sold silver trinkets for Diana’s Temple were losing customers due to the preaching of the gospel.

If there hadn’t been money involved, the ministry in Ephesus might have remained in peace.

So once again we see that If Satan can’t stir up hatred against Christ in one area, he’s always got several more angles that he can use.

Ephesus was also known for its theatre.

It was the largest in the world at that time, capable of holding 50,000 spectators.

It was open to the sky, like all ancient theatres, and just like the well-known amphitheater in Rome.

Here were exhibited the fights of wild beasts and of men with beasts.

There were athletic competitions, political meetings, and so on.

I was not able to learn if there were gladiatorial battles in Ephesus, but it seems very likely.

Other than that, it really wasn’t much different from arenas in our world today.

Many people think that several times Paul refers to the events of the arena when he was writing to the Corinthians:

I Corinthians 4:9 – “For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men.”

I Corinthians 9:24 – “Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.”

I Corinthians 9:25 – “And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.”

I Corinthians 15:32 – “If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not? let us eat and drink; for to morrow we die.”

Many Jews took up their residence in Ephesus.

And it is very likely that the seeds of the gospel were sown among them very early in church history.

On the first Pentecost after the Lord Jesus’ resurrection,

“There were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.

Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.

And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans? And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?

Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, AND ASIA.”

And once again, the synagogue to which Saul of Tarsus belonged,

and with which Stephen preached the gospel, had members from Asia.

Acts 6:9 – “Then there arose certain of the synagogue, which is called the synagogue of the Libertines, and Cyrenians, and Alexandrians, and of them of Cilicia and of Asia, disputing with Stephen.”

As we have seen at the close of his second missionary journey in chapter 18 (about A.D. 51),

When Paul was returning from Greece to Syria, he had a layover in Ephesus.

But he was there only for the weekend, since he really wanted to be in Jerusalem for the next feast.

There he left Aquila, Priscilla and perhaps others, who undoubtedly continued to witness to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ.

Perhaps it was the ministry of these people, or perhaps it was due to the miracles when Paul returned…

And of course, it was the special blessing and power of the Lord,

But the gospel flourished among the Jews of that city, and eventually splashed over upon the Gentiles.

Verse 20 – “So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed.”

So successful was the work of the Lord there that “all they which dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks” – Acts 19:10.

Probably during that period the seven churches mentioned in Revelation were founded.

Some of them may have come directly from the ministry of Paul, but it appears that some were started by other members from the church in Ephesus.

And as we shall see, after about three years Paul moved on, returning to Macedonia and Achaia.

Then on his return trip to Jerusalem, Paul touched at Miletus, some 30 miles south of Ephesus.

From there he sent for the elders of the church in Ephesus to meet him, and he delivered to them a touching farewell charge which is recorded in Acts 20:18-35.

After that, Ephesus is not mentioned again until near the close of Paul’s life.

In I Timothy 1:3 he referred to the fact that he had left Timothy in Ephesus when he went to Philippi.

And in three or four scriptures we are told about two of Paul’s companions from Ephesus: Trophimus and Tychicus.

And then of course we have Paul’s letter to the Ephesians and the Lord’s message to them in Revelation.

There is no scriptural reference to this,

but it is tradition that the Apostle John spent many years pastoring in Ephesus.

We don’t really have any direct proof of this, but it’s possible and even likely.

He may have been pastoring in Ephesus when he was exiled to Patmos and when the Book of Revelation was given to him.

But after that exile he returned to the city, became pastor once again, was persecuted, even tortured and eventually died there around the year 98 AD.

So now you know all that you really need to know about Ephesus.