Ephesus was a major city in the first century AD within the Roman Empire and Paul came to this difficult place to preach the gospel. He was successful, but also he was opposed vehemently by some of the local leaders and the work suffered some setbacks. May you be inspired by his dedication to the message in this ancient city.

<p>Ephesus was a major city in the first century AD within the Roman Empire and Paul came to this difficult place to preach the gospel. He was successful, but also he was opposed vehemently by some of the local leaders and the work suffered some setbacks. May you be inspired by his dedication to the message in this ancient city.</p>

Lineage Journey

Adam Ramdin

Pentecost to Patmos

01 Pentecost to Patmos

04 Peter: Delivered From Prison

02 The Stoning of Stephen

05 Antioch: And They Were Called Christians

06 Paul & Silas: Preaching in Philippi

07 Paul & Silas: The Work in Thessaloniki & Berea

03 Paul: The Road to Damascus

08 Paul: Ministry in Athens

09 Paul: Ministry in Corinth

10 Paul: Uproar in Ephesus

11 Paul: Before Felix & Agrippa

12 Paul: Shipwrecked On Malta

13 Paul: Arrest & Trial in Rome

14 Peter: Calling, Consecration & Crucifixion

15 John: The Beloved & Patmos


Ephesus and the Roman Empire Chapter 1 The Roman Empire Ephesus Chapter 1 In the 1st century AD, Ephesus would have been capital of the Roman province of Asia In the 1st century AD, Ephesus would have been capital of the Roman province of Asia and would have been a major, bustling commercial center, with some saying it was the fourth largest city in the empire after Rome, Alexandria, and Antioch. Though today the city lies 5 miles inland, back then it was a coastal city and would have had a crowded harbor full of ships. The streets would have thronged with people from many different countries, and being a key commercial center meant it was a promising ground for missionary work. While Apollos was preaching in Corinth, Paul fulfilled his promise to return here to Ephesus and preach the gospel here on his third missionary journey. [♪ music ♪ During this stop in Ephesus, Paul met some disciples and asked them if they had received the Holy Ghost, to which they responded they had never even heard of the Holy Ghost.

He asked which baptism they had and they said they had John's baptism. He then taught them about the Holy Spirit and baptized them again. This is 1 of the few accounts in the Bible of someone getting rebaptized and lays a biblical precedent that when new truths are learned that are significant and life-changing, that re-baptism can be appropriate. [♪ music ♪ After this, Paul began, as was his custom, preaching in the synagogue. But when opposition arose, he left and went to the school of Tyrannus and continued there for 2 years.

He did not just teach and preach here in Ephesus, but the Bible says in Acts chapter 19 that there was manifestations of supernatural power as people were healed of certain diseases and evil spirits were cast out. This display of power was more powerful than anything the inhabitants of the city had seen, especially those who worshipped the dominant goddess of the city, Diana. [♪ music ♪ Many people were converted, and the Bible records that the books of those who used to practice magic were collected and burned, totaling 50, 000 pieces of silver worth. Large numbers were converting and it was causing concern, and after 3 years of ministry from 54 to 57 AD, it would reach a climax. In this city was a great temple to the goddess Diana.

Being a Greco-Roman city meant it had both cultures present. Diana was her Roman name and Artemis was her Greek name, and in the city there were some, notably Demetrius, who made quite the business selling silver replicas of Diana. 🎵 Accusing Paul of damaging his business and the popularity of the Temple of Diana, he roused up the masses against him. Gathering here in this theater which had seating for 24, 000 people. They dragged Gaius and Aristarchus before the crowd as they couldn't find Paul.

Paul was the 1 they wanted though, and when he heard about the commotion he wanted to come to defend the truth, but his friends prevented him from going. After chanting, Great is Diana of the Ephesians for 2 hours, they finally quieted down. [♪ music ♪ The city clerk was able to calm down the crowd and the masses dispersed, but after this episode Paul felt it best to leave the city. His missionary endeavors were not over, but after this he would not return here to this city. He had worked tirelessly, teaching in public and going from house to house.

He had battled on through opposition valiantly. He would later write a letter to the church here in Ephesus, the Book of Ephesians, from his prison house in Rome. 🎵 Paul did not choose easy places to go and evangelize. This city of Ephesus was a hotbed of paganism and commercial activity, yet Paul chose this as 1 of the places he spent 3 years. It could be argued today that some people choose easy places to go on mission trips or evangelize, but Paul did not.

If today you live in 1 of the major cities of the world like London, New York, San Francisco, Sydney, Manila, or Tokyo, then take courage from the ministry of Paul and know that even though our culture is against the dominant culture that we live in, we can take heart and know that God will be with us in the work that we do. You you

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Series

Pentecost to Patmos

10 Paul: Uproar in Ephesus

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Other Teachings in Series

01 Pentecost to Patmos

5m

04 Peter: Delivered From Prison

5m

02 The Stoning of Stephen

4m

05 Antioch: And They Were Called Christians

4m

06 Paul & Silas: Preaching in Philippi

5m

07 Paul & Silas: The Work in Thessaloniki & Berea

4m

03 Paul: The Road to Damascus

5m

08 Paul: Ministry in Athens

4m

09 Paul: Ministry in Corinth

5m

10 Paul: Uproar in Ephesus

5m

11 Paul: Before Felix & Agrippa

5m

12 Paul: Shipwrecked On Malta

5m

13 Paul: Arrest & Trial in Rome

5m

14 Peter: Calling, Consecration & Crucifixion

5m

15 John: The Beloved & Patmos

5m

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