Paul was instrumental in converting the citizens of Ephesus to Christianity. Other important people such as Apollos, Priscilla and Aquila also played a significant role. Ephesus (in Modern day Turkey) was a centre of travel, commerce and pilgrimage (Temple of Artemis - one of the seven wonders of ancient world) . It was second in importance and size only to Rome. The slides take you through Paul's journey and stay at Ephesus in a setting of my travel images from a visit to the excavations of ancient Ephesus. The Influence of Christianity in Ephesus had a significant impact on 'Asia' in those days. The slides conclude with Jesus' impressions (judgments) of the believers in Ephesus after the time of Paul's preaching.

1. The Ephesians
For by grace you have been
saved through faith

3. The Temple of Artemis (Diana) at Ephesus One of
the 7 ancient wonders of the World
◦ the temple's inner space featured a
double row of at least 106
columns, each believed to be 40 to
60 feet high.
◦ The foundation was approximately
200 feet by 400 feet.
◦ The original temple burned in 356
B.C.

4. Paul travels to Ephesus
but exits
◦ "Paul … sailed thence into Syria, and with him
Priscilla and Aquila; …
And he came to Ephesus, and left them
there: but he himself entered into the synagogue,
and reasoned with the Jews.” Act 18:18
Imagine Paul getting off the ship and walking this very
road with the message of Jesus that eventually converted
many citizens.

5. Paul travels to Ephesus
but exits
◦ Act 18:20 When they asked him to stay
for a longer period, he declined.
◦ Act 18:21 But on taking leave of them
he said, "I will return to you if
God wills," and he set sail from
Ephesus.
Curetes Street
(There were fountains, monuments, statues and shops on the sides of the street.)

6. Apollos travels to Ephesus
◦ Act 18:24 And a certain Jew named Apollos,
born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, and
mighty in the scriptures, came to Ephesus.
◦ Act 18:26 And he began to speak boldly in the
synagogue: whom when Aquila and
Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them,
and expounded unto him the way of God more
perfectly.

7. Preached to the Jews First
◦ Act 18:28 For he mightily convinced the Jews,
and that publickly, shewing by the scriptures that
Jesus was Christ.
THE LIBRARY OF CELSUS

8. Paul re-enters
(Apollos had moved to Corinth)
◦ There he found some disciples. (Act 19:1-10)
◦ And he said, "Into what then were you baptized?" They said,
"Into John's baptism.” And when Paul had laid his hands
upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake
with tongues, and prophesied. And all the men were about
twelve.
◦ And he went into the synagogue, and spake boldly for the space
of three months, disputing and persuading the things
concerning the kingdom of God.
◦BUT

9. Paul rejected in the
Synagogues
◦ Act 19:9 But when some became stubborn
and continued in unbelief, speaking
evil of the Way before the
congregation, he withdrew from them and
took the disciples with him,
◦ What Next?

10. To the Hall of Tyrannus
[From 12 to 100s?]
◦ he withdrew from them and took the disciples
with him, reasoning daily in the hall of
Tyrannus.
◦ Act 19:10 This continued for two years, so
that all the residents of Asia heard the word of
the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.

11. Debate and great
miracles triggers Change
◦ "Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were
doing this. But the evil spirit answered them, "Jesus I know,
and Paul I recognize, but who are you?"
◦ And the man in whom was the evil spirit leaped on them,
mastered all of them and overpowered them, so that they
fled out of that house naked and wounded.
◦ And this became known to all the residents of
Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks. And fear fell
upon them all, and the name of the Lord
Jesus was extolled.
◦ Also many of those who were now believers came,
confessing and divulging their practices." Acts 19:14-18
(ESV)

12. Act 19:12 so that even handkerchiefs or
aprons that had touched his skin were
carried away to the sick, and their diseases
left them and the evil spirits came out of
them.

13. Act 19:19 And a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their
books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted the value of
them and found it came to fifty thousand pieces of silver.
◦ Act 19:20 So the
word of the Lord
continued to
increase and
prevail mightily.
Downtown Area

15. A Riot at Ephesus – "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!"
◦ Act 19:21-41 For a man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made
silver shrines of Artemis, brought no little business to the
craftsmen.
◦ These he gathered together, with the workmen in similar trades,
and said, "Men, you know that from this business we have our
wealth.
◦ Act 19:26 And you see and hear that not only in Ephesus but in
almost all of Asia this Paul has persuaded and turned away a great
many people, saying that gods made with hands are not gods.
◦ Act 19:27 And there is danger not only that this trade of ours may
come into disrepute but also that the temple of the great goddess
Artemis may be counted as nothing, and that she may even be
deposed from her magnificence, she whom all Asia and the world
worship."
◦ Act 19:28 When they heard this they were enraged and were
crying out, "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!"
goddess Artemis

16. Act 19:29 So the city was filled
with the confusion, and they
rushed together into the
theater,
Estimations are that it could seat 24,000 people.
Designed with such perfect acoustics
that it was used as a concert venue
almost 2,000 years later. Artists like Elton John and Pavarotti have performed here.

17. Act 19:32 Now some cried out one
thing, some another, for the
assembly was in confusion, and most
of them did not know why they had
come together.

18. Act 19:33 Some of the crowd prompted
Alexander, whom the Jews had put forward.
And Alexander, motioning with his hand,
wanted to make a defense to the crowd.
Act 19:34 But when they recognized that he
was a Jew, for about two hours they all
cried out with one voice, "Great is Artemis of
the Ephesians!"

19. Act 19:35 And when the town clerk had
quieted the crowd, he said, "Men of
Ephesus, who is there who does not know
that the city of the Ephesians is
• temple keeper of the great Artemis, and
of
• the sacred stone that fell from the sky?
Facade of the Library of Celsus

20. Paul’s Message to the New
Converts
Act 20:17-38
Bath of Varius
(2nd century A.D)
It is built of cut blocks of marble. It has three sections, frigidarium (cold water),
tepidarium (warm water) and caldarium (hot water).

21. "even as he chose us in him before
the foundation of the world, that
we should be holy and blameless
before him. In love he predestined us
for adoption as sons through Jesus
Christ, according to the purpose of his
will," Ephesians 1:4-5 (ESV)

22. Paul Speaks to the Ephesian Elders –
Churches established!
◦ Act 20:16 For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, so that he
might not have to spend time in Asia, for he was hastening to be at
Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of Pentecost.
◦ Act 20:17 Now from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called the
elders of the church to come to him.

23. Personal testimony of
a Good Life
◦ And when they came to him, he said to them: "You
yourselves know how I lived among
you the whole time from the first day that I set foot
in Asia,
◦serving the Lord with all humility
and with tears and with trials that happened to
me through the plots of the Jews;
Ionic style?
column

24. Preached In public &
in Houses
◦ Act 20:20 how I did not shrink
from declaring to you anything
that was profitable, and teaching
you in public and from house to
house
◦ Act 20:21 testifying both to Jews
and to Greeks of repentance
toward God and of faith in our Lord
Jesus Christ.

25. What ‘constrained’ Paul to
Keep moving?
◦ And now, behold, I am going to
Jerusalem, constrained by
the Spirit, not knowing what will
happen to me there, except that
the Holy Spirit testifies to me in
every city that imprisonment
and afflictions await me. Domitian Square
Domitian Temple gave this area its name.
It was the first temple to be built in the
name of an emperor (81 - 96A.D.)

26. “I do not account my life of
any value nor as precious to
myself”
◦if only I may finish my course and
the ministry that I received from the
Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel
of the grace of God.
◦I testify to you this day that I am
innocent of the blood of all,
◦I did not shrink from declaring to you
the whole counsel of God. Odeon (Bouleuterion)
2nd CE

27. “Affliction we experienced in
Asia.”
◦ 2Co 1:8 For we do not want you to be unaware,
brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia.
For we were so utterly burdened beyond our
strength that we despaired of life itself.
◦ 2Co 1:9 Indeed, we felt that we had received the
sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not
on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.
◦ 2Co 1:10 He delivered us from such a deadly peril,
and he will deliver us. On him we have set our
hope that he will deliver us again.

28. “I fought with beasts at
Ephesus”
◦ 1Co 15:30 Why are we in danger every
hour?
◦ 1Co 15:31 I protest, brothers, by my
pride in you, which I have in Christ Jesus
our Lord, I die every day!
◦ 1Co 15:32 What do I gain if, humanly
speaking, I fought with beasts at
Ephesus? If the dead are not raised,
"Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we
die."

29. Doctrinal
Division/Denomination
prophesied
◦ Take heed unto yourselves, and to all the
flock, in which the Holy Spirit hath made
you bishops, to feed the church of the Lord
which he purchased with his own blood.
◦ I know that after my departure fierce wolves
will come in among you, not sparing the
flock;
◦ and from among your own selves will arise
men speaking twisted things, to draw away
the disciples after them.
Arete, (personification of virtue)

30. Dedication in preaching
◦Act 20:31 Therefore be alert,
remembering that for three years I
did not cease night or day to
admonish every one with tears.

31. Dedication in preaching
And now I commend you to God and to
the word of his grace, which is
able to build you up and to give you the
inheritance among all those who are
sanctified.
Acts 20:32

32. Paul worked & Preached at Ephesus – Love and
kindness core Christian principles
◦ I coveted no one's silver or gold or
apparel.
◦ You yourselves know that these
hands ministered to my
necessities and to those who were
with me.
◦ In all things I have shown you
that by working hard in this way we
must help the weak and
◦ remember the words of the Lord
Jesus, how he himself said, 'It is
more blessed to give than to
receive.'"
Shop Signs? Olive Oil merchant, etc?

33. Awesome Fellowship
◦ Act 20:36 And when he had said
these things, he knelt down and
prayed with them all.
◦ Act 20:37 And there was much
weeping on the part of all; they
embraced Paul and kissed him,
◦ Act 20:38 being sorrowful most of
all because of the word he had
spoken, that they would not see his
face again. And they accompanied
him to the ship.

34. Dedication in preaching
Acts 20:32
Ephesus Conquered by Paul (and his associates)
• God’s desire and support
• Power of the Spirit & Miracles
• Fearless Preaching
• Selfless service & Humility
• Persecutions, Difficulties, Hard Work
• Three Years but Not accumulating wealth
• Grace, Love & Tears
• Not by laying siege, No brutality
• No Inquisition, Not forcibly
• By the Sword of the WORD of God

35. To the Church in Ephesus
- Jesus
◦ Rev 2:2 "'I know your works, your toil and
your patient endurance, and how you cannot
bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who
call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to
be false.
◦ Rev 2:3 I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up
for my name's sake, and you have not grown weary.
◦ Rev 2:4 But I have this against you, that
you have abandoned the love you had at first.

36. Love Grows Cold
Love the greatest emotion
in the universe even above faith
◦ Rev 2:4 But I have this against you, that
you have abandoned the love you had
at first.
◦ Rev 2:5 Remember therefore from
where you have fallen; repent, and do
the works you did at first. If not, I will
come to you and remove your
lampstand from its place, unless you
repent.

37. “To the Church in Ephesus” - Jesus
But the Wrong outweighed the Right
(How are YOU doing?)
◦ Yet this you have: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
◦ I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name's sake, and you have not grown weary.
◦ I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance,
◦ and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles
and are not, and found them to be false.
◦ But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.
◦ Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will
come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.
◦ Solution: “Do the works you did at first.” – They had Experience! They knew how to achieve
‘perfection’ in Jesus’ eyes and had achieved it previously!

38. Some Pics from the Excavated Ruins of
Ephesus

39. Behind The Fountain of Laecainus Bassus
(Hydrekdocheion)

41. Public Toilets for
business meetings

42. Stone carving of the goddess Nike
at the ruins of the ancient city
of Ephesus

43. A Wedding

44. Commercial agora in Ephesus

45. Fountain of Trajan

46. Temple of Hadrian