A quick dig into history with the book of Ephesians

I’m diving into Ephesians and I thought a bit of history might be helpful as we look at the work God does in Ephesus. Click here to study this book with me chapter by chapter https://bayareamomma.wordpress.com/category/ephesians-study/ in 16 posts :

I am a bit of a geek for architecture and In bible college one of my favorite things was to look at where things were in bible times as opposed to where they exist today. I love seeing pictures of what places look like today and knowing a little history of the town  gives me a real perspective. Otherwise it just seems like a nice story. This was and is a real town in Turkey. Ephesus was an ancient Greek city, and later a major Roman city, on the coast of Ionia, near present-day Selçuk, Izmir Province, Turkey. (all this info below is from various online sources.)

Author and Title

Paul.

-letter explicitly claims to be Paul’s
-Careful study has shown that the style is closer to Paul’s than originally thought
-amanuensis- Paul frequently used someone else to record his letters for him. A loose form of dictation.

Date
Mentions imprisonment- should be dated 62 AD when Paul was held in Rome Acts 28.

 

The Stats:

•          Chapters: 6

•          Verses: 155

Place Written:

•          Rome (while in prison [Eph 3:1][Eph 4:1][Eph 6:20])

•          This was the first of what are often referred to  as the “Prison Epistles” because they were written during Paul’s 1st imprisonment in Rome which  lasted 2 years (Acts 28:30). A prison epistle, along with Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon.

Purpose of Writing:

It is likely that the gospel was first brought to Ephesus by Priscilla and Aquila, an exceptionally gifted couple who were left there by Paul on his second missionary journey.
The fledgling church begun by Priscilla and Aquila was later firmly established by Paul on his third missionary journey and was pastored by him for some three years. After Paul left, Timothy pastored the congregation for perhaps a year and a half.Paul intended that all who long for Christ-like maturity would receive this writing. the book talks about the key factors needed to develop into true children of God.  A study in Ephesians will help to fortify and to establish the believer so he can fulfill the purpose and calling God has given. The aim of this epistle is to confirm and to equip a maturing church. It presents a balanced view of the body of Christ and its importance in God’s economy. Ephesians deals with topics at the very core of what it means to be a Christian—both in faith and in practice—regardless of any particular problem in the community.

The first three chapters talk about what being a christian looks like, and the last 3 talk about what a christian does.

Key Verses: Ephesians 2:8-10: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
Ephesians 6:10-11: “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.”

Ancient City of Ephesus

 Ephesus was wealthy. There were lavish houses and beautiful landscape everywhere.

Not only would you have observed great wealth in Ephesus, but you would have also seen that the people of Ephesus were religiously diverse and devoted. Though many people were dedicated to worshipping Artemis, you would have observed that the people of Ephesus worshipped nearly 50 different gods and goddesses. The people’s religious commitment was also commercialized through the distribution of magical goods and services through multiple vendors. You could have easily bought various potions, services, and statues to meet any need.

The Grecian city of Ephesus was the capital of the Roman province of Asia (modern day Turkey). An important port city on the west coast of Asia, The most well known thing about Ephesus was that it boasted the magnificent temple of Artemis also called the  Temple of Diana (one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World). It is widely thought that the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus was known throughout the ancient world for its temple prostitutes and hedonistic celebrations as well as  godess Diana statue sales. –

The grandiose theater, where citizens chanted “great is Artemis of the Ephesians (Acts 19:29-40),   held an estimated 20,000 or more spectators. Ephesus was one of the largest cities in the world in Paul’s time with about 250,000 to 300,000  people. It’s inhabitants were known for being self-indulgent, extravagant, and worshipers of many  gods and goddesses.  •            Today, among the vast archaeological remains, some key structures date from the actual time of the NT.

 

Here is a side by side of a map of where things were located in bible times and what it is named today:

 

448 × 295 – oneyearbibleblog.com

here is what the city of Ephesus likely looked like: click on picture to see larger

Here is a link to more info & pictures of ephesus:

https://www.google.com/search?q=map+of+ephesus+today

There is a ton more I could add about this book & city, but maybe it will inspire you to do a search of your own :o) Do you know any other facts about this city? I would love to hear your thoughts.