Read Acts 19:21-20:1. What lessons can we draw from this story?

Paul’s witness in the large, sophisticated city of Ephesus was so effective that it impacted an important economic engine for the city, tourism focused on the Temple of Artemis. And what a temple it was! This magnificent structure was composed partly of 127 pillars, each 60 feet high, of Parian marble, a pure-white, flawless marble highly prized for sculptures. Thirty-six of these pillars were sculpted and overlaid with gold, earning the temple its reputation as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

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Concerned that Paul’s anti-idolatry rhetoric was draining financial support from the temple (Acts 19:27), Demetrius the silversmith whipped his fellow craftsmen into a frenzy. A rapidly expanding and highly energized crowd swept from the marketplace into the large amphitheater, which seated some 25,000 people. There the commotion continued, featuring two continuous hours of shouting “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” (Acts 19:34, ESV). After the crowd is dispersed by the town clerk, Paul meets with the believers and leaves the city.

At the end of his third missionary journey, Paul meets with elders of the Ephesian church. How would you summarize Paul’s concerns? (See Acts 20:17-38).

A tentative chronology of Paul’s relationship to Ephesus:

• A.D. 52: Paul’s initial, brief visit to Ephesus (Acts 18:18-21).
• A.D. 53-56: Paul’s three-year ministry in Ephesus (Acts 19:1-20:1). He composes 1 Corinthians near the end of his stay there (1 Corinthians 16:5-9).
• A.D. 57: While at Miletus, Paul meets with the elders from Ephesus (Acts 20:17-38).
• A.D. 62: Paul composes his letter to the Ephesians, probably from confinement in Rome.

“Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears,” said Paul (Acts 20:31, NKJV).

<–Sunday Tuesday–>

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What does Paul do on his first visit to Ephesus, at the end of his second missionary journey? (Acts 18:18-21).

Ephesus was one of the largest cities of the Roman Empire, with a population of about 250,000. It was the capital of one of the Empire’s richest provinces, the province of Asia, which covered much of what we know today as Asia Minor. In Paul’s day, the province was enjoying a time of growth and prosperity.

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A port city, Ephesus was also at the crossroads of important land routes. While the people worshiped many deities in the city, Artemis, regarded as the protector goddess of the city, was supreme. Her worship was the focus of civic ceremonies, athletic games, and annual celebrations. (Artemis was called Diana by the Romans; see Acts 19:24, Acts 19:35, KJV; NKJV).

Paul later returns to Ephesus on his third missionary journey (Acts 19:1-12), and remains there “for three years” (Acts 20:31). The apostle makes a significant time commitment to Ephesus, with the intention of firmly founding Christianity there.

What strange event leads to widespread reverence for “the Lord Jesus” in Ephesus? (Acts 19:13-20).

Luke shares the strange story of seven itinerant, Jewish exorcists in the city. Mingling the names of both Jesus and Paul in their incantations proves to be a misguided venture for these exorcists. When the news flashes through the streets of the city, “everyone was awestruck; and the name of the Lord Jesus was praised” (Acts 19:17, NRSV). The event also had a profound impact on some of those who had already become believers, who publicly burned their expensive handbooks of magic arts, worth “fifty thousand silver coins” (Acts 19:19, NRSV). With the wider residents of the city, believers learn that the worship of Jesus must not be diluted with the worship of anything or anyone else.

<–Sabbath Monday–>

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