Most of Paul’s ministry was spent in traveling. He stayed the longest in Corinth and Ephesus – and, well, Roman imprisonment in both Caesarea and Rome. Paul’s ministry in Ephesus shows Paul in his element, doing what he had been trained to do under Gamaliel, expound from the Scriptures. In Ephesus, around AD 52-57, Paul was a seminary teacher with the ability to spend time teaching the Word in depth, as it is best taught. The evangelization of Ephesus took a long time. God first denied Paul to preach the gospel as he passed through Asia during the second missionary journey and we see no attempt on Paul’s part of preach the gospel there as he returned to Jerusalem several years later. He did leave Priscilla and Aquila there, perhaps with the idea that they would “plow the field” before he started there. We don’t know why God delayed the evangelization of Asia or why He later allowed Paul to remain in Ephesus for about 3½ years.

We do know that Paul’s sojourn in Ephesus was of great importance. It served as a springboard for the evangelization of all of Asia, which would someday be a major seat of Christianity. We know that Paul faced struggles in Ephesus that he described as akin to fighting “wild beasts.” He wrote 1Corinthians from Ephesus and, of course, the Letter to the Ephesians was written back to this church. Timothy would be sent by Paul to pastor there. Clearly, this was a pivotal mission to both Paul and God.

“And he entered the synagogue and continued speaking out boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God. But when some were becoming hardened and disobedient, speaking evil of the Way before the multitude, he withdrew from them and took away the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus. And this took place for two years, so that all who lived in Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.” Acts 19:8-10

After his encounter with the 12 disciples upon his arrival at Ephesus (19:1-7), Paul began to minister in the synagogue at Ephesus. His topic was “the kingdom of God” (verse 8), probably beginning with the Old Testament prophesies pertaining to the kingdom and how Jesus fulfilled these.

I am impressed with how long Paul was able to teach at the Ephesian synagogue before it became necessary to relocate. Paul seems to have established his case over a period of time rather than having to state the same thing repeatedly. Three months of reasoning and persuading in the synagogue was something of a record for Paul, who often saw stones being collected on his second or third visit. I think God was allowing an establishment of a pattern for evangelization and study of the Bible.

Sometimes people who don’t know Christianity charge us with “brainwashing” our children, ourselves, the postal carrier we give a Christian thank you care to, etc. The Biblical pattern shows something entirely different. Paul taught in the synagogues on Sabbath and the people had all week to search the Scriptures and think about what Paul had taught. And, there’s every evidence that he allowed them to dispute with him on every point of what he taught. This is the exact opposite approach from brainwashing, which attempts to weaken the critical faculties of the audience, wearing them down physically and mentally, until they just don’t care to think critically any more. Paul’s teaching was the opposite. He taught in smaller doses, and there was time in-between to think it over, giving the men and women who believed his teaching time to check the teaching of the Scriptures against what he was teaching, to assure his truthfulness. Paul was using reason, not brain-washing.

Paul preached at the synagogue in Ephesus for about three months. As always, some were convinced of the truth of the gospel while others grew increasingly opposed to it. Gradually becoming hardened to Paul’s teaching, they became disobedient to it, and finally began to verbally oppose it in public. They then began to disrupt his public ministry, heckling him, to the point where it became impossible to provide good instruction. Paul changed his base of operations, moving to the school of Tyrannus. Very little is said of the teaching ministry of Paul in this “school.” Such schools were not uncommon in the ancient world. Paul’s ministry while in Ephesus echoed throughout the land, so that Luke can tell us “all who lived in Asia heard the word of the Lord” (verse 10). Since Paul stayed in Ephesus and did not seem to travel about (20:18), it seems much of the preaching took place outside the city by others, some of whom may be named in Acts 20:4. Although the Spirit had once forbidden the preaching of the word in Asia (Acts 16:6), now the word had been proclaimed throughout Asia. In God’s time, the word of God was proclaimed.

“And God was performing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, so that handkerchiefs or aprons were even carried from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out.” Acts 19:11

Paul’s ministry of preaching the gospel was affirmed by signs and wonders. A friend of mine with a wry sense of humor wondered just how many work aprons Paul “misplaced” during that period of ministry. Apparently, God well-established Paul’s divine ordination. Of course, power like that will make some people jealous.

“But also some of the Jewish exorcists, who went from place to place, attempted to name over those who had the evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, “I adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preaches.” And seven sons of one Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. And the evil spirit answered and said to them, “I recognize Jesus, and I know about Paul, but who are you?”  And the man, in whom was the evil spirit, leaped on them and subdued both of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. And this became known to all, both Jews and Greeks, who lived in Ephesus; and fear fell upon them all and the name of the Lord Jesus was being magnified. Many also of those who had believed kept coming, confessing and disclosing their practices. And many of those who practiced magic brought their books together and began burning them in the sight of all; and they counted up the price of them and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. So the word of the Lord was growing mightily and prevailing.” Acts 19:13-20

Some who saw the attention Paul’s ministry was attracting wanted to cash in on his success. If Paul could cast out demons and heal people even through his aprons, why couldn’t they? Jewish exorcists had been operating for years using powerful “name dropping” to cast out demons – for a fee. They must have been somewhat effective in the past, but this time, God would not allow them to succeed. Hearing Paul cast out demons in Jesus’ name, the sons of Sceva thought they’d give it a try. This particular demon was unimpressed. Yes, he had to surrender to the power of Jesus even when wielded by a mere mortal like Paul, but he didn’t know these men. He essentially called them identity thieves, then attacked and humiliated them. In his rebellion against authority, the demon served the cause of Christ by testifying to the power of the gospel in contrast to the counterfeit ministry of the sons of Sceva and others like them. This was one way God spread the gospel throughout Asia. Hearing of the exposure of the exorcists, the people of Ephesus feared God and magnified His name, recognizing that He would not be used by men like some magic genie. As a result of this clear contrast, many turned from magical practices to the worship of Jesus.

“Now after these things were finished, Paul purposed in the spirit to go to Jerusalem after he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, saying, “After I have been there, I must also see Rome.” And having sent into Macedonia two of those who ministered to him, Timothy and Erastus, he himself stayed in Asia for a while.” Acts 19:21-22

Despite a successful ministry in Ephesus, Paul was already being drawn onward by the Lord. Macedonia and Achaia were hardly on Paul’s way to Jerusalem. For that matter, Jerusalem was not exactly on the way to Rome. Ephesus was in present day Turkey, Macedonia and Achaia were in present-day Greece and Jerusalem is where it has always been. Ditto Rome. Paul was taking a roundabout way in order to collect aid for the Jerusalem saints, who were struggling with hard times. Paul sent Timothy and Erastus on ahead, to begin making preparations for the collection. Paul then wrote to the saints in Corinth, encouraging them to make a generous contribution to the needy in Jerusalem (1 Corinthians 16:1-12; 2 Corinthians 8:1-15).

Following God’s guidance, Paul developed a plan for the next leg of his ministry. God would modify that, as we shall see, but in the end, accomplished what Paul had planned all along.

Ephesus was greatly impacted and troubled by Jewish false teaching, not the least of which was magic. Evident in the epistles of Paul to Timothy, the error Paul refuted was taught by those who wish to be “teachers of the Law” (1 Timothy 1:3-11). These would-be teachers engaged in speculation, even as they spoke with great confidence. Their theology was rooted in myths, not in the revealed Word of God. When these Jews turned from the truth of God they turned to speculation, myth, and conjecture. When they turned from the power of God, they often turned to some form of magic.

To the extent that the church has power, the unbelieving world will seek to imitate it; to the extent that the church lacks power, the church will seek to imitate the world and its power.

Looking at the church today – is the world attempting to imitate the power of God which is evident in the church or is the church trying to imitate the power which is in the world? If the world is not trying to imitate God’s power as seen in the church, does this not suggest the church has lost its power? The church is imitating the world much more than the world is imitating the church. Have we turned from the worship of God and the Word of God to worship of the world?

Some churches have practices that precede themselves with the adjective “Christian” but are really just reworked worldly systems dressed up in church words. Christian practice often takes the thoughts, methods, and means of secular, ungodly people, and seeks to sanctify it with Christian labels. A lot of what purports to be Christian psychology is really Freudian analysis without the phallic symbols. How often do churches borrow their fund-raising methodology from the world and then seek to give God the credit? The hand is God is rarely evident to the extent that even unbelievers recognize that it is God’s work and not man’s.

How much of our Christianity has magic as the motive and the method? We want God to meet our needs, give us what we want, and so we turn to formulae which assure us of His blessings. Our doctrine is speculative rather than authoritative. Our knowledge is based upon secular thought rather than on the Word of God. How many of our terms cannot be found in the Bible or defined by Scripture? We emphasize “right method” over divine guidance. Often we don’t even leave God room to overrule our desires and plans.

One of the largest and most impressive cities in the ancient world, Ephesus was a political, religious, and commercial center in Asia Minor. It was located in western Asia Minor at the mouth of the Cayster River and was an important seaport. Situated between the Maeander River to the south and the Hermus River to the north, the city had excellent access to both river valleys which allowed it to flourish as a commercial port. Due to silt accumulation by the river, the present city is approximately 5-6 miles inland. The original inhabitants of the Ephesus area were driven out around 1000 BC by Ionian Greek settlers who promptly assimilated the native religion and worship of a fertility goddess whom they identified with Artemis, the virgin huntress (also called Diana by the Romans). Around 560 BC a magnificent temple was built to Artemis. In 547 BC, control of the area passed to Persia and disaster struck the city in 356 BC when fire destroyed the Temple.  Alexander the Great took control of the area in 334 BC and offered to reconstruct the temple. This was declined. The temple was rebuilt, completed in 250 BC and became known as one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Control of the area passed to one of Alexander’s generals from 301 to 281 BC. City walls were built and a new harbor was constructed.  The Seleucids gained control from 281 to 189 BC, when the Romans defeated them and the city was given to the king of nearby Pergamum as a reward for his military assistance. When the last Pergamum king died in 133 BC, the city came under direct Roman control, under which it thrived, reaching its pinnacle of greatness during the 1^st and 2^nd centuries AD. When Paul wrote this letter, Ephesus was probably the fourth largest city in the world with a population of about 250,000. Its grandeur is evident in the archeological remains, including the ruins of the temple to Artemis, the civic agora, the temple of Domitian, gymnasiums, public baths, a theater with seating for 24,000, a library and the commercial agora. There was also found a partial statue of a colossus of the emperor Domitian. Today, the Turkish town of Seljuk occupies the ancient site of Ephesus.