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Ephesus was one of the three great trading centers on the Mediterranean Sea. It shared the honor with Antioch in Syria and Alexander in Egypt. It was located on the east shore of the Aegean Sea, across from the city of Corinth. For 190 years, Ephesus had been the prime target of conquering armies. so that by the time Paul got there it had become a "melting pot" of different nationalities.
For 560 years there had been a temple dedicated to "fertility" there. The last one was established by Rome and dedicated to the worship of Diana. Here, prostitution was practiced along with clairvoyance, fortune telling and palm reading. Superstition controlled their lives. The silversmiths became rich in the making of small statues of Diana and religious metals which they hung around their neck.
Fortunately, freedom of speech and an eagerness to learn prevailed there and this gave Paul an open door to preach the Gospel of Christ. He taught them in their synagogues, their schools, their homes and their market places. Some noteworthy converts there were Priscilla and Aquila, Timothy, Erastus, a treasurer of the city of Corinth, whom Paul later sent to Macedonia, John the Apostle, not to be confused with the Disciple John and John the Deacon (presbyter) a delegate to the first conference.
Paul established the Christian Church there on his second missionary journey when he was about 39 years old. Some 40 years later, John was led to write the Book of the Revelation in which he described the Church at Ephesus as "patient, enduring and bearing up for the sake of Jesus." They also tested those who would call themselves Apostles. The Lord found one fault there, "they had abandoned their first love". Their zeal and enthusiasm for their salvation had cooled.
What happened at Ephesus during those 40 years? It became the Seat of the Christian Council of Asia. Timothy is believed to have been its first Bishop. Christianity completely overcame the worship of Diana but much of the pageantry was incorporated into the worship of God. Only names were changed. The church was still going strong, as a Roman Catholic stronghold, in the 5th. century AD.
Paul wrote this letter about 61 AD. while he was in prison in Rome. He obviously saw the trend of the Ephesians and knew that it would take from them the "joy of their salvation" and wanted to rekindle that "first love'. Thus, he reminded them of the six "wonderful revelations" of Christianity. As you can see in the study outline, each of the six is dealt with, one in each chapter.
(It would be well, at this time, to go back and read the account in Acts chapter 19 of the establishment of this church.) Paul wrote the letter while in prison in Rome. It is not clear to whom he wrote it. No reference is made to Ephesus in the oldest copies of this letter. We see the liberty in the translations in that three of the translations that I have omit the word Ephesus and have it simply written to the Saints who are faithful in Jesus Christ and three have it written to the Saints at Ephesus. It is obvious that this letter was circulated to other churches in Asia Minor, "To all the faithful in Jesus Christ." Paul was about 48 when he wrote this letter. Many believe that he was killed about a year later.
Notice Paul sends the letter by way of a friend named Tik-i-kus. Now who was Tikikus? Back in the Book of the Acts of the Apostles, when Paul got ready to leave Ephesus, he decided to go back to Jerusalem by way of Macedonia and Greece. When he got to Greece, the Jews plotted to kill him as he was about to set sail for Jerusalem. To escape, he went back to Macedonia and set sail from Philippi. There were 7 men who accompanied him back to Philippi, Tikikus was one of those 7 men. He became a beloved disciple of Paul. He obviously had gone to Rome to see Paul and was returning to Asia Minor.
| The Wonderful Story of Christ. | |
|---|---|
| Salutation | 1:1-2 |
| Election | 1:3-6 |
| Justification | 1:7-12 |
| Perseverance of the Saints | 1:13-14 |
| Paul's Knowledge of Them | 1:15-23 |
| The Wonderful Body of Christ. | |
| The Old Condition | 2:1-3 |
| The New Condition | 2:4-22 |
| The Wonderful Building of Christ. | |
| The Mystery of Witnessing | 3:1-13 |
| The Privilege of Witnessing | 3:14-21 |
| The Wonderful Walk With Christ. | |
| In Unity | 4:1-3 |
| In Oneness of Spirit | 4:4:6 |
| Gifts of the Spirit | 4:7-16 |
| The Two Natures | 4:17-32 |
| The Wonderful Bride of Christ. | |
| Imitators of God | 5:1-20 |
| Obligations of Wives and Husbands | 5:21-33 |
| The Wonderful Warfare of Christ. | |
| Instruction for Children | 6:1-4 |
| Sincere Service | 6:5-9 |
| The Armor of God | 6:10-20 |
| The Conclusion | 6:21-23 |
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