The church at Ephesus was featured in the Book of Acts, in the Book of Revelation, and in one of Paul’s letters directed specifically to the Ephesian church. Why was this ancient church important to the growing Christian church at that time, and why is it important to us today?
The First Century Ephesian Church
Ephesus was central to the spread of Christianity during the first century. Paul, John, and possibly even Jesus’ mother, Mary, visited or lived here. Paul is known to have “rebuked the cults of Artemis, winning many Christian converts in the process.”
This city was so important to the new movement that Scripture mentions Ephesus several times. Archaeological remains provide a glimpse into what life was like for the people who lived here 2,000 years ago.
For instance, the Book of Acts recounts how the Christians faced hostility from the Artemis worshipers, who not only feared a loss of income from the making and selling of idols but also believed in and feared Artemis.
A riot broke out against the Christians, but the Ephesian authorities ordered the aggressors to raise their issues through the proper legal channels.
The gospel took root in a big city filled with influences from around the Roman Empire, where new Christians would be tempted by urban excesses and frightened by persecution.
The faith of the Ephesians in spite of these challenges encouraged Paul, who “entered the synagogue and for three months spoke boldly, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God” (Acts 19:8).
Although he sometimes faced violent resistance, “God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul 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 (vv.11-12).
Paul recognized the positive things going on at Ephesus: their “toil and [...] patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil,” as the writer of Revelation put it (Revelation 2:2); yet later, they abandoned “the love you had at first” (Revelation 2:4). His letter was probably an important reminder to a church that was losing its first zeal for Christ.
Paul’s letter reminded the Ephesians to remain in Christ and unified as a body. This unity would protect them spiritually while providing testimony to a watching world.
A Public Spectacle
Ephesus, situated in such a strategic spot, would have been seen and known, and so would the fruits of the Christian faith. “Ephesus was a prime site for evangelizing the whole province due to the city’s accessibility and prominence in the region.”
When Paul and the others were challenged by Artemis' followers, they would have drawn large crowds who had the chance to hear why these men worshiped One God in Christ. “Despite the strong objections to the gospel, many Ephesians came to faith in Christ through the faithful ministry of Paul and his companions” (Ibid.).
Christ’s message overturned belief in pagan forms of worship, and the Spirit also brought many Jews to faith. One can see how diverse this city was, with people living or passing through from all over the Empire.
Ephesus was well placed to demonstrate what unity in Christ and obedience to his teachings would look like. If they had built each other up and lived what they preached, this would have impacted the densely populated world that was watching them.
Word got to Paul that they were well known for loving each other well: “I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints” (Ephesians 1:15).
A Message of Reconciliation and Unity
The alienation we experienced before we believed in Christ alone for salvation was not a matter of our cultural or religious heritage but had everything to do with sin, which is treason against God, of which we are all guilty.
When we were dead in our sin, God raised us to new life “so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:7).
The Ephesian church demonstrated how reconciliation with God was available to Jews and Gentiles but also possible between Jews and Gentiles. They were once alienated from each other in the same way believers were once alienated from God because of sin.
Paul wrote that “in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility” (vv.13-14).
Unity of the church body was a message of resurrection power and of the Father’s grace and mercy.
Paul’s letter to these people explains that “Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel” (3:6).
Our faith unites us with each other and to God: “we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in [Christ]” (3:12).
Fruit of Spiritual Unity
A spiritually fruitful church would demonstrate their unity in Christ by behaving the way Christ behaved, and not as a religious matter but because they loved Jesus. They would not gossip or lie.
They would handle conflict peacefully, and they would not give resentment a chance to fester. Paul told them that if they were doing something sinful, stop right now. Waste no time thinking about it “and give no opportunity to the devil” (4:27).
Only speak when you have something redemptive to say, “such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear” (v.29).
The Ephesian Christians stood out, which demonstrates that following Jesus’ example really does catch people’s attention. They lived out a fruitful discipleship and were well known for their love in particular. Jesus had said his followers would be identified (John 13:35).
The Futility of the Mind
The importance of Ephesus as a city also meant that other ideas would have been disseminated here too. New philosophy can sound interesting and intelligent, but there is only one truth about God. Knowledge is not the same as wisdom or truth.
Paul, one of the greatest thinkers of the Roman Empire, said that “you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds” (4:17).
Yet, God himself told his people to come and “reason together” (Isaiah 1:18), and Paul wrote, in his letter to the Romans, that we should be “transformed by the renewal of your mind” (12:2).
A thoughtful faith leads to a deep love for Scripture and a deeper relationship with God, not to more knowledge for its own sake.
Scripture reminds us, “Fear of the Lord is the beginning of all wisdom” (Proverbs 9:10). God wants us to acquire knowledge, which leads to his glory, builds up the church, and fortifies our faith.
Sometimes there is a controversial new idea about the Bible, and no matter how many experts have already weighed in on matters of interpretation, they seek to undermine those studies with new “truths.”
At Ephesus, the early church faced problems that the modern Christian church understands. When we view them from a distance through Paul’s writings, we see that nothing has changed in the spiritual realm, so the answer remains: we must always seek to know Christ better and become increasingly familiar with God’s Word.
The Spiritual Battle
This is because the most important and deadly fight of our lives is a spiritual one. Division pleases Satan, and he is always on the prowl.
The Ephesian Christians were instructed to put on “the full armor of God” (Ephesians 6:11) consisting of his Word, his truth, faith, unity, peace, prayer, and the certainty of salvation. Aggressors can torment and even kill the flesh, but they could not take a Christian soul thus defended.
Unity helps us withstand these attacks. Imagine a new or fragile Christian who cannot put on the shoes, breastplate, and helmet. We cannot wield their faith for them, but we can pray for them, lead them to helpful Scripture, and tell them the truth about who they are in Christ.
Even Jesus used Scripture as his defense against Satan in the wilderness. God’s Word is powerful. And as for prayer, Paul even asked for prayer on his behalf “that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel” (6:19).
Paul’s engagement with the Ephesian church is as relevant today as it was then. We are so fortunate as followers of Christ to have these instructions laid out for us in today’s modern world, where we think we sometimes imagine we have “evolved” beyond such ancient ideas.
But Satan’s attacks do not care about the era in which we live, and the Full Armor of God does not lose its power either.
From Ephesians to the Modern Church
The Ephesian church was an ancient body of believers that shared the same sorts of challenges we face today. The community around them worshiped idols (knowledge, mythological gods, and goddesses) and were tempted by the flesh.
Pride and sin tend to divide people, but the Ephesian church sets an example of how beautiful life could look when people were unified in the worship of a God who transforms and sanctifies.
The Ephesian Christians set an example that spread throughout the region and still provides an example we can take courage from today as modern believers try to worship in truth and love in front of a watching world.
For further reading:
What Does Revelation Teach Us about the Church at Thyatira?
Will Jesus Really Come in the Clouds?
What Does Revelation Say about the Church at Sardis?
Photo Credit: ©Unsplash/hannahbusing
