Anyone who has attended a professional or college sporting
event in a large stadium can identify with the electrifying thrill of being
part of a crowd that is passionately unified about one game, one team, one
experience. The sheer number of people
involved lends a feeling of power to the event. As the saying goes, “and the
crowd goes wild.” Wild is the right word to use because there is a sense of controlled
chaos when this happens.
Consider two clutch shots from the recent NBA and NCAA
basketball seasons and imagine you are part of these wild crowds. The first is
Rajon Rondo’s 3-pointer near the end of game 7 of the Eastern Conference semi-finals
against Philadelphia.
The second, and more chaotic as the crowd rushes the court afterward, is
Christian Watford’s buzzer beater to lift Indiana University over Kentucky.
TD Garden, Boston’s home court where Rondo hit his shot, has a capacity of
17,565 people. Similary, Assembly Hall in Indiana, where Watford sunk the game
winning three, holds 17,472 people. Having that many people in passionate
agreement about one thing at one time is a remarkable (and loud) experience.
Now imagine that you are in Ephesus in the first century AD,
at this amphitheatre: http://www.360cities.net/image/ephesusamphitheatre#43.70,17.60,70.0.
It is filled to its capacity of 25,000 people, over 50% percent more people
than either TD Garden or Assembly Hall can house. The crowd is irate and
confused and has been shouting in unison for over 2 hours (longer than the length
of an entire basketball game), “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians! Great is
Artemis of the Ephesians!” Can you envision the intensity and magnitude of this
scene? This is exactly what Paul experienced while he was in Ephesus.
Ephesus in was a very significant city in antiquity. It
served as the Roman capital of Asia Minor in the first century and was also a
commercial center for land and sea trade. The city was wealthy, as evidenced by
its enormous structures that are made primarily out of marble – a very
impressive sight. When I walked through the streets, the power and influence it
once boasted is palpable. Last but certainly not least, Ephesus was home to one
of the seven wonders of the ancient world, the great Temple of Artemis.
Ephesus presented an environment that was very hostile to Christianity.
The culture of the city was drenched with the worship of the fertility goddess
Artemis. It was a facet of daily life in ancient Ephesus. This cult in its
various forms with the goddess called by different names (Artemis, Diana,
Sybile) had existed for over 5000 years before Jesus was born. Imagine the rich
history of Christianity that has grown and developed over 2000 years. At the
point when Paul reached Ephesus, the cult of Artemis had a history over twice
as long as what Christianity has now. It was deeply entrenched and woven into
the fabric of the culture. In the mind of most reasonable people, Christianity
(or any foreign religion for that matter), would not have stood a chance in
such a city and such a time.
Nevertheless, Paul faithfully preached and taught in Ephesus
for over two years, “so that all the Greeks and Jews who lived in the province
of Asia heard the word of the Lord.” (Acts 19:10) Eventually, a silversmith
named Demetrius began to recognize the Way (as Christianity was called) as a potential
threat to his business of making silver shrines of Artemis. This fact can only
speak to the great power that God was displaying in Ephesus at that time. To
think that any religion could make a dent in the cult of Artemis would be
almost laughable. But God was using Paul at the time to drive out evil spirits,
heal diseases, and convert even sorcerers to this new religion. Demetrius in
his wisdom recognized this as a major potential problem to the economy of
Ephesus.
He called together all of the workmen in related trades that
made a living off the cult of Artemis. When he explained to them the danger of the
Way, and what it could mean for their businesses, they were infuriated. Soon
the entire city of Ephesus was stirred up and rushed to the amphitheater. This
is where we again pick up our image of the wild crowd of 25,000 people, roaring
in unison for over two hours, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”
Being Christians in the midst of that crowd must have been a
little bit like being the lone Utah Jazz fans at a Celtics game Tim and I went
to in March. Obviously, the comparison fails when you place the two events on a
scale of importance, but the sense of aloneness is similar. Two rows in front
of us sat a man and woman in classic Jon Stockton jerseys. Needless to say,
they were heckled and berated for the entire game, most notably by a boisterous
half-drunk Celtics fan who, after a good Boston play, would stand up, point and
yell witty remarks at the couple. They were very clearly in the minority.
Thankfully, the power of Jesus is stronger than the power of
John Stockton, and despite the tremendous odds against it, Christianity
flourished and made Ephesus a significant city in its history. Paul not only
lived there for two years but wrote 1 Corinthians while there. The letters Paul
wrote to Timothy were addressed to him while Timothy was assisting the church
in Ephesus. And John’s three letters were also written while he was giving
leadership to the church in Ephesus. Lastly, it was in Ephesus that Paul gave
his only recorded address to Christians. All of Paul’s other speeches that were
written down were given to unbelievers. In his farewell address to the
Ephesians, Paul says, “I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may
finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me – the task of
testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.”
It is sobering to note that even after the display of God’s
power which caused Christianity to grow in Ephesus, John in the book of Revelation
records these hard words for the church there. “I know your deeds, your hard
work and perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you
have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them
false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not
grown weary. Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love.
Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you
did at first.”
There is a striking contrast between the words of Paul and
the picture that John gives us of the church in Ephesus. Paul never waivers in
his understanding and fulfillment of his ultimate task in life. On the other
hand, the church of Ephesus, even while struggling and persevering, has
forgotten their first love.
As I’ve considered the history of Ephesus, I’m challenged in
a few directions. First, I believe I have no authority to determine what
situation is too hopeless for the gospel to spread or what ground is too
infertile for it to take root. The power of God supercedes all of our
expectations. My responsibility, as Paul stated, is to “complete the task the
Lord Jesus has given me.” Secondly, I must hold onto my first love, keeping
Christ at the front and center. In doing those two things, the grace and power
of God is given room to work in the world. In the end, all that is left at the
site of the temple of Artemis is one solitary column – all else has been taken
away, recycled (in the Haggia Sophia, somewhat ironically) or destroyed. But the
gospel of God’s grace that Paul preached has continued to spread.
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| Remains of the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus |
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