The City of Ephesus
The city of Ephesus was one of the major tourist traps of the ancient world. As the capital of the province of Asia it was large and held significant political and economic influence. It was strategically located on the coast of the Aegean Sea at the mouth of the Cayster River and was on the main trade route from Rome. On the west it was hemmed in by large rolling hills which shield it from view. The view of the coastal city from the hills was breathtaking.

Ephesian architecture was magnificent. In addition to the 25,000 seat outdoor amphitheater that hosted a variety of political and cultural events, it was the home of the great shrine of Artemis, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. It covered an area four times as large as the Parthenon in Athens; it was supported by 127 pillars, each sixty feet high and was crafted by the best sculptor of antiquity. (Bruce 378)

Artemis, Ephesus’ major goddess, was known as a goddess of fertility and as “mistress of the wild beasts”, a child of Zeus and Leto, and sister of Apollo. In the Roman religion she was known as Diana. In ancient mythology she was a virgin who helped women in childbirth, a huntress with bow and arrow, and the goddess of death. (Bock 607)

As a cosmopolitan city with many things to see and do, Ephesus attracted tourists from all over the world. As pantheism was the major religion of the day, tourists flocked to worship at the temple of Artemis. And as with any tourist trap, local merchants know that there is a lot of money to be made.

Just like today if you walked through Central Park in New York City, you have endless opportunities to purchase tee shirts that say “I Love New York” or blue and white baseball caps that bear the hideous symbol of a capital “N” over a capital “Y”. You can buy a much more attractive cap in Boston.

One time I was walking in New York City and a guy came up to me and asked me if I wanted to buy a watch. He had dozens to choose from. I couldn’t believe it when he sold me a brand new Rolex for forty dollars. It was real too! I promise!

Yes, there is a lot of money to be made off of tourists. The craftsmen and merchants of Ephesus knew this well. For years the silversmiths created little silver shrines of the goddess Artemis and sold them to the tourists just outside the temple. They made a fortune from this business. That is why they were so furious with Paul.

Paul’s Ministry in Ephesus
Paul had been in Ephesus for over two years preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ, baptizing believers, healing the sick, and delivering those possessed by demons. Even though two years is not a long time, God blessed Paul’s ministry and he enjoyed incredible success. The whole city heard the gospel and many people responded by putting their faith in Jesus Christ. They repented from their sins and were forsaking the Greco-Roman pantheistic religion. Even their sorcerers publicly burned over four million dollars worth of magic books.

A Problem in Ephesus
As Christianity grew it had a profound influence on the surrounding culture. When people forsook Artemis worship and turned to Jesus Christ, there was no more need for silver shrines, Paul taught that man-made gods are no gods at all. This economic shortfall in the shrine business infuriated the silversmiths.

Demetrius, the president of the silversmiths’ union, realized that the influence of Christianity was killing their business, organized a meeting of all the artisans and tradesmen who were affected. He warned them that if they didn’t put a stop to this Christian influence they were in danger of losing their jobs and their goddess Artemis would be discredited. She would be robbed of her divine majesty.

With deep economic concerns and passionate religious motivations they ran out into the streets protesting the Christian faith by shouting their mantra: “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” They were trying to remind the citizens of Ephesus of their religious heritage. Their enthusiasm stirred up the crowed and soon the whole city was in an uproar. The mob of protesters apprehended Gaius and Aristarchus, two of Paul’s fellow workers from Macedonia and rushed them into the theater, the best place in the city to hold a massive demonstration.

When Paul caught wind of the demonstration and found out that the mob was holding two of his friends captive, he wanted to go to the theater and speak to the crowd, but the other members of the church tried to persuade him that it was too dangerous. Even some of the high ranking officials of the province, who were no doubt Christians and good friends of Paul, begged him not to go to the theater. Eventually, they convinced him, and he decided not to go.

As with many protests and demonstrations, the whole assembly was in confusion. Some are crying out for one solution, others for another. Still most of the others simply got caught up in the excitement and didn’t even know what was going on or why they were there. The Jews wanted to protect their reputation in this mess, so they pushed Alexander to the front to show that Jews and Christians were not the same, and that Christians should be blamed for the fiasco. But when he got up to speak, the crowd was in no mood to listen to him. In spite of his attempts to quiet the crowd and give a defense before the people, when they realized he was Jew, they shouted him down by repeating their chant “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”

Justice in Ephesus
Finally, the city clerk entered the theater and addressed the crowd. As the executive office of the city, it was his job to maintain order and justice. So, he assured the crowd that Ephesus was famous all over the world for being the guardian of the temple of Artemis and that they should not be overly concerned about the Christians. Then he addressed the silversmith union directly by defending the Christians. They hadn’t robbed any temples or directly blasphemed their goddess.

The city clerk restored order by telling the crowd that if they had a grievance against the Christians, they could press charges and work through the legal system. As it was they were the ones in jeopardy of being charged with a crime. Rioting was clearly against the law and the city clerk was not about to put up with mob violence. After he made his point, he dismissed the assembly and everyone left quietly.

1.) Christianity influences culture from the inside out!
Paul’s ministry in Ephesus lasted less than 3 years, but it had an enormous effect on the city and the whole province of Asia. When he entered the city he saw an abundance of immorality, sorcery, idolatry, and many other things that were inconsistent with his Christian values and worldview, but notice how he didn’t focus on any of these things. He didn’t start a program to help the city become morally educated. He didn’t launch a campaign to stamp out witchcraft. He didn’t compel his followers to destroy the idolatrous temples or shrines. Do you know what he did instead? He preached the gospel of Jesus Christ!

He understood that he was ministering in a pagan culture, and he didn’t get distracted by all of these external issues. He simply aimed for the heart and faithfully proclaimed the gospel. He knew that as more and more individual lives responded to the gospel that Christianity would eventually influence the surrounding culture; but it would happen from the inside out rather than the outside in. He preached the gospel so effectively that many Ephesians became Christians; and when so many Ephesians became Christians that the goddess Artemis lost her influence and no one wanted to purchase the silver shrines.

I wish more churches, ministries, and individual Christians would follow Paul’s example. American Christianity has become so consumed with maintaining its cultural influence that it has forgotten to share the message of Jesus Christ. We have spent so much time trying to change the externals that we have neglected the one thing that brings lasting internal change: the gospel!

If we really want to change our culture for Christ, I recommend spending less time lobbying politicians and spend more time telling our family members and friends about who Jesus is and what he has don for us. Let’s spend less time marching in protests and rallies and spend more time telling our co-workers and classmates about how Jesus has transformed our lives. Let’s spend less time telling people that they should only listen to Christian music, watch Christian movies, wear Christian tee-shirts, go to Christian schools, and drink Christian beer, and spend more time loving people like Jesus loves them. (By the way, in case you were wondering, Samuel Adams is a Christian beer; Budweiser is a pagan beer!)

God used Paul’s preaching to change the culture of one of the largest and most important cities in the ancient world. Ephesus would become a stronghold of Christianity throughout the next few centuries. Christianity changes culture from the inside out!

2.) People who refuse to be influenced by Christianity often respond with hostility.
The second lesson we learn from this passage is that people who refuse to be influenced by Christianity often respond with hostility. The crowd is hostile toward the Christians because the Christian’s lifestyle was a challenge to their own. Once again, however, the believers are not on a campaign against others. They simply allow the difference in lifestyle to speak for itself, and they trust in God’s protection in the midst of the testimony. This protection comes in part from outsiders who have a sense of justice and fairness. When those who desire justice speak up, the church is protected. (Bock 614)

Just last week I heard about a Bible study group in San Diego that go shut down because they were supposedly breaking a law. Listen to an exerpt from the report by the San Diego Channel Six News:

Members of a San Diego prayer group say local government is trying to regulate whether they can pray with friends in a private home. The county’s chief executive vehemently denies the claim. The Jones family has hosted a weekly bible study at their Bonita home for the past five years. Usually, anywhere from 5-25 or so friends join them for dinner and bible discussion every Tuesday night.But now they say county land use officials want to put a stop to their weekly religious gathering, by requiring them to purchase an expensive permit… On Good Friday, April 11, the family was surprised to find county officials at their door.” She asked me if we sang songs, said Amen, praised the Lord or not. I don’t even think I answered because I was so taken aback” said Mary Jones. Jones said the “insinuation” was questions over whether the services were “of religious nature.” She said there were no questions or comments about there being a parking problem.The family was given a warning to “cease and desist” their “religious gathering” until they are granted a “major use permit.”

Later, San Diego County apologized to the family and told them that they did not need a special permit to host a Bible study in their home. County officials blamed the mistake on “unclear language in the zoning ordinance.” They also said the county is taking steps to improve its policies and procedures.

There is no doubt about it, there are many people who refuse to be influenced by Christianity and respond to it in hostility. As Christians who have been called to be Christ’s witnesses to the ends of the earth, we should not be surprised when people respond to us or our message with hostility. Regardless of the hostility we face, may we always be faithful to the gospel of Jesus Christ!

Paul’s ministry had a profound effect in Ephesus. As the gospel was preached and more people became Christians, the whole culture began to change. If you are discouraged by where our culture is at right now and where it is heading, I encourage you to share the gospel. It has power to change a whole culture from the inside out. And even if we face hostility, it is worth it!