Day 06 - Ephesus

Day 6
“… Ephesus stands—you may find it still—
On the lee of a verdurous, pine-clad hill,
…The City is old as the pines above,
Old as the mountains, as old as Love; …” (1)
 
Our journey concludes in Ephesus. At this moment we are near the very theatre where the apostle Paul would have heard an outraged cry nearly 2,000 years ago.
“GREAT IS ARTEMIS OF THE EPHESIANS!” Thundered Pr. Hugo as he read Acts 19.
These local, shrine-for-Artemis-making, craftsmen were concerned their businesses would suffer should Paul's faithful testimony continue to be used and blessed by the Holy Spirit to impact the hearts and souls of the local inhabitants.

In the message just prior – we had been challenged by Eph. 1:7 where Pr. Hugo contrasted the prospects of a slave being sold in the Agora to that of a Christian that has been redeemed and adopted. It would be very unlikely for a slave to ever see freedom as they would only obtain manumission through a magistrate (vindicta), the will of their master, or by purchasing themselves. Understandably – the Christian message was paradigm shifting as it not only undermined all existing religions (no other God but one) but also the social hierarchy of slave and master (all men equally redeemed).

Ephesus is one of the most important ancient cities in Turkey and was a critical hub for goods, philosophy, erudition, and religion. Due to the volume of trade around this city and the sheer size of the city (estimated to have held ~250,000 persons) - it is conceivable to understand how after two years of concerted and faithful effort – the message entrusted to Paul was dispersed throughout “all of Asia”. During our discovery of the city we continued to follow the thread of the church of Ephesus into John's warning to the church to repent and return to their “first love". It seems like the church (although commendable in many areas) had  LEFT the loving spirit that they once knew in their early years. We too must guard our hearts against pride and callousness as we fight the good fight.

It should be an encouragement for us to know that it appears that at least in the short term the Ephesian church returned to their first love (commendation from St. Ignatious in Ante-Nicean Fathers V.1) (3) Let us strive to have soft hearts that seek, listen for, and follow the shepherd’s voice, remembering always to speak courageously of righteousness, our Savior, and our testimony. But, never forgetting the fountain of love that brought us into relationship with God and must be horizontally distributed through us to our neighbors.
 
Ps. 139:23-24: "Search me, God, and know my heart;  test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
 
Our gratitude goes to Johannes Boot for writing today’s blog.

Itinerary
·        8:00am - Devotional | My sheep hear my voice // John 10:27-30
·        Arrive upper gate -> East Gymnasium
·        9:30am - Message 1 | Serve God – Spread the word faithfully // Acts 19:1-Vis
·        Sacred ramp -> Latrines – well preserved -> Domitian’s Temple – razed -> Terraced           houses -> Library of Ephesus -> Christian Graffiti -> Agora -Largest outside of Rome.
·        11:00am - Message 2 | We have received redemption // Eph. 1:4-13
·        Church of St. Mary – commissioned after her death in Ephesus.
·        12:00pm - Message 3| Speak the Truth // Acts 19:21
·        12:30m - Message 4| Return to First Love // Rev. 2:1
·        Shopping -> Ege Lokum Turkish Delight shop -> Lunch -> Ephesus Archeological Museum -> Temple of Artemis of the Ephesians (One of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World)
 
References:
1.      Diana Poem | https://www.kiplingsociety.co.uk/poem/poems_ephesus.htm
2.      Facts on Ephesus | https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1018/
3.      Letter to the Ephesians – St. Ignatious |  https://ccel.org/ccel/ignatius_antioch/epistles_of_ignatius/anf01.v.ii.i.html
Additional ‘Fun’ Reading
1.      Church History - Council of Ephesus condemning Nestorianism | https://www.logos.com/grow/theotokos-nestorianism/
2.      Legendary Poem | https://www.poetry-archive.com/g/the_seven_sleepers_of_ephesus/