Ephesus

After a restful evening cruise last night we headed out again Saturday morning to the city ruins of Ephesus.  It is hard to realize the city of Ephesus as a thriving city of well over 200,000 people.   A leading port city which is no more.  A city constructed and engineered far superior than most by a people in the second century BC.  As we walked the streets we saw the ruins of the homes of the wealthy and government officials which had amenities that others would not have for centuries.  Running water and indoor toilets.  Yet, with superior knowledge, the worship of the characters from Greek mythology was evident by the various inscriptions and statues and impacted their lives daily.

Ephesus was definitely a city inhabited by people of culture proven by the buildings they build, streets and shops and the library by Celsus which held over 200,000 scrolls and standing originally three stories high. The massive theater was strategically placed as the first things observed by those entering the city by the Aegean Sea.

The layout of the city with its three main Agoras (streets) was spectacular especially the Marble street which lead to a theater that once had a capacity of 25,000.

As a part of our morning excursion we had five young students from the tour school join us.  They were all learning how to converse more in English to be tour guide leaders.  All in their early twenties it was fun to engage with them and how they were processing our English language questions in order to provide their answers back to us in English.

We had an extraordinarily special lunch at Bizim ev Hanuu Eli prepared by Mama Hatice of various soups, Goulash, stirred fry vegetables of the area, stewed vegetables, roasted potatoes with mozzarella cheese and two kinds of black eyed peas which are my favorite.  A lot of the ladies got a treat to go back into the kitchen and see how to cook some of the receipts in Mama Hatice’s cook book they bought.

Then it was off to the Izmir airport where we said goodbye to Ozan for two days and waited for our quick flight back to İstanbul.  Our next stop is Athens and we board the 7:30 flight with about 350 new friends.  Waiting for us at the airport was Kostas our guide for our time in Greece ready to introduce the Ancient Greece and its culture.

Our study by Ross was from Acts 19 to point out how Apollos was devoted to the teaching of Jesus.   More the “man” Jesus not completely understanding deity of Jesus being the “Son of God” Jesus.  He was more into following a human philosophy or, principles to live by, was what drove Apollos similar to what inspired those who looked to the myths of the gods to shape their daily lives.  Knowledge for knowledge sake by men which lead to empty unfulfilled lives in the end.

Ross quoted a statement “Love should drive our desire to know”, and true love comes from the in dwelling of the Holy Spirit which Apollos did not experience at the time of Acts 19.

Shortly into Acts 19 we see the Holy Spirit comes on the believers in Ephesus then we see in the next few verses Paul teaching the Word and miracles are done, all through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Today not much has changed.  Man continues to seek philosophies and teaching in search for personal peace and affluence.  Yet the truth that mankind desires could not even be found in the vast 200,000 scrolls contained in Celsus’ library or any other writings of man today, but only in the Word of God through the work of the Holy Spirit.

Kalispera.

Mike and Cyndy Johnson – Tyler, TX