January 02nd, 2022

This Sunday is the Second Sunday after Christmas, and we will continue to look at the epistle texts. This week the text is from Ephesians [1:3-14]. And we will look at how Christianity was ‘spoken against’ [see Acts 28:22] in the city of Ephesus. St. Paul was at Ephesus for at least two years (according to Acts 19:10), and some interesting events at that city are recorded in the nineteenth chapter of Acts. It may be helpful to read that chapter in whatever translation you wish.

Ephesus is a well-known city, but it is usually remembered because of its connection to Ephesians. It may be helpful to know some of the other reasons it was so well known. The Concordia Self-Study Bible has a detailed description of this city near the start of its overview of Ephesians:

Ephesus: In the Time of Paul

The province of Asia with its many splendid cities was one of the jewels on the belt of Roman lands encircling the Mediterranean.

Located on the most direct sea and land route to the eastern provinces of the empire, Ephesus was an emporium that had few equals anywhere in the world. Certainly no city in Asia was more famous or more populous. It ranked with Rome, Corinth, Antioch and Alexandria among the foremost urban centers of the empire.

Situated on an inland harbor (now silted up), the city was connected by a narrow channel via the Cayster River with the Aegean Sea some three miles away. Ephesus boasted impressive civic monuments, including, most prominently, the temple of Artemis (Diana), one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Coins of the city proudly displayed the slogan Neokoros, “temple-warden.”

Here in Ephesus Paul preached to large crowds of people. The silversmiths complained that he had influenced large numbers of people here in Ephesus and in practically the whole province of Asia (Acts 19:26). In one of the most dramatic events recorded in the New Testament, the apostle escaped a huge mob in the theater. This structure, located on the slope of Mt. Pion at the end of the Arcadian Way, could seat 25,000 people!

Other places doubtless familiar to the apostle were the Commercial Agora, the Magnesian Gate, the Town Hall or “Council House,” and the Street of the Curetes. The location of the lecture hall of Tyrannus, where Paul taught, is unknown [St. Louis, Missouri, USA: Concordia Publishing House, 1986; page 1801].

There is obviously a lot in the quotation above (as well as what is in the rest of Acts 19), but hopefully all of this is somewhat helpful. And having such a big riot in such a big city is significant. In the above quotation it is called ‘one of the most dramatic events recorded in the New Testament’. Perhaps it should be called ‘one of the most overlooked events recorded in the New Testament’.

What leads up to that event is also significant. It is recorded that Paul is speaking boldly in the synagogue, not on the open streets (Acts 19:8). And when some were ‘hardened’ and ‘disobeyed’, ‘speaking evil’ of ‘The Way’ before the multitude, he withdrew from them and separated the disciples, daily speaking in another place (19:9). Again, this is NOT out in the open. But he was there long enough so that ‘all the ones inhabiting Asia, both Jews and Greeks, heard the word of the Lord (19:10)’. At this point there are not a lot of specific things that are said against ‘The Way’. After the momentum builds for a while—after all, he was there for two years—the topic of Christianity being spoken against comes up when the big riot comes.

The city clerk says some helpful things in his talk to the riotous crowd. And after those things, he basically dismisses the group. Most significantly, he says about St. Paul and the others that these men are NOT ‘temple robbers’ or ‘blasphemers of our goddess’ (Acts 19:37; it could also be noted here that, in some manuscripts, the text says ‘your goddess’ instead of ‘our’.)

Another thing to note which could be considered quite interesting is that, when the city clerk begins to speak, the text does not use the past tense to say what he said, but it used the present tense to say what he IS SAYING. This is called the historic(al) present and it used in several parts of the New Testament—and even in several parts of the Greek translation of the Old Testament.

Usually the translations do not point out when this happens (the New American Standard translation does, and it has an * at Acts 19:35). But it may be helpful to note when this happens elsewhere. According to the New American Standard translation, the last time this happened was when an angel was speaking to Peter (Acts 12:8), and the next time this happens, St. Paul is about to be in front of a mob of people in Jerusalem (Acts 21:37).

The historic(al) present deals with something regarding the LORD’s authority that is always true. This ‘city clerk’ described in Acts 19 (which, in a more religious context, could be translated as ‘scribe’), when he is in front of the assembly (which, in a more religious context, could be translated as ‘church’), may be a type of transition point from the Lord having something significant to say within his Church to saying something within his earthly kingdom—which, because of his creation, is a huge kingdom. And, at the end of the book of Acts, this special message of the kingdom of God is ‘unhindered’ (Acts 28:31).

God’s kingdom may not seem too big today, but on the Last Day, it will certainly be obvious how big God’s kingdom really is and where God still has power. At this point in time, however, the Maker of heaven and earth has chosen to be known for his love that has been shown through his Son. Could anyone imagine a God that chooses to be known for his love and not his power?