The first thing Jesus wanted to tell the church in Ephesus was that He is the Lord over all the churches. He is always present, watching and observing the church, symbolized by the lampstands. He also has full control over the angels of each church and, therefore, has complete access to the leadership of every church.
The Beginning of the Church in Ephesus
The church in Ephesus was started by the Apostle Paul. You can read about it in Acts 19. When Paul arrived in Ephesus, he met some disciples who had been taught by Apollos, a well-known preacher of the early church. However, these disciples only knew about the teachings of John the Baptist and had not yet heard about the Holy Spirit. When Paul asked them if they had received the Holy Spirit, they said no. So, Paul told them about Jesus, they believed, and they were baptized by the Holy Spirit. This is how the Ephesian church was born.
Later, Paul spent over two years in Ephesus teaching the people. Many years after, Paul sent Timothy to lead the church there. The letters of 1 Timothy and 2 Timothy were written to him while he was in Ephesus. Tradition also tells us that John, the writer of the book of Revelation, spent his final years in Ephesus after writing the book Private Ephesus Tours.
Ephesus A Powerful and Influential City
Ephesus was not the capital of the Roman province of Asia, but it was the most important city in the area. It was a major commercial hub and located at the crossroads of the empire, meaning it had great influence.
The city was famous for the worship of the goddess Artemis (also called Diana in some translations). The Temple of Artemis in Ephesus was huge, larger than two football fields, and it was one of the seven wonders of the world. The temple’s ruins are still visible today.
Because of its size, wealth, and power, Ephesus had a major influence on the Roman world. If you think about the power and influence of cities like San Francisco, you can get a sense of what Ephesus was like in the Roman Empire The “Angel” of the Church Human Leaders or Heavenly Beings?.
