Ephesus | The 7 Churches of Revelation

Summary

This script explores the historical and religious significance of Ephesus, a city in the Roman Empire, through the lens of Author and Cornerstone University President Joe Stowell. It delves into the struggles of early Christians living amidst pagan worship, the persecution under Emperor Domitian, and the Apostle John's exile on Patmos where he received the Revelation of Jesus Christ. The narrative highlights the resilience of the church in Ephesus, its challenges with idolatry and the imperial cult, and the promise of eternal life as depicted in the letters to the seven churches of Asia.

Takeaways

• 📜 On this day of discovery, Joe Stowell explores the ancient city of Ephesus, a significant site in the Roman Empire.
• 📖 Ephesus was home to a growing Christian church led by the Apostle John in the first century.
• 🚨 John's belief in Jesus as the resurrected Savior conflicted with Roman worship, leading to his imprisonment on the island of Patmos.
• 📚 The Book of Revelation, written by John on Patmos, outlines the end times and a future of restoration and peace.
• ✉️ Jesus addressed seven personal letters to churches in Asia Minor, starting with Ephesus, commending their perseverance but urging them to return to their first love.
• 🏛️ Ephesus was a cosmopolitan and affluent city, a center of cult worship to Artemis, and a major trade hub with a bustling marketplace.
• 🛡️ Early Christians in Ephesus faced challenges from Roman emperor worship, rampant sexual immorality, and demonic activity.
• 💬 Paul wrote to the Ephesians to put on the whole armor of God, emphasizing a life of love, forgiveness, and compassion.
• 🕊️ Despite their good works, Jesus warned the Ephesus church about losing their first love and called them to repent and return to their original fervor.
• 🌳 Jesus promised those who remain faithful the right to eat from the Tree of Life in the paradise of God, offering a greater reward than anything the world could provide.

Q & A

Who is the author and university president mentioned in the script?

Joe Stowell, the author and Cornerstone University President.

What significant excavation site in modern Turkey is the script discussing?

The script discusses the excavation site of Ephesus, an ancient city of the Roman Empire.

Who led the growing church in Ephesus in the first century?

The Apostle John, once the young disciple of Jesus Christ, led the growing church in Ephesus in the first century.

Why was John imprisoned on the island of Patmos?

John was imprisoned on Patmos because his belief in Jesus as the resurrected Savior offended the worship and loyalty to the many gods of the Roman Empire, including Caesar.

What is the final book in the Bible known as?

The final book in the Bible is known as the Revelation of Jesus Christ.

What does the Revelation of Jesus Christ unveil according to the script?

The Revelation of Jesus Christ unveils a future time of restoration and peace, a time when suffering and tears will cease, in addition to a final world war and cosmic destruction.

What is the first letter in the book of Revelation addressed to?

The first letter in the book of Revelation is addressed to the Church of Ephesus.

What was the Temple of Artemis known for?

The Temple of Artemis was known as one of the Seven Wonders of the World and was the center of worship to the goddess Artemis.

Why was the city of Ephesus significant for early Christians?

Ephesus was significant for early Christians because it was an affluent and cosmopolitan city where a group of Jesus Christ's followers thrived amidst a pagan environment, and it was the location where the Apostle Paul and John ministered.

What challenges did early Christians face in Ephesus?

Early Christians in Ephesus faced challenges such as the worship of pagan deities, the imperial cult requiring them to affirm Caesar as lord, the presence of demons and oracles, and societal pressures to conform to the local culture, including sexual immorality.

What did Jesus commend the Ephesian church for in His letter?

Jesus commended the Ephesian church for their labor, toil, endurance, not accepting false teachers, and their hatred of the deeds of the Nicolaitans.

What was the main critique Jesus had for the Ephesian church despite their commendable actions?

Jesus critiqued the Ephesian church for having left their first love, implying that their actions were not motivated by love for Him.

What promise did Jesus make to those who overcome in the letter to the Ephesian church?

Jesus promised to give the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God, to those who overcome.

What was the significance of the tree of life in the context of the Temple of Artemis?

In the context of the Temple of Artemis, the tree of life symbolized fertility and life, and was a source of hope for the Ephesians. Jesus' promise of the tree of life contrasted this, offering an eternal and spiritual fulfillment.

Outlines

00:00

🔍 Ephesus: A City of Ancient Wonder and Early Christian Faith

This paragraph introduces Joe Stowell, who visits Ephesus, a major city of the Roman Empire and home to an early Christian church led by the Apostle John. It outlines John's imprisonment on Patmos, where he received the Revelation of Jesus Christ. The book of Revelation is described as not only detailing future tribulations but also offering hope for restoration and peace. The paragraph ends by noting the seven letters to the churches of Asia Minor, with the first addressed to Ephesus.

05:04

🏛️ Exploring the Relics and Intellectual Hub of Ephesus

Tourists today visit Ephesus to see its relics, including the library, once one of the greatest in the world. Early Christians were reminded of the intellectual center's grandeur and the emperor worship inscribed on its buildings. The agora, the city's bustling marketplace, was a central hub for trade and social interaction. Christians faced challenges, such as the requirement to burn incense to the emperor, which conflicted with their faith. Despite these challenges, Ephesus was a rich, cosmopolitan city where early Christians navigated their faith amidst pagan worship and societal pressures.

10:06

🎭 The Cultural and Religious Challenges in Ephesus

Ephesus hosted many temples, the most significant being the Temple of Artemis, a fertility goddess. The temple's influence permeated all aspects of life, including commerce and banking. Celebrations for Artemis involved processions, orgies, and temple prostitution, posing moral challenges for Christians. Additionally, emperor worship was significant, with Domitian's temple symbolizing the emperor's power. Christians had to navigate this environment, facing intense persecution under Domitian, who demanded to be worshipped as a god. This religious and social landscape created a formidable environment for the early church.

15:09

⚔️ Spiritual Warfare and Paul's Admonitions to Ephesus

This paragraph delves into the spiritual challenges early Christians faced in Ephesus, including demonic activity and the influence of oracles. Paul's letter to the Ephesians emphasized the need to put on the whole armor of God, understanding the spiritual warfare they faced. He called them to live lives of forgiveness, compassion, and integrity, standing against the societal norms of emperor and pagan worship. The paragraph reflects on the steadfastness of the Ephesian church, commended by Jesus for their labor and endurance but warned against losing their first love and becoming ineffective.

20:13

🌟 Maintaining First Love and Faithfulness

Jesus commends the Ephesian church for their labor and endurance but admonishes them for losing their first love, urging them to repent and return to their initial passion. The narrative includes a personal anecdote illustrating the importance of love in actions. Jesus promises that those who remain faithful will receive the tree of life in the paradise of God, contrasting the temporary splendor of Artemis' temple with eternal rewards. The paragraph concludes with a reflection on the enduring message of faithfulness and the greater rewards promised by Jesus, encouraging modern believers to serve out of love and devotion.

Keywords

💡Ephesus

Ephesus was an ancient city in modern-day Turkey and a prominent center of the Roman Empire. It was home to a growing Christian church in the first century, led by the Apostle John. In the video, Ephesus is highlighted as the location of one of the Seven Churches of Revelation, symbolizing its historical and religious significance.

💡Apostle John

Apostle John was one of the twelve original disciples of Jesus Christ and is a central figure in the script. He is known for his belief in Jesus as the resurrected Savior and for leading the church in Ephesus. His experiences, including his exile to Patmos and the revelation he received there, form a key part of the video's narrative.

💡Revelation of Jesus Christ

The Revelation of Jesus Christ, also known as the Book of Revelation, is the final book of the Bible. It is mentioned in the script as the vision that Jesus gave to John on Patmos, outlining the end of time, judgment, and God's wrath, as well as a time of restoration and peace. This book is integral to the video's exploration of Christian eschatology.

💡Roman Empire

The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of ancient Rome, characterized by a vast territory and a complex system of government. In the script, the Roman Empire is depicted as a place where the early Christian church faced challenges due to its polytheistic culture and the worship of Caesar, which conflicted with Christian monotheism.

💡Artemis

Artemis was the ancient goddess of fertility and life, worshipped extensively in Ephesus. Her temple was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The script describes the temple as a central place of pagan worship that posed a stark contrast to the Christian faith of the early church in Ephesus.

💡Agora

The Agora in ancient Greek cities, including Ephesus, was a central public space where people gathered for various activities, including trade and social interaction. In the script, the Agora of Ephesus is depicted as a bustling marketplace that was also a site of religious and social tension for early Christians.

💡Nicolaitans

The Nicolaitans were a sect mentioned in the New Testament, associated with practices that the early Christian church found objectionable. In the script, they are described as promoting a philosophy that led to the acceptance of eating food offered to idols and sexual immorality, which the church in Ephesus was commended for opposing.

💡Persecution

Persecution refers to the systematic mistreatment of a group or individual based on their beliefs or identity. In the context of the script, early Christians faced persecution, particularly under the reign of Emperor Domitian, for their refusal to worship the emperor as a god and for their adherence to the teachings of Jesus Christ.

💡Emperor Worship

Emperor Worship was a practice in the Roman Empire where the emperor was deified and citizens were expected to pay homage. The script discusses how this practice created a significant challenge for early Christians, who were expected to declare 'Caesar is Lord,' conflicting with their belief in Jesus Christ as Lord.

💡Tree of Life

The Tree of Life is a biblical symbol representing eternal life and divine providence. In the script, Jesus promises the Tree of Life to those who overcome in the church at Ephesus, contrasting it with the pagan symbol of the tree in the temple of Artemis, and offering a spiritual fulfillment beyond the temporal.

💡Paradise of God

The Paradise of God refers to the heavenly realm or the ultimate place of bliss and communion with God. In the script, it is mentioned as the location where the faithful will receive the Tree of Life, signifying the ultimate reward and restoration in the presence of God, beyond the trials of the earthly life.

Highlights

Author and Cornerstone University President Joe Stowell explores the ancient city of Ephesus in modern Turkey.

Ephesus was home to a growing church led by the Apostle John in the first century.

John's belief in Jesus as the Resurrected Savior offended Roman Empire gods, leading to his imprisonment on Patmos.

Jesus appeared to John on Patmos with a vision of the end of time, resulting in the Book of Revelation.

The Revelation of Jesus Christ speaks of a future time of restoration and peace, beyond judgment and wrath.

The Book of Revelation includes seven personal letters to first-century churches within modern Turkey's borders.

The first letter of Revelation is addressed to the Church of Ephesus.

Ephesus was a world-class city, comparable to modern metropolises like New York or Paris.

The city was a center of worship for the goddess Artemis and housed the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the World.

Ephesus was a hub for international trade, attracting a diverse and affluent population.

Early Christians in Ephesus faced challenges due to the city's pagan environment and worship of multiple gods.

The Apostle Paul and Timothy were influential figures in the Ephesian church.

Christians in Ephesus had to navigate social and economic pressures to conform to pagan practices.

The Temple of Artemis was also a banking institution, central to the city's commerce.

Ephesus was a stronghold for the worship of Emperor Domitian, who persecuted early Christians.

Jesus' letters to the churches emphasize the importance of love and faithfulness over mere adherence to duty.

The Church of Ephesus was commended for its perseverance but rebuked for losing its first love.

Jesus promises the Tree of Life to those who overcome, symbolizing eternal life in God's paradise.

The Temple of Artemis was destroyed by the Goths in 262 AD and was never rebuilt due to the Christianization of the Roman Empire.

Transcripts

ANNOUNCER: ON THIS DAY OF DISCOVERY,

AUTHOR AND CORNERSTONE UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT JOE STOWELL TRAVELS TO MODERN TURKEY...

TO ONE OF THE MOST IMPRESSIVE EXCAVATIONS OF A CITY OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE: EPHESUS.

IN THE FIRST CENTURY EPHESUS WAS HOME TO A GROWING CHURCH LED BY THE APOSTLE JOHN,

ONCE THE YOUNG DISCIPLE OF JESUS CHRIST.

JOHN'S BELIEF IN JESUS AS THE RESURRECTED SAVIOR OF THE WORLD...

OFFENDED THE WORSHIP AND LOYALTY TO THE MANY GODS OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE, WHICH INCLUDED CAESAR.

JOHN WAS THEREFORE IMPRISONED ON THE ISLAND OF PATMOS,

50 MILES OFF THE COAST OF TURKEY.

IT IS ON PATMOS THAT JESUS SUDDENLY APPEARS TO JOHN...

WITH A VISION THAT MAPS OUT THE END OF TIME.

THIS FINAL BOOK IN THE BIBLE IS KNOWN AS THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST.

IT IS A BOOK THAT, FOR MANY, SPEAKS OF A TERRIBLE FUTURE FOR THE WORLD AND MANKIND,

CULMINATING WITH JUDGMENT AND GOD'S WRATH BEING POURED OUT ON THE EARTH.

BUT THIS FINAL REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST...

UNVEILS FAR MORE THAN A FINAL WORLD WAR AND COSMIC DESTRUCTION.

IT ALSO REVEALS A YET FUTURE TIME OF RESTORATION AND PEACE,

A TIME WHEN SUFFERING AND TEARS WILL CEASE.

THE BOOK BEGINS BY REVEALING THE HEART OF THE RESURRECTED JESUS FOR THOSE HE'S LEFT BEHIND,

WITH SEVEN PERSONAL LETTERS TO SEVEN FIRST CENTURY CHURCHES...

WITHIN THE BORDERS OF MODERN TURKEY.

THE FIRST LETTER IS TO THE CHURCH OF EPHESUS.

JOURNEY TO THE SEVEN CHURCHES OF REVELATION, THE LETTER TO EPHESUS,

ON THIS DAY OF DISCOVERY.

TODAY, THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD COME TO THIS ANCIENT CITY OF EPHESUS.

THEY COME TO VIEW THE SPECTACULAR RELICS,

TO BUY T-SHIRTS FOR THEIR GRANDKIDS AND LITTLE IMAGES TO THE GODDESS ARTEMIS,

WHO WAS WORSHIPED HERE 2,000 YEARS AGO.

BUT 2,000 YEARS AGO PEOPLE CAME TO EPHESUS FOR A WHOLE DIFFERENT REASON.

FROM EVERY CORNER OF THE GLOBE PEOPLE CAME BECAUSE THIS WAS A WORLD CLASS CITY.

IT'S LIKE OUR NEW YORK OR SINGAPORE, PARIS, OR BEIJING.

IT WAS THE CENTER OF THE CULT WORSHIP TO ARTEMIS.

PILGRIMS CAME TO THIS MASSIVE TEMPLE THAT WAS ONE OF THE SEVEN WONDERS OF THE WORLD.

AND IN THIS CITY THERE WAS A GROUP OF FOLLOWERS OF JESUS CHRIST.

THIS CHURCH PLANTED HERE THRIVED IN THE MIDST OF THIS PAGAN ENVIRONMENT.

HEADLINERS LIKE PAUL WERE HERE FOR TWO AND A HALF YEARS, THE APOSTLE JOHN AND TIMOTHY.

AND INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, THE LETTERS THAT JESUS WROTE TO THE CHURCHES OF ASIA MINOR,

THE VERY FIRST LETTER HE WROTE WAS A LETTER TO THIS CHURCH IN THE CITY OF EPHESUS.

"WHAT YOU SEE, WRITE IN A BOOK AND SEND IT TO THE SEVEN CHURCHES WHICH ARE IN ASIA:

"TO EPHESUS, TO SMYRNA, TO PERGAMOS, TO THYATIRA,

"TO SARDIS, TO PHILADELPHIA, AND TO LAODICEA."

THEN I TURNED TO SEE THE VOICE THAT SPOKE,

AND HAVING TURNED, I SAW SEVEN GOLDEN LAMPSTANDS,

AND IN THE MIDST OF THE SEVEN LAMPSTANDS, ONE LIKE THE SON OF MAN.

"TO THE ANGEL OF THE CHURCH OF EPHESUS WRITE,

"THESE THINGS SAYS HE WHO HOLDS THE SEVEN STARS IN HIS RIGHT HAND,

"WHO WALKS IN THE MIDST OF THE SEVEN GOLDEN LAMPSTANDS:

"I KNOW YOUR WORKS, YOUR LABOR, YOUR PATIENCE,

"AND THAT YOU CANNOT BEAR THOSE WHO ARE EVIL.

"AND YOU HAVE TESTED THOSE WHO SAY THEY ARE APOSTLES AND ARE NOT, AND HAVE FOUND THEM LIARS.

"AND YOU HAVE PERSEVERED AND HAVE PATIENCE, AND HAVE LABORED FOR MY NAME'S SAKE,

"AND HAVE NOT BECOME WEARY.

"NEVERTHELESS, I HAVE THIS AGAINST YOU, THAT YOU HAVE LEFT YOUR FIRST LOVE.

"REMEMBER, THEREFORE, FROM WHERE YOU HAVE FALLEN.

"REPENT AND DO THE FIRST WORKS.

"I WILL COME TO YOU QUICKLY AND REMOVE YOUR LAMPSTAND FROM ITS PLACE, UNLESS YOU REPENT.

"BUT THIS YOU HAVE, THAT YOU HATE THE DEEDS OF THE NICOLAITANS, WHICH I ALSO HATE.

"HE WHO HAS AN EAR, LET HIM HEAR WHAT THE SPIRIT SAYS TO THE CHURCHES.

"TO HIM WHO OVERCOMES I WILL GIVE TO EAT FROM THE TREE OF LIFE,

"WHICH IS IN THE MIDST OF THE PARADISE OF GOD."

THESE ARE THE KINDS OF SPECTACULAR RUINS...

THAT TOURISTS COME FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD TO SEE.

BUT FOR EARLY CHRISTIANS WALKING THROUGH THIS PLAZA,

THIS WAS THE LIBRARY, ONE OF THE GREATEST LIBRARIES IN THE WORLD,

REMINDING THEM THAT THEY WERE IN AN INTELLECTUAL CENTER.

AS THEY WOULD WALK THROUGH THESE ARCHWAYS THEY WOULD SEE OVER THE TOP,

THE INSCRIPTION: "TO CAESAR AUGUSTUS, WHO IS GOD."

AND IT WOULD REMIND THEM OF THE WORSHIP OF THE EMPERORS...

THAT CREATED SO MUCH TENSION IN THEIR LIVES.

JUST OVER HERE IS THE TOWN BROTHEL, RIGHT OUT IN PUBLIC,

WHICH WOULD AGAIN REMIND THEM OF THE SEDUCTION OF THE RAMPANT SEXUAL IMMORALITY IN EPHESUS.

BUT THROUGH THOSE ARCHES IS WHERE THE ACTION REALLY HAPPENED:

THE TOWN MARKET, THE AGORA.

THE AGORA WAS THE MOST IMPORTANT TRADE CENTER IN EPHESUS.

IT WAS IN THE FORM OF A LARGE SQUARE, SURROUNDED BY COLUMNS WITH THREE GATES.

I'VE ENTERED THROUGH THE GATE FROM THE CELSUS LIBRARY.

THREE SIDES OF THE AGORA WERE SURROUNDED BY A PORTICO...

THAT HELD THE SHOPS DOING BUSINESS IN THIS COMMERCIAL CENTER.

EPHESUS WAS A PORT CITY, AND GOODS FROM ALL OVER THE KNOWN WORLD...

WERE SOLD RIGHT HERE IN THIS PLACE.

NO CITY TELLS US WHAT LIFE WAS LIKE FOR EARLY CHRISTIANS IN THE ROMAN EMPIRE...

LIKE THE CITY OF EPHESUS.

EPHESUS WAS AFFLUENT. IT SAT ON THE EDGE OF A MAJOR SEAPORT,

SO TRADE FROM, LITERALLY, ALL OVER THE KNOWN WORLD PARKED ITS SHIPS IN THE SEAPORT,

AND FILLED THE CITY WITH GOODS THAT WERE MUCH COVETED BY PEOPLE WHO CAME FROM LAND ROUTES.

TRADE ROUTES ON LAND ENDED UP HERE IN EPHESUS.

SO EPHESUS WAS A RICH TOWN AND IT WAS VERY COSMOPOLITAN.

PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD LIVED HERE, JEWS AND GENTILES AND PERSIANS AND...

AND MOST OF THE ACTIVITY THAT WAS SIGNIFICANT TOOK PLACE RIGHT HERE...

IN THE AGORA OR THE MARKETPLACE.

THE AGORA WOULD HAVE BEEN FILLED WITH THE FRAGRANT AROMAS...

OF SPICES FROM FAR AND DISTANT LANDS,

WITH THE BEAUTIFUL COLORS OF TEXTILES THAT HAD BEEN WOVEN AND BROUGHT HERE FOR SALE.

PEOPLE WOULD GATHER HERE SOCIALLY.

I MEAN, THIS WAS LIKE A MALL ON STEROIDS, REALLY.

THIS WAS THE CENTER OF LIFE IN EPHESUS,

AND THE CENTER OF LIFE IN MOST CITIES IN THE ROMAN EMPIRE.

AND SO WHAT WOULD HAPPEN HERE WOULD BE LARGELY DETERMINATIVE...

OF THE SOCIAL INTERACTIONS AND STATUS OF EARLY CHRISTIANS.

OF COURSE, ONE CHALLENGE WAS THAT AT THE ENTRANCE TO THE AGORA WAS AN INCENSE BURNER.

IN ORDER TO ENTER THE AGORA ON GOOD TERMS YOU HAD TO TAKE A LITTLE INCENSE...

AS AN ACT OF LOYALTY TO THE EMPEROR, WHO CLAIMED TO BE LORD,

AND DROP IT IN THE INCENSE BURNERS.

CHRISTIANS STRUGGLED WITH THAT. IT WAS TOUGH TO NAVIGATE THAT.

TO BE... TO BE SHUT OUT OF THE AGORA MEANT TO BE SHUT OUT OF SO MUCH OF LIFE.

BUT THAT WAS THE CHALLENGE FOR THEM.

EPHESUS WAS TYPICAL OF THE ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH EARLY CHRISTIANS NEEDED TO NAVIGATE,

NOT ONLY FOR ITS MARKETPLACE AND AGORA, BUT FOR ITS WORSHIP OF PAGAN DEITIES.

IN EPHESUS THERE WERE 14 TEMPLES, IDOLATROUS TEMPLES TO PAGAN GODS,

BUT NONE OF THEM RIVALED THE TEMPLE TO ARTEMIS.

ARTEMIS WAS THE ANCIENT GODDESS OF FERTILITY AND LIFE.

HER REIGN OVER THIS REGION AND MOST OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE ACTUALLY STARTED IN 1,000 BC,

AND EPHESUS WAS THE HEADQUARTERS OF HER WORSHIP.

THE TEMPLE WAS ONE OF THE SEVEN WONDERS OF THE WORLD.

THINK OF THIS, IT WAS THE...

BIGGER THAN A FOOTBALL FIELD AND A HALF LONG AND WIDER THAN A FOOTBALL FIELD.

IT WAS WRAPPED WITH 127 MASSIVE PILLARS OF MARBLE.

I MEAN, IT WAS A STATEMENT! AND ALL OF THE TOWN WORSHIPPED AT THE TEMPLE.

IN FACT, THE WORSHIP OF ARTEMIS PERVADED ALMOST EVERY ASPECT OF LIFE AND OF SOCIETY,

ALL THE WAY TO BANKING AND COMMERCE.

THE TEMPLE TO ARTEMIS BECAME A BANKING HEADQUARTERS WHERE PEOPLE WOULD BRING THEIR MONEY,

AND MERCHANTS WOULD BANK THEIR MONEY,

AND THE TEMPLE WOULD RECEIVE THE INTEREST AND YOU'D GET LOANS,

AND SO IT WAS A VERY CENTRAL POINT IN THIS CITY.

THERE WERE IN THE TEMPLE OF ARTEMIS, GIVEN THAT SHE WAS THE GODDESS OF FERTILITY,

HUNDREDS OF TEMPLE PROSTITUTES, BOTH MALE AND FEMALE.

MANY OF THE FESTIVITIES CELEBRATING ARTEMIS ENDED...

IN ORGIES AND RAMPANT SEXUAL IMMORALITY.

THINK OF THE CHALLENGE THAT THAT MEANT TO EARLY CHRISTIANS.

AND ONCE A YEAR IN MAY, TO CELEBRATE HER BIRTHDAY, THIS, CALLED THE SACRED WAY,

WAS FILLED WITH MASSIVE PROCESSIONS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE,

LIFTING ARTEMIS' PICTURE AT THE FRONT OF THE PROCESSION,

WITH MUSIC PLAYING AND DANCING AND CHEERING ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE HARBOR,

WHERE THE STATUES OF ARTEMIS WOULD BE DIPPED INTO THE WATER TO RESTORE HER VIRGINITY AGAIN,

AND THEN THE MASSIVE CELEBRATION RETURNED TO THE TEMPLE, WHERE LATE INTO THE NIGHT...

THEY WOULD CELEBRATE AND WORSHIP HER IN DRUNKEN ORGIES.

AND SINCE ALL THE PRIESTS TO HER WERE EUNUCHS,

SOME OF THE MEN, IN FRENZY, WOULD LITERALLY CASTRATE THEMSELVES,

AND PRESENT THEIR DISMEMBERED PARTS TO ARTEMIS AS AN ACT OF WORSHIP,

AND BECOME A PART OF THE PRIESTHOOD.

SO THAT WAS THE ENVIRONMENT.

THAT WAS THE CHALLENGE FOR THE EARLY CHURCH TO LIVE IN A SOCIETY SUCH AS THIS.

BUT THE CHALLENGE, REALLY, AT THE END OF THE DAY, DIDN'T COMPARE...

TO THE WORSHIP OF THE EMPEROR DOMITIAN, WHICH WAS ALSO HEADQUARTERED IN THIS CITY.

EPHESUS HAD THE HIGH HONOR OF BEING A NEOKOROS.

THAT MEANT A CITY THAT WAS A HOST TO A TEMPLE TO AN EMPEROR.

VERY FEW CITIES GOT THAT HONOR. EPHESUS HAD TWO.

DOWN BELOW US IN THE VALLEY, IN THE FIRST CENTURY BC,

A TEMPLE WAS BUILT TO AUGUSTUS THE DIVINE.

BUT BEHIND ME IS THE TEMPLE TO DOMITIAN,

BUILT ON THE HIGHEST PLACE IN THE TOWN OF EPHESUS SO THAT ALL COULD SEE.

DOMITIAN BEGAN HIS REIGN IN 81,

AND IMMEDIATELY SELECTED THIS PLACE FOR PEOPLE TO WORSHIP HIM AS GOD.

INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, ON THE PLATEAU OF THE TEMPLE WHERE THE TEMPLE ACTUALLY STOOD...

WAS A STRUCTURE THAT WAS HELD UP BY OTHER STATUES.

THESE WERE THE STATUES OF ALL THE GODS OF THE EMPIRE.

WHAT A STATEMENT, THAT THE OTHER GODS OF THE EMPIRE LITERALLY HOLD HIM UP AS THE HIGHEST.

AND ON THE PLATFORM ON THE PLAZA OF THE TEMPLE WAS A STATUE TO DOMITIAN HIMSELF.

GET THIS, IT STOOD 50 FEET TALL WITH AN ARM RAISED IN POWER.

AND WHEN YOU WOULD COME INTO THE HARBOR, YOU WOULD LOOK UP,

IT'S THE FIRST THING YOU WOULD SEE IN EPHESUS, WAS THIS STATUE OF DOMITIAN.

FOR EARLY CHRISTIANS, THAT WAS A VERY INTIMIDATING SIGHT, BECAUSE DOMITIAN, NEXT TO NERO,

IS ONE OF THE EMPERORS THAT MOST BRUTALLY PERSECUTED THE EARLY CHURCH.

IN FACT, SOMETIMES I WONDER IF THAT VISION OF JESUS CHRIST...

AS BEING ALL-POWERFUL AND ALMIGHTY WAS MEANT TO CONTRAST...

TO THESE KIND OF ICONIC IMAGES OF THE EMPERORS AND ALL THEIR POWER THAT...

THAT CHRIST APPEARS IN FAR GREATER POWER THAN THEY APPEAR.

SO, AS INTIMIDATING AS THAT MAY HAVE BEEN,

WORSE YET WAS THE CHALLENGE TO EARLY CHRISTIANS, BECAUSE IN THE IMPERIAL CULT,

ONE OF THE WAYS THAT THE EMPERORS HELD THE ROMAN EMPIRE TOGETHER WAS TO CLAIM TO BE GOD.

ACTUALLY, THEY USED NAMES LIKE SAVIOR, AND LORD, AND MASTER, SON OF MAN, AND GOD.

SO HOW DO YOU HOLD AN EMPIRE TOGETHER THAT'S MADE UP OF...

SO MANY DIFFERENT KINDS OF PEOPLE AND CULTURES?

WELL, YOU HAVE ONE ELEMENT, AND THAT IS ALL OF THE EMPIRE WILL WORSHIP THE EMPEROR,

WILL WORSHIP CAESAR.

AND THERE WERE FESTIVITIES AND TIMES IN THE YEAR WHEN CHRISTIANS WERE REQUIRED,

WHEN ALL THE ROMAN CITIZENS AND ALL THE ROMAN TOWNS WERE REQUIRED...

TO PUBLICALLY AFFIRM WITH THEIR OWN VOICE THAT CAESAR IS LORD.

WELL, THROUGH MANY OF THE EMPERORS' REIGN,

THAT DIDN'T HAVE A LOT OF GLUE TO IT, DIDN'T STICK,

AND CHRISTIANS KIND OF FLEW UNDER THE RADAR.

BUT NOT WITH DOMITIAN, BECAUSE HE WAS INTENT THAT ALL WOULD PRAISE AND WORSHIP HIM.

HENCE THE MASSIVE PERSECUTION.

SO THE CHURCH OF EPHESUS THEN LIVED UNDER THE SHADOW OF THIS SEDUCTION,

AND IN FACT, JOHN IS EXILED ONTO THE ISLE OF PATMOS...

BECAUSE OF DYNAMICS REPRESENTED IN A TEMPLE JUST LIKE THIS.

ANOTHER UNSETTLING REALITY FOR EARLY CHRISTIANS...

WAS THE PRESENCE OF DEMONS AND DEMON ACTIVITY.

ORACLES WERE PRIESTS TO THE GODS AND THE GODDESSES AND THEY SPOKE FOR THE GODS AND GODDESSES.

HERE AT EPHESUS THEY DWELT IN THE TEMPLE TO DIDYMUS.

ORACLES WOULD DO MIRACULOUS WONDERS, ALL DRIVEN BY THE UNDERWORLD,

CAST SPELLS ON ENEMIES AND CURSES AND...

AND WHIP WORSHIPPERS INTO CONVULSIVE FRENZIES,

ALL VERY EVIDENT TO CHRISTIANS...

THAT THE POWERS OF THE DEMONS IN THE UNDERWORLD WERE VERY MUCH AT WORK.

SO WHEN PAUL WROTE TO EPHESUS, IN EPHESIANS CHAPTER 6,

"TO PUT ON THE WHOLE ARMOR OF GOD, FOR WE WRESTLE NOT AGAINST FLESH AND BLOOD,

"BUT AGAINST PRINCIPALITIES AND POWERS, AGAINST THE RULERS OF DARKNESS IN HIGH PLACES,"

THEY KNEW WHAT HE MEANT AND THEY TOOK HIM SERIOUSLY.

AND PAUL WAS ASKING THEM NOT TO JUST STAND AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT,

OR FOR A CAUSE THAT JUDGES OTHERS.

READ HIS LETTER TO EPHESUS SOMETIME.

HE CALLS THEM TO LIVE A LIFE IN THE MIDST OF THIS COMMUNITY...

THAT SAYS SOMETHING THAT RINGS TRUE IN ALL OF OUR HEARTS,

THINGS LIKE FORGIVE YOUR ENEMIES, SHOW LOVE AND COMPASSION TO ALL,

HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER, BRING YOUR CHILDREN UP IN THE ADMONITION OF THE LORD.

AND BONDSERVANTS, BE OBEDIENT TO THOSE WHO ARE YOUR MASTERS,

AND MASTERS, YOU'VE GOT TO GIVE UP THREATENING,

KNOWING YOU, TOO, HAVE A MASTER IN HEAVEN.

PAUL ADMONISHES THEM TO SINCERITY AND GOOD WILL...

IN A COMMUNITY THAT WORSHIPPED GODS WHO SAID NOTHING LIKE THIS.

IN SHORT, HE WAS ASKING THEM TO BE LIKE CHRIST IN A CHRIST-DENYING WORLD.

JESUS WRITES HIS FIRST LETTER TO THE CHURCH HERE AT EPHESUS.

UNLIKE SOME OF THE OTHER CHURCHES,

THERE'S NO HINT IN THIS LETTER OF COMPROMISE ON THEIR PART.

NOW QUITE FRANKLY, GIVEN ALL THE PRESSURES, THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN AN EASY THING.

I MEAN, WHY NOT JUST TAKE A PINCH OF INCENSE TO HONOR THE EMPEROR...

TO GO INTO THE MARKETPLACE AND BE SOCIALLY ACCEPTED OR...

OR GO TO THE FESTIVITIES AND EAT MEAT OFFERED TO IDOLS,

AND PERHAPS EVEN PARTICIPATE IN SEXUAL IMMORTALITY...

JUST TO KEEP YOUR POSITION AND YOUR CAREER,

AND HAVE PEOPLE STILL SHOPPING AT YOUR LITTLE STALL?

ACTUALLY, JESUS SAYS, "YOU HATE THE DOCTRINE OF THE NICOLAITANS."

THE NICOLAITANS WERE A SECT IN THE EARLY CHURCH WHO ABSORBED GREEK PHILOSOPHY...

AND ITS GNOSTICISM AND WHICH BASICALLY TAUGHT THAT THE BODY WAS INSIGNIFICANT,

THAT THE ONLY THING THAT WAS VALUABLE WAS THE SOUL.

SO WHATEVER IS DONE IN THE BODY OR TO THE BODY IS TO NO AVAIL.

THEREFORE YOU COULD EAT MEAT OFFERED TO IDOLS AND PARTICIPATE IN SEXUAL IMMORALITY.

SO THEY TOOK A FIRM STAND AGAINST THAT.

SO I WONDER WHY THEY WERE SO STRONG?

COULD IT BE THAT THEY HAD GREAT LEADERSHIP?

THE APOSTLE PAUL WAS HERE FOR THREE YEARS.

THE FIRST SIX MONTHS HE TAUGHT IN THE SYNAGOGUE,

BUT THE RESISTANCE OF THE JEWS WAS SO HEAVY THAT HE WENT TO THE HALL OF TYRANNUS,

AN OPEN MEETING PLACE WHERE STOICS AND PHILOSOPHERS MARKETED THEIR WARES,

AND HE TAUGHT THERE EVERY DAY, ACTS TELLS US,

FROM 11:00 IN THE MORNING TILL 4:00 IN THE AFTERNOON FOR TWO AND A HALF YEARS,

SO THAT ALL THE KNOWN WORLD WOULD KNOW ABOUT THE POWER OF THE RISEN CHRIST.

THEY WERE SO EFFECTIVE IN BEING DISTINCT THAT THE SILVERSMITHS RIOTED.

SILVERSMITHS WOULD MAKE THESE LITTLE STATUES TO ARTEMIS,

AND PEOPLE WOULD BUY THEM AND PUT THEM IN THEIR HOMES AND WORSHIP ARTEMIS IN THEIR HOMES.

BUT THE INFLUENCE OF EARLY CHRISTIANITY IN EPHESUS WAS SO POWERFUL...

THAT THEY STARTED LOSING BUSINESS AND SO THEY RIOTED,

AND THE WHOLE TOWN WENT INTO THE MASSIVE THEATRE, SHOUTING FOR TWO HOURS STRAIGHT,

"ARTEMIS, THE GODDESS OF THE EPHESIANS! ARTEMIS, THE GODDESS OF THE EPHESIANS!"

AND THEY DRAGGED SOME OF PAUL'S COHORTS IN THERE,

AND WERE GETTING READY TO DRAG PAUL IN THERE, TOO.

WHO KNOWS WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED TO HIM IN THAT RIOT!

EXCEPT THE TOWN GOVERNOR QUIETED THE CROWD AND SAID, "WE HAVE COURTS TO TAKE CARE OF THIS."

BUT ALL OF THAT TO SAY, THIS WAS A VERY EFFECTIVE CHURCH.

SO JESUS CHRIST STARTS BY COMMENDING THEM, THROWING BOUQUETS AT THEM.

"I KNOW YOUR LABOR AND YOUR TOIL.

"I KNOW THAT YOU ENDURE HARDSHIP FOR MY NAME'S SAKE.

"I KNOW THAT YOU DO NOT ACCEPT FALSE TEACHERS."

I MEAN, AFTER THAT LIST, YOU AND I WOULD VOTE FOR THEM AS CHURCH OF THE YEAR!

BUT THEN JESUS SAYS, "BUT I HAVE SOMETHING AGAINST YOU."

I HAVE TO SAY, I NEVER WANT TO HEAR JESUS SAY THAT TO ME.

LITERALLY THE WORD "FIRST" MEANS FIRST IN TERMS OF PRIORITY, MOTIVATION,

THE THING THAT'S MOST IMPORTANT TO ME.

AND I'M WONDERING WITH ALL THOSE ACCOLADES...

OF THE WONDERFUL THINGS THEY'RE DOING AS A CHURCH,

IF JESUS IS SAYING TO THEM, "YOU'RE NOT DOING THOSE BECAUSE YOU LOVE ME.

"THAT CHURCH FOR YOU IS LIKE A HABIT, IT'S LIKE A PROJECT, IT'S LIKE A DUTY.

"IT'S LIKE GETTING THE WORK DONE, IT'S LIKE STICKING IT OUT AND STAYING FAITHFUL,

"BUT IT'S NOT BECAUSE YOU LOVE ME THAT YOU DO THIS."

IT'S KIND OF LIKE LOVELESS LABOR. IT'S LIKE WORK WITHOUT WONDER.

IT'S... ENDS UP BEING KIND OF DRY AND BORING AT THE END OF THE DAY.

JESUS WARNS THEM, "IF YOU DON'T CHANGE THIS I'LL REMOVE YOUR LAMPSTAND."

WHICH, IN ESSENCE, HE WAS SAYING JUST DOING LOVELESS LABOR, NO MATTER HOW GOOD IT IS,

YOU LOSE YOUR EFFECTIVENESS. YOU LOSE THE LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS, THE POWER OF YOUR CHURCH.

I GUESS JESUS WANTS US TO KNOW THAT HE LONGS FOR A RELATIONSHIP,

NOT JUST BEHAVIOR, NOT JUST DUTY.

EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE MARTIE LEAVES AFTER DINNER...

TO GO OUT SHOPPING WITH FRIENDS, OR SOMETHING,

AND SO I DECIDE, "YOU KNOW WHAT I'M GOING TO DO? I'M GOING TO CLEAN THE KITCHEN UP,"

AND I WASH THE POTS AND PANS AND I PUT THE DISHES IN THE DISHWATER... WASHER.

AND THEN AT THE END OF IT THE KITCHEN LOOKS SPOTLESS, IT LOOKS GREAT,

AND SHE COMES HOME AND NOTICES IT.

"OH MY GOODNESS, JOE, WHY DID YOU DO THIS?"

AND I SAY, "WELL, BECAUSE I'M DEDICATED TO THE INSTITUTION OF MARRIAGE,

"THAT'S WHY I DID THIS."

NO. I MEAN, THAT WOULD GO NOWHERE.

I JUST LOOK IN HER EYES AND SAY, "I DID THIS BECAUSE I LOVE YOU.

"YOU'RE THE MOST IMPORTANT PERSON IN MY LIFE.

"I LOOK FOR WAYS TO TELL YOU HOW MUCH I LOVE YOU."

AND THAT'S WHAT JESUS IS AFTER. AND SO HE TELLS THEM TO REPENT,

AND IF THEY REPENT THEY'LL DO THE WORKS THEY DID AT FIRST.

WHICH MEANS THAT IF YOU LOVE JESUS AND THEREFORE DO WHAT HE WOULD HAVE YOU DO,

YOU MIGHT GET OUTSIDE OF THE CHURCH WALLS,

AS GOOD AS YOUR BEHAVIOR IS ON THE INSIDE.

YOU MIGHT START CARING FOR THE POOR AGAIN,

DOING ACTS OF COMPASSION TOWARD THOSE INFANTS WHO ARE THROWN ON THE TOWN DUMP.

YOU MIGHT START MINISTERING TO PEOPLE IN NEED, EVEN LOVING AND FORGIVING YOUR ENEMIES.

SO THAT'S WHAT JESUS CALLS THEM TO.

I DO THINK THERE'S A MODERN APPLICATION HERE BECAUSE IT'S REAL EASY, ISN'T IT, TO BE DUTY,

AND TO DO THINGS WITHOUT DOING THEM BECAUSE YOU LOVE JESUS.

ALL OF OUR WORK SHOULD BE WORSHIP TO HIM.

THAT'S WHAT HE REALLY LONGS FOR.

THIS IS WHAT IS LEFT OF THE TEMPLE OF ARTEMIS AFTER STANDING HERE IN ALL OF ITS GLORY,

ATTRACTING PILGRIMS FROM ALL OVER THE KNOWN WORLD.

IN 262, WHEN THE GOTHS PLUNDERED EPHESUS, THEY DESTROYED THIS TEMPLE.

AND GIVEN THE CHRISTIANIZATION OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE, IT WAS NEVER BUILT AGAIN.

SO GOES ONE OF THE WONDERS OF THE WORLD.

BUT WHILE WE'RE HERE, JESUS CHRIST, AT THE END OF HIS LETTER TO THE CHRISTIANS IN EPHESUS,

MADE AN INTERESTING REFERENCE TO THIS TEMPLE.

HE SAID TO THEM, "TO THOSE OF YOU WHO OVERCOME, I WILL GIVE THE TREE OF LIFE."

ARTEMIS WAS THE GODDESS OF FERTILITY IN LIFE,

AND ONE OF THE GREAT SYMBOLS OF THAT WAS...

IN THE OUTER COURTYARDS THERE STOOD A GIGANTIC TREE. THIS TREE SYMBOLIZED LIFE.

WOMEN HOPING TO BECOME PREGNANT WOULD COME THERE AND TOUCH THE TREE.

PEOPLE WHO WANTED HEALTH AND LIFE IN MORE ABUNDANCE WOULD COME TO THE TREE.

IT WAS THE SOURCE OF HOPE AND THE FULLNESS OF LIFE FOR EPHESIANS.

OF COURSE, CHRISTIANS DIDN'T PARTICIPATE IN THAT.

IT WOULD HAVE BEEN EASY FOR THEM TO FEEL CHEATED...

TO BE LEFT OUT OF ONE OF THE GREAT OPPORTUNITIES OF EPHESUS.

BUT JESUS SAYS THAT, "IF YOU STAY FAITHFUL TO ME,

"IN THE END I WILL GIVE YOU THE TREE OF LIFE, THE ETERNAL TREE OF LIFE."

AND THEN HE SAID, "WHICH IS IN THE PARADISE OF GOD."

SO WHAT WOULD THAT MEAN? WELL, EMPERORS HAD GLORIOUS PALATIAL GARDENS,

AND IT WAS IN THOSE GARDENS THAT THEY WOULD ENTERTAIN GUESTS OF HONOR.

WELL, MOST CITIZENS WOULD NEVER HOPE TO GO TO THE EMPERORS' GARDENS,

TO THEIR PARADISO, THEIR PARADISE, LET ALONE CHRISTIANS.

BUT THINK OF THE IMAGERY.

THESE EMPERORS WHO PERSECUTED THEM AND MARGINALIZED THEM,

THAT THE DAY WOULD COME WHEN THEY WOULD GO BE WITH THEIR GOD,

AND HE WOULD GIVE TO THEM THE TREE OF LIFE,

PLANTED IN THE VERY PARADISE OF GOD.

ALL OF THE LETTERS RUN LIKE THIS.

"STAY FAITHFUL AND I HAVE A GREAT REWARD FOR YOU,

"SOMETHING FAR BETTER THAN THIS WORLD COULD EVER GIVE."

AND IT REMINDS ME OF MATTHEW CHAPTER 5, IN THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT,

WHERE JESUS SAID, "FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ENDURE FOR MY NAME'S SAKE,

"GREAT IS YOUR REWARD IN HEAVEN."