0418 THE CHURCH AT EPHESUS PART 1

THE CHURCH AT EPHESUS, PART ONE

We know more about the history of the church at Ephesus over its first hundred years of existence than we do of any other church. We get little snapshots in Acts, in Paul’s letters to Timothy, and even in the book of Revelation. Beyond the years of the New Testament itself, we even have some written records of the church in the next generation after the book of Revelation. And we know what eventually happened to the church and the city a few hundred years after that. We even have a very strong archaeological record of the city and its church. 

Here in chapter 18 of Acts, we get our first small look at the founding of the congregation. Over the years, the church at Ephesus serves as both a model and a warning for us today. 

The city of Ephesus stands near the west coast of what used to be known as Asia Minor (now Turkey).  The city was constructed on a bend of the River Cayster, near its mouth, where it opens up to the Mediterranean Sea. It was a wealthy city, serving as an example of the height of Roman civilization and architecture. It was a cultural center, and it contained several temples for idols—most notably, “Artemis of the Ephesians,” as we shall soon see.’ Even at its beginning, the church has some doctrinal division and is tested. 

Paul is returning from his second missionary journey, back to the church at Antioch in Turkey, which had sent him out a few years before. But Paul is a man on a mission, and even on this short layover on his way back home, he heads for a synagogue to reason with the Jews there.

“They stopped first at the port of Ephesus, where Paul left the others behind. While he was there, he went to the synagogue to reason with the Jews. They asked him to stay longer, but he declined. As he left, however, he said, “I will come back later, God willing.” Then he set sail from Ephesus.”

So the first part of the story of the church at Ephesus is a very brief encounter as Paul meets with some Jews there in the synagogue. From what little is written here, we can assume that these Jewish men were not yet fully convinced about Jesus. But they were interested, and wanted to hear more from Paul.

The first year in the life of a church is important, because it sets the tone for the personality of a congregation. “What you win them WITH, you win them TO.” Will the church be zealous, conservative, loving, accepting, family-oriented, doctrinal or something else? It’s hard to know much about this church’s founding, because we are told so little about it. But what little we see might be significant. Paul went to the “synagogue to reason with the Jews.” And then he left. So we might assume that the church would be starting with a Jewish core that was somewhat “reason”-based, committed to knowing truth about Jesus as the Messiah. Hold on to that thought until tomorrow. In the meantime, here’s what came next:

Meanwhile a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures.He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervor and taught about Jesus accurately, though he knew only the baptism of John. He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately.

Apollos was a Jew, who was from another great cultural center on the northern coast of Egypt, in Africa. He was a deeply committed student of the Word and a follower of Jesus, as well as a bold preacher. But he had been a student of the early ministry of Jesus, and wasn’t up to speed on the new movements that had taken place; namely, that the Holy Spirit had been sent, that baptism for the Spirit, as well as the baptism of repentance,and the resurrection of Jesus so that he would send the Spirit from the Father for our behalf. That was all new to him.

Apollos moved on, and he was a better evangelist from this point forward. But there was still something of a mess to clean up among the followers. We will see more about it in the next chapter. In the meantime, let’s look at the wonderful response of Priscilla and Aquila to the incomplete teaching of Apollos. Notice that they recognize Apollos to be well instructed in the way of the Lord, and that he taught about Jesus accurately. So there was no need to confront him as a heretic or an enemy of the gospel. However, his message was incomplete, because he had not been caught up to speed on the doings of God since Pentecost. So they invite him to their home. What a great idea! There, possibly over a meal that they make for him, they can share with him privately, without dishonoring their new friend. 

There is a time for everything under the sun, as Solomon says. There is a time for angry confrontation, severe correction, public debate and strong arguments. But this is not one of those times. This is a time for private explanation and for asking and answering questions. Well done, team!

Paul told Titus, These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you. Later, he added, But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless. Warn a divisive person once, and then warn them a second time. After that, have nothing to do with them.

May you know the ways of God fully, including when and how to confront or correct. Amen.