WEDNESDAY September 27, 2023
Vanity Fair
And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus.
Acts 19:1
After a time in Corinth, Paul visited another sinful city in Asia Minor––Ephesus. It was a place of extraordinary beauty, situated by the Aegean Sea and surrounded by majestic mountains. Many of its buildings were constructed with marble. Curetes Street was made of marble slabs with tall columns on either side of the road. There was a magnificent amphitheater made of marble that accommodated 25,000 people.
Ephesus was a free city with its own senate, but subject to Roman control. At the time of Paul, the population was about 250,000. The people living there were Roman in nature, but there was also a synagogue (Acts 19:8), so a Jewish population was validated.
The Cayster River flowed 80 miles inland and brought trade into the city. At this time, it became one of the greatest commercial cities in Asia. Dr. Barclay said, the city was known as “The Treasure-house of the ancient world,” and “The Vanity Fair of Asia Minor”. It was a very wealthy city, but pure pagan––full of superstition. Therefore, the city was also known as the “power seat of Satan.” Ephesus was a licentious city, full of wickedness and shameless immorality. Men could satisfy their physical needs by seeking any prostitute. Roman baths were often used by homosexuals who bathed together.
Ephesus was the city of Diana. The Temple of Diana made of pure marble became known as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Its columns were 60 ft. high, its length 377ft., and its width 180 ft.––just beautiful. God had sent Paul into this powerful, major city to evangelize, knowing many people would come to know Christ.
What city has God sent you to? Will you pray and evangelize to help reach the lost souls there?
Intercession is the truly universal work for the Christian. No place is closed to intercessory prayer: no continent, no nation, no city, no organization, no office. No power on earth can keep intercession out.
~Richard Halverson~
For more from Raul Ries, please visit SomebodyLovesYou.com!
