ree years upon
this journey, was Ephesus in Asia Minor. This city
situated midway between the extreme points of his former
missionary journeys was a place where he could have an
intelligent oversight over all the work which he had
previously accomplished.

Ephesus has been thus described: "It had been one
of the early Greek colonies, later the capital of Ionia, and
in Paul's day it was by far the largest and busiest of all
the cities of proconsular Asia. All the roads in Asia
Minor centered in Ephesus and from its position it was
almost as much a meeting place of eastern and western
thought as Alexandria. Its religion was oriental. Its
goddess called Artemis or Diana, had a Greek name but
was the representative of an old Phrygian nature worship.
The goddess was an inartistic, many-breasted figure, the
body carved with strange figures of animals, flowers, and
fruits. The temple built by Alexander the Great was
the most magnificent religious edifice in the world. It
was kept by a corporation of priests and priestesses, who
were supported by the rents of vast estates. For
centuries Ephesus was a great center of pilgrimage, and
pilgrims came from all parts of Asia to visit the famous
shrine."

"The first great blow which this worship received was
given by Paul during his two years' stay in Ephesus, and
the story told in this chapter is the history of the
beginning of a decline from which the worship of Diana never
recovered. The speech of Demetrius perhaps exaggerates
the effects of Paul's work, but it should be remembered
that the gospel took firm hold of proconsular Asia
from a very early period. Paul's Epistles tell us of the
churches in Ephesus, Laodicea, and Colossae, and the
Apocalypse adds churches in Pergamos, Smyrna, Thyatira,
Sardis, and Philadelphia. Half a century later, Pliny
asserted that in this region the temples were deserted,
the worship was neglected, and the sacrificial victims were
unsold."

During his long stay in Ephesus, Paul doubtless received
many delegations and visitors from the churches formerly
organized by him.

The character of the Ephesian Christians can be seen
from the Epistle addressed to them (See Study 9).

+Time and Extent.+--About four years, 54-58 A.D.,
were occupied by Paul in going about among the churches
and about 3,500 miles were traveled.

+Epistles.+--This journey was prolific in masterly
writings. Paul wrote the First and Second Epistles to the
Cor