EPHESUS
storms are violent. The site was nevertheless so attractive that it must have been very early oc- cupied. The ancients dated the settlement of Ionian Greeks there early in the 11th cent. B.C., and the city long before St. Paul's time had be- come thoroughly Greek, maintaining constant in- tercourse with Corinth and the rest of Greece proper.
The history of the city, with its changing government, need not be traced here. It fell under Roman sway, with the rest of the district, which the Romans called 'Asia' {q.v.) by the will of Attalus III. (Philometor), the Pergamenian king, in 133 B.C. In 88 B.C. the inhabitants sided with Mithridates, king of Pontus, and slaughtered all resident Romans. They were punished in 84 by Sulla, who ravaged the city. During the rule of Augustus the city was embellished by a number of new buildings.
y When Ephesus came into contact with Christi- anity, it still retained all its ancient glory. With its Oriental religion, its Greek culture, its Roman government, and its world-wide commerce, it stood midway between two continents, being on the one hand the gateway of Asia to crowds of Western officials and travellers^ as Bombay is the portal of India to-day, 'and on the other liand the rendezvous of multitudes of Eastern pilgrims coming to wor- ship at Artemis' shrine.' Traversed by the great Imperial highway of intercourse and commerce, it bad all nationalities meeting and mingling in its streets. No wonder if it felt its ecumenical im- portance, and believed that what was said and done by its citizens was quickly heard and imitated by ' all Asia and the world ' (^ okovfx^vrj, Ac 19'^). « In Ephesus a noble freedom of thought and a vulgar superstition lived side by side." The city of Thales and Heraclitus contained many men of rich culture and deep philosophy, who were earnest seekers after truth. - Prominent citizens like the Asiarchs {q.v.), who were officially bound to foster the cultus of Rome and the Emperor, yet regarded St. Paul and his message vnth marked friendliness (Ac 19*'). Nothing but a wide-spread receptivity to fresh ideas can account for the wonderful success of the first Christian mission in the city, and for the reverberation of the truth ' almost throughout all Asia' (v.^^). The best mind of the age was wist- fully awaiting a new order of things. Having tried eclecticism and syncretism in vain, it was * standing between two worlds, one dead, the other poAverless to be born.' When, therefore, the startling news came from Syria to Ephesus that the Son of God had lived, died, and risen again, it ran like wildfire ; its first announcement created another Pentecost (v.^) ; and in two years ' all they who dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks' (v.^").
Every spiritual revival has ethical issues, and Ephesus quickly recognized that the new truth was a neAv ' Way ' (v.-^). The doctrine now taught in the School of Tyrannus, formerly the home of one knows not what subtle and futile theories, had a direct bearing upon human lives. That was why it made ' no small stir' (v.-*). The message which St. Paid delivered ' publicly and from house to house' (20^), admonishing men 'night and day with tears' (v.^i), was morally revolutionary. It was a call to repentance and faith (v.'") ; and, though no frontal attack was made upon the estab- lished religion of Ephesus, and no language used which could fairly be construed as ofiensive (19"), yet it soon became apparent that the old order and the new could not thrive peacefully side by side. The gospel of mercy to all was a gage of battle to many. St. Paul, therefore, found that, wliile Ephesus opened 'a door wide and effectual' (^vep- T^s) there were 'many adversaries' (1 Co 16").
This did not surprise or disappoint him. The fanatical hatred of Ephesus was better than the polite scorn of Athens. As the city of Artemis lived largely upon the superstition of the multitude, not only the priests who enjoyed the rich revenues of the Temple, but also the artisans who made ' shrines ' for pilgrims, felt that if Christianity triumphed their occupation would be gone. Re- ligion was for Ephesus a lucrative ' business ' (ipyaaia, Ac 19-'*' ^), and the ' craft' (t6 fxipos, this branch of trade) of many Avas in danger. Indeed,^ the dispute Avhich arose affected the whole city, being regarded as nothing less than a duel between Artemis and Christ. If He were enthroned in the Ephesian heart, she would be deposed from her magnificence, and the greatest temple in the world 'made of no account' (19^). The situation created a drama of real life which was enacted in and around the famous theatre of Ephesus. The gild of silversmiths, led by their indignant presi- dent Demetrius {q.v.); the ignorant mob, excited to fanatical frenzy ; the crafty Jews, quick to dis- sociate themselves from their Christian compat- riots ; the brave Apostle, eager to appear before 'the people' {r&v S^/xov) of a free city ; the friendly Asiarchs, constraining him to temper valour with discretion ; the calm, dignified, eloquent Secretary iypafipMTevs), stilling the angry passions of the multitude ; and behind all, as unseen presences, the majesty of Imperial Rome, the sensuous charm of Artemis, the spiritual power of Christ — these all combined to give a sudden revelation of the soul of a city^ The practical result was that a vindication of the liberty of prophesying was drawn from the highest municipal authority, who evidently felt that in this matter he was interpret- ing the mind of Rome lierself. To represent Christianity as a religio licita was clearly one of the leading aims of St. Luke as a historian.