Saturday
Saturday
Paul in Ephesus
All the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord.
Acts 19:10
The pattern of Paul’s evangelistic ministry in Ephesus was similar to that in Corinth. He began in the synagogue, but when the gospel was rejected, he moved to a secular venue.
Looking back, we can learn from Paul in Corinth and Ephesus some important lessons about the where, the how, and the when of urban evangelism.
Firstly, we notice the secular places Paul chose—in Corinth the house of Titius Justus and in Ephesus the lecture hall of Tyrannus. Still today religious people need to be evangelized in religious buildings (church being equivalent to synagogue), but secular people can better be reached in secular buildings, for example, through home evangelism or lecture evangelism.
Secondly, consider the reasoned presentation Paul made. Luke uses two verbs four times each, one meaning to argue (dialegomai) and the other to persuade (peith
). “This man … is persuading the people,” the Jews complained to Gallio (18:13). In both synagogue and lecture theater Paul combined argument and persuasion so that his approach was serious, well reasoned, and convincing. Of course, arguments are no substitute for the Holy Spirit, but then trust in the Holy Spirit is no substitute for arguments. The Spirit of truth brings people to faith in Jesus not in spite of the evidence but because of the evidence when he opens their minds to attend to it.
Thirdly, note the extended periods Paul stayed—two years in Corinth and three in Ephesus. His use of the hall of Tyrannus is particularly remarkable. The accepted text reads that he lectured daily for two years. But the Bezan text adds “from the fifth hour to the tenth,” that is, from eleven in the morning to four o’clock in the afternoon. Assuming that Paul kept one day in seven for rest and worship, a daily five-hour lecture six days a week for two years comes to 3,120 hours of gospel argument! No wonder Luke comments that “all the residents of [the province of] Asia, both Jews and Greeks, heard the word of the Lord” (19:10 NRSV).
For further reading: Acts 19:8–10