With Paul and John in Ephesus

Family, today I had some deep thoughts, surprising I know, but nonetheless G-d becomes more amazing to me each day.  We spent the whole day in Efes, or Ephesus as you know it.  First we hiked up to the top of the mountain that over looks the ancient city and looked down, then we made our way down into the crowded city.  It was great because Ephesus was a city of a million to a million and a half people in the 1^st century.  The ruins are spectacular, there is so much to see and even small fish carved on the stones that pave the streets.  We sat in the huge theatre of Ephesus, mentioned in Acts 19, and made our way through the crowded streets.  We saw the great library of Celsus and the gymnasium to the Flavian Caesars.  It was strangely unimpressive next to the story we learned of the first century Christians.  Here was a group of people who were able to live in the Las Vegas of their culture, on the strip, engaging those whose lives were corrupted and broken by that which their society held up as valuable, without becoming part of it in the least way.  They were challenged in ways we cannot imagine, financially, spiritually, socially, but the worst would come later.  A man named Domitian who became Caesar when his brother mysteriously died.  He became obsessed with being pronounced god and Ephesus lobbied to become his Vatican and won.  When he came to Ephesus everyone was called down to his temple (the gymnasium) to make a declaration that Domitian was “my lord and my god.”  Anyone who would not make this oath was to be put to death (not in a nice way), and the people here, who had John as their pastor and where Paul first came and made disciples, read the revelation of John Rev 13:10 “If anyone is to go into captivity, into captivity they will go.  If anyone is to be killed with the sword, with the sword they will be killed.  This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of the saints.” They took this and went in front of the emperor and would not say that he was god.  Nero, who horribly persecuted the Christian killed 30,000 in Rome over a 2 year period.  Domitian, killed over a million throughout the roman empire in 16 years, just for being Christian.  I was forced to sit on a broken pillar and examine myself, seeing what they were willing to give up, and as a result a man named John Talley helped lead me to know Jesus as Messiah.  We have no idea what it took to lead a family down to the gymnasium to deny Caesar’s deity, knowing that at best we would all be put to death.  We have no idea what those who have fallen asleep before us sacrificed so that we could have salvation too.  How do I tell them I can’t find time to read my Bible?  How do I tell them, now is not the time to tell this person about Jesus?  How do I tell them how hard I think my life is?  How?  By the time Domitian died, there were more Christians than when he started.

            RVL told us about his granddaughter Maddy.  He told her the same story he told us, in the same place.  Do you know what she asked him?  “Would you go with me Grampa?”  She knew that she would be going, she didn’t think of anything else.  She wanted to know if he would go too.  How great the mind of a child is.  Would I go? 

            I have seen that the lives they lived were much different than I thought.  The things they faced I can only imagine.  Look what has gone before us, what will we do with it?

Paul was an amazing rabbi, I can’t believe how well he imitated Jesus.  Look at Acts 19.

Tben

As Ben mentioned, Paul was an amazing rabbi. We often think of him as a great theologian, but that wasn’t his primary goal on going on his missionary journey (especially in his third tour). His primary purpose was to follow his own Rabbi, Jesus. And man did he do that well. Please do check out Acts 19 and see how many similarities there are between Paul and Jesus …I will give you a few clues (called 12 disciples, taught in a synagogue, taught about the kingdom of Heaven). See what else you can find. This was by far my favorite day. I realized how important context is to the bible. I have been reading the bible without understanding who the writers are writing to. When you realize who the audience is, that makes all the difference. I now have new eyes with which to read both Revelation and John. They both make so much more sense now. I can’t wait to share it with you guys. Finally, I wept today at the thought of all of the people who were killed by Domitian and some of his successors. They were our forefathers who stood up for what they believed in. They stood firm in their understanding of the text and G-d’s will for their communities and they were willing to die for their beliefs. Are we willing to do the same? To what lengths will we go to bring Shalom to the chaos. What will we do to forcefully advance the kingdom of heaven on earth? Friends, we have a huge call and a tough road ahead of us…but the reality is G-d is still G-d even in the midst of all of the hardships we face and the struggles we endure. His Kindgom will prevail, but he needs us to partner with Him! Are you ready?

We miss you all!! Lyndsey, Ben and I are thinking and praying for you often. We can’t wait to meet and love on our new nephew. Be strong, be very strong and courageous. Mom, I love you very much. Thank you so much for all of your encouraging comments. I will try and call soon.

David on top of the mountain with Ephesus in the back ground.

Here is Joanie tracing one of the fish we found in the stone pavers with her finger.

Brian, Robert, Mark, and Eric climbing down to the lookout over Ephesus.

This is the Cayster valley that goes into the Agean Sea, in the first century the water would have covered all but the mountain on the left.

This is inside Ephesus, and the temple down to the left on the street is to Caesar Trajan.

Today was Jack's birthday, and what a day it was.  Here he is chiseling off pieces of stone.

Here is the birds eye view that we got as we looked off the mountain above Ephesus.

This is the theatre in Ephesus that is mentioned in Acts.  It is interesting how stirred up the people of Ephesus get over these Christians.  When was the last time our faith made such a stir?