Ruins of Ephesus , Photo: https://images.app.goo.gl/9sDvmpB39WAPA2de60
“Heaven and earth
shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away” - Matthew 24:35
Today, I was captivated by a
documentary about Ephesus. Remember the book of Ephesians? It was written as a
letter to the Church in Ephesus to address issues born out of the
diverse backgrounds of its members. Ephesus was also
one of the seven churches
of Asia to which Christ wrote a letter through the Apostle John
in the Book of Revelation. It
is believed that the Gospel of John may
have been written here too. The city was the site of two ecumenical
Christian Councils
Once a magnificent city under Roman
control, it is located in modern day Turkey-- previously the heart of the
Byzantine Empire. It may have started as an ancient Greek city on
the coast of Ionia. It gained
prominence as a major port city with a respectable status and was the home
of the famous temple of Artemis
(goddess of fertility) one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The
Temple attracted pilgrims from all over the world. It was also home to
many 14 other gods and their temples including Emperor Ceaser, the impressive Library of Celsus and a 25,000
amphitheater.
Once
home to temples that housed the statues of Emperors; Domitian ( Titus
Flavius Domitianus 81
to 96) and Augustus(Gaius Octavius Thurinus - 27 BC – 19 August AD), Ephesus one among the important cities of the
Empire. It was attacked and nearly destroyed by Goths in 263 and begun to
decline. An AD 614 earthquake nearly completely destroyed it. Today it is
nothing more than a tourist site.
While scanning through the material about
the ancient city, what stood out to me are the industry, prosperity and the
moral decadence of its dominant pagan culture. What I found most impressive however,
is the public places of convenience. Truly
impressive! I couldn’t help but wonder how such a magnificent city could have
been brought to ruins. Why could it not flourish forever? The words of Jesus
quickly came to mind:
The statement seemed to have come out
of nowhere and appears out of place as Jesus was dealing with a different
matter. None of His words will go to waste. I couldn’t help but be reminded of
magnificent civilizations such as Greece, Rome, Egypt, Babylon, Sumeria all of which were
ruled by kings who thought themselves gods. They have all fallen and today,
their magnificent temples are nothing more than tourist sites. Their god’s now
just stones in the ruins.
Persecuted
and run under, the Christian faith that was nothing more than a tiny spark in a
dark pagan world, have grown and reached the ends of the earth. There are
things we take for granted as believers but God continues to show his power
over all throughout the ages. Augustus and Domitian were among those who
persecuted the church the most. Little did they know that they were watering
the tiny seed planted by Christ with the blood of those they martyred. And true
to His word, all have passed away while the light of his word has now grown to
illuminate the world to its very ends.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpJ-IWw5_Mc&t=359s
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ephesus
Posts
0 comments:
Post a Comment