PAUL'S MISSIONARY JOURNEYS: MILETUS

(Message by Tanny Keng)

  

1. During a brief stay in Miletus, the apostle requests Ephesian church elders to meet him. What important message did he convey to these church leaders? a) Miletus was a seaport town located near the Meander River's mouth. It was anciently the capital of Ionia. It is located about 36 miles south of Ephesus. Before around 500 B.C. Miletus was considered the greatest city of the Greeks in the east and a very prominent trading post. It playing a prominent role in starting a colony of Greeks in Egypt's city of Naukratis. It is believed that at its height at least 75 colonies were begun by the merchants of Miletus. b) The city was also known for its literary and scientific-based residents such as Anaximander, Thales and Hecataeus. c) The Meander river brings with it a large amount of sediment which is deposited at its mouth. Over time the buildup of material has significantly altered the coastline and the fortune of Miletus. In Paul's day although the city was a port town it was already loosing its status as an important seaport. Today, the ruins of the city are now more than ten miles from the coast. d) The apostle Paul visited the city twice (Acts 20:15 to 21:1, 2 Timothy 4:20). His most memorable visit was toward the end of his third missionary journey in 58 A.D. It was from the city that he summoned the elders in the Ephesian church to come and meet him for what he thought would be the last time (Acts 20:17). Paul gave the elders a heartfelt exhortation and warned them about the coming apostasy and splits in the church. He told them to be faithful shepherds serving the people who, through the sacrifice of Christ, God has called to be one of his spiritual children. i) 29 I know that after I leave, fierce wolves (self-centered people pretending to be believers) will come among you, and they will not spare the flock (those who are truly called of God). (Acts 20)

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