Ephesians chapter 1, part three

We will continue reading about Paul's associations with Ephesus, found in Acts and other writings, before we finish Ephesians chapter one.

*Starting in Acts 19:21, we see that after the scroll burnings, Paul decided to travel back through the region we know of as Turkey, to Jerusalem. He is said to have wanted to go to Rome from there. Before he left, there was a rabid protest against Paul by crafstmen whose businesses were linked to idol worship. They said they were losing business because of Paul's teachings. Paul was encouraged by his friends to not interact with the protesters. The city clerk quelled the uprising by telling the protesters that Paul and his disciples did not appear to have broken any laws. If there was a claim aganst him, it was to be made through proper channels. Again, none of this appears in extrabiblical contemporary histories.

*In Acts 20, Paul travelled  around Macedonia and Greece for a while. Before he finally set sail for Jerusalem, he stopped in Miletus and sent a message to the elders of the church in Ephesus to meet with him. When they came, he made a farewell speech full of pathos, saying he will never see them again because prison and hardships await him. He warns them of wolves among the sheep who would  distort the truth and draw away disciples. After an emotional scene, he leaves.

*What does Paul say about Ephesus in the letters attributed to him? In first Corinthians 15:32, Paul says, "If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus for human motives,  what did I gain if the dead are not raised." This is part of a passage which is declaring that if the message about Jesus and the resurrection of the baptized is false, baptism is useless and Paul's risking death to promote it has been in vain. Who knows what this sentence about Ephesus means, probably not real wild beasts but metaphorical ones, referring to Paul's opponents.

*First Corinthians 16 ends that book. It refers to Paul being in Ephesus at the time. It also mentions his travels in Asia Minor plus Pricilla and Aquila. Presumably, First Corinthians was written in Ephesus. However, Paul also says he is staying there till Pentecost. Acts 20 has Paul eager to be in Jerusalem by Pentecost.

*First and second Timothy are supposedly written from Paul imprisoned in Rome, as the book of Ephesians is supposed to have been. They also mention Ephesus and refer to particular people there, namely Pricilla and Aquila. (1 Tim. 1:3, 2Tim. 4) The Timothy books have many exhortations against false teachers.