It was the light of Asia. Ancient Ephesus was a beautiful city in its day. I remember going there with a number of friends back in 2001. My sons and I left the beaten path and came upon the excavation of a first century home. A colorful floor mosaic revealed the artistry of the time. As we walked back to the group I remembered: the Apostle Paul preached here!
When Paul preached there, the gospel literally changed the city. After his converts stopped believing in the goddess Diana, sales of idols went down in the city. Silversmiths were losing business because people stopped believing in false gods and buying their statues and figurines. The Ephesians marched in the streets on behalf of their false goddess shouting, “Great is Artemis (Diana) of the Ephesians.”
God attested to the truth of Paul’s preaching with power. Lives were changed. In this letter he reminds them of God’s power. I remember a story about a man who told a boy, “I will give you an apple if you can tell me one thing God can do.” The boy responded, “I will give you a bushel of apples if you can tell me anything God cannot do.” Paul prayed for God’s power to show them the dimensions of his love and to fill them with all of his fullness.
On my desk, I have this scripture inscribed in a framed picture. We give God all the glory because he has immeasurable power. God can do more. More than we ask. Even more than we can imagine. God does this work in us because his power is still powerfully working in the church. God still works in and through his people. Since God does the work, God alone gets the glory. This glory is in the church and in Christ Jesus. It lasts for all generations, including ours. The same gospel that changed the ancient world is still changing us.
