Seven Churches Tour: Introduction and Part 1, Miletus

Introduction: Having now returned from the tour of the seven churches of Revelation and other Turkish historical sites, I think I will try to give you all an extended update. The point will be to share pictures/information about these sites in a helpful way. However, some of the pictures that I would like to use are "unavailable" since Bethany and I usually only took one of our cameras along. Thus, I only have pictures of some of the sites, so I may try to post those other pictures later.

The Main Street in Ephesus

Miletus/some Ephesus: Last Thursday morning, our tour group traveled down to the site of Miletus. Miletus was the place where Paul said goodbye to the Ephesian elders in Acts 20. Portions of the ancient harbor, the agora, the theater, and other areas of the city have been preserved.
But notice that Paul "touched at Samos" immediately before he got to Miletus (20:15). Samos is a large island that is a little ways out in the Aegean Sea. This is interesting because beyond Samos is the island of Patmos. To get from Ephesus to Patmos, one would simply have sailed the relatively short distance... probably an easy one-day trip.
Now think of John's exile at Patmos, and remember that according to very strong legend, John had previously been the pastor at Ephesus. Thus, when John writes to the church at Ephesus and says that they have left their first love, it is the voice of their pastor who is suffering persecution "just over the horizon." It is not as if he had been taken to Rome or somewhere far off. He was still faithful to his first love, but they had drifted. The geography personalized John's words a bit more when this was pointed out.

I will probably not add more about our visit to Ephesus, because of the overlap. For thoughts and pictures of that, visit here.

Related posts: Sardis, Thyatira, Philadelphia, Smyrna; Colossae, Laodecia, Hierapolis; Pergamum; previous trip to Hierapolis; previous trip to Ephesus; trip to Cappodocia