Acts 19:10

Evidently Paul taught in Tyrannus’ public hall for two more years. Later Paul said that he had labored in Ephesus for a total of three years (cf. Acts 20:31). Paul evidently began his third missionary journey and his three-year ministry in Ephesus in A.D. 53, twenty years after the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and the day of Pentecost. As a result of this three years of work, the local Christians preached the gospel and established churches all over the province of Asia. Among these were the churches of Colosse, Laodicea, and Hierapolis in the Lycus Valley (Colossians 4:13), though evidently Paul did not personally plant them (cf. Colossians 2:1; Colossians 4:13). Perhaps the other churches mentioned in Revelation 2, 3 (i.e., Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, and Philadelphia) got their start at this time too.

"We may think of the ’hall of Tyrannus’ as the centre of Paul’s activity, attracting many Gentile enquirers from the province generally, who in due course became themselves, like Epaphras, faithful ministers of Christ on Paul’s behalf (Colossians 1:7)." [Note: Neil, p. 204.]

"The province was intensively evangelized, and became one of the leading centres of Christianity for centuries afterwards." [Note: Bruce, Commentary on . . ., p. 389.]

Many students of Acts do not adequately appreciate the significance of Ephesus as a center for the spread of the gospel. One must carefully note the clues in Acts and the epistles as well as later church history to understand what took place during the years Paul lived there. God had opened a wide door of opportunity for Paul, but there were many adversaries (1 Corinthians 16:8-9). Timothy and later the Apostle John followed Paul in ministry there. The Christians at Ephesus became the original recipients of at least three New Testament books (Ephesians , 1 and 2 Timothy) and possible as many as seven (1, 2, and 3 John, and Revelation).