A Week in the Life of Ephesus
Overview
As the city of Ephesus prepares for a religious festival in honor of the emperor Domitian, a Christian landowner feels increasing pressure from the city’s leaders to participate. Can he perform his civic duties and remain faithful to his Lord? Or has the time come for a costly choice?
In this historical novel, biblical scholar David deSilva brings to life such compelling struggles faced by the early Christians. Their insistence on the absolute lordship of their own singular deity brought them into conflict not only with the myriad religious cults of the day, but with all the crushing power of the empire itself. Meticulously researched and supplemented by historical images and explanatory sidebars, A Week in the Life of Ephesus poses anew the timeless question of Christianity and empire. Here is a vividly imaginative portrait of the Roman empire in all its beauty and might—and hanging over it, the looming sky of apocalypse.
- Examines the struggles faced by the early Christians
- Includes historical images and explanatory sidebars
- Explores conflicts with ancient religious cults
- New Year’s Day (1 Kaisaros, 9 Kalends October)
- Roman Piety, Roman Peace (2 Kaisaros, 8 Kalends October)
- In the Shadow of the Gods (3 Kaisaros, 7 Kalends October)
- The Lords Day (4 Kaisaros, 6 Kalends October)
- The Crucible of Faith (5 Kaisaros, 5 Kalends October)
- The Day of Decision (6 Kaisaros, 4 Kalends October)
- The Day After (7 Kaisaros, 3 Kalends October)
Top Highlights
“Nicolaus had been wrong. An idol indeed might be nothing, but getting thousands upon thousands of human beings, created in the image of the one God, to gather around and worship idols created in their own image and by their own hands—that was the work of the ancient enemy of the one God. He recalled something that Paul had written: What they sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God.” (Pages 147–149)
“We have to be smarter now. The return of the Christ appears more and more to be an event that we should not count on happening anytime soon. We have to position ourselves to play a much longer game.’” (Page 92)
“Amyntas could not shake the sense that the lack of love he had witnessed tonight was as egregious a violation of the one God’s righteousness as Nicolaus’s path of compromise was alleged to be.” (Page 127)
“‘Some of our brothers are clear enough as to where the lines are drawn, and right enough about those lines, it would appear, but seem to have lost the ability to love across those lines.’” (Page 151)
“Xenophanes of Colophon said it best: ‘If they are gods, do not mourn them; if they are mortals, do not sacrifice to them.’ ’” (Page 157)
- Title: A Week in the Life of Ephesus
- Author: David A. deSilva
- Series: A Week in the Life
- Publisher: IVP
- Publication Date: 2020
- Pages: 208
- Resource Type: History
- Topic: Bible Backgrounds
Dr. David A. deSilva, PhD, is the Trustees’ Distinguished Professor of New Testament and Greek at Ashland Theological Seminary in Ohio, where he’s taught since 1995.
He’s written over 20 books in the areas of New Testament and Second Temple Judaism, including Unholy Allegiances: Heeding Revelation's Warning (Hendrickson, 2013), The Jewish Teachers of Jesus, James, and Jude (Oxford, 2012),Seeing Things John’s Way: The Rhetoric of the Book of Revelation (WJKP, 2009), An Introduction to the New Testament: Contexts, Methods & Ministry Formation (IVP, 2004), Introducing the Apocrypha (Baker Academic, 2002), and Perseverance in Gratitude: A Socio-rhetorical Commentary on the Epistle “to the Hebrews” (Eerdmans, 2000). He’s also interested in spiritual formation, having written Sacramental Life: Spiritual Formation through the Book of Common Prayer (IVP, 2008) and Praying with John Wesley (Discipleship Resources, 2001).
He’s ordained in the Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church, and serves as director of music and organist at Christ United Methodist Church in Ashland. He and his wife, Donna Jean, have three sons.
Reviews
1 rating
James Doyle Moore
9/12/2020
If you want a better understanding of the book of Revelation, this book by David DeSilva will give you a feel for what it was like to live in Ephesus during the time that John sent his letter to the seven churches. If you combine this with the teaching series David did on The Seven Cities of Revelation, it is even more interesting. I highly recommend David's work.
