MILETUS: THE PLACE WHERE PAUL MADE A MISTAKE

Saying good-bye to those we love is always difficult. Saying goodbye for the final time is often hard to bear.

From the top row of this theater, a spectator could have easily seen the ancient harbor of Miletus and the place where the elders of Ephesus walked with the apostle Paul to a ship headed for Judea (Acts 20:38).  The ancient harbor of Miletus, once a thriving maritime center, no longer exists. Silt from the Meander River closed its access to the Aegean Sea, and the city eventually fell into ruin. Much of its theater, however, remains intact.

The Theater at Miletus in Modern Day Turkey (photo by Bible Passages)

First built during the 4th-century BC, the theater was later expanded to have a seating capacity of 25,000 during the days of the Roman empire. Initially built for dramatic performances, its functions expanded to include political gatherings and gladiatorial contests before modifications were made during the Byzantine era.

Renowned for its exceptional acoustics, allowing even whispers to be heard throughout the space, it’s most important message continues to reverberate today as it testifies to the existence of a city described in the pages of Acts. Most important of all, while standing on this beautifully preserved theater, we can know that somewhere nearby Paul and the elders of Ephesus experienced their highly emotional goodbye.

As Paul completed his 3rd missionary journey in Macedonia, he sailed to Troas and eventually to Miletus where he summoned the elders of Ephesus and delivered his farewell address. His exhortation and admonition is of great importance to shepherds and preachers seeking to learn more about their work and the relationships which should develop between those who serve together in the Lord (Acts 20:17-38).

Paul's 3rd Missionary Journey (www.Biblemapper.com)

To these men who he loved so much, Paul revealed that he would not see them again. A very emotional response ensued, and the description of what followed reveals just how much they loved one another. The Bible says “when he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all. And they began to weep aloud and embraced Paul, and repeatedly kissed him, grieving especially over the word which he had spoken, that they would not see his face again” (Acts 20: 36-38).

The companionship and fellowship in the work of the Lord which Paul and the elders enjoyed was coming to an end. According to Acts 20:25, 38 it would be the last time Paul would see the elders “face to face.” In Jerusalem Paul would be arrested, imprisoned and taken to Rome, where he waited to appear before the demented emperor named Nero. In light of this, their time with Paul at Miletus would have been highly emotional and extremely difficult with the knowledge that this would be their last time together.

As with us, when saying goodbye to those we love, we are often emotional and dejected. Our earthly sojourn can be filled with sadness and pain. We grow accustomed to having our loved ones surround us. We enjoy their company. We rely upon their wisdom. We seek their counsel, draw strength from their courage, and delight in their companionship. It seems likely that the elders of Ephesus were feeling this way about Paul and were deeply affected by the news of his final departure.

While we are uncertain about his fate in Rome, we do know that—in a sense—Paul was wrong about seeing the elders of Ephesus again. Some have argued that Paul was released from prison, returned to Ephesus (cf. 1 Timothy 1:3) and was reimprisoned, prompting him to write his second letter to Timothy. But this is not the alleged “error” to which I speak.  Instead, I believe Paul was “wrong” because he WOULD see them again, just not in this life. We know this because the Bible tells us that Christians will be together again in Heaven.  

To the church at Thessalonica, Paul wrote that when the Lord returns and the dead in Christ are raised, “we who are still alive and remain will be caught up together with them [the resurrected] in the clouds” (1 Thessalonians 4:17). Thus, we will see our Christian brethren again, but in a new glorious body fit for eternity (1 Corinthians 15:53-54; Philippians 3:20-21). Paul's statement in 1 Corinthians 13:12 likewise reveals that we will know one another in heaven: "then I shall know just as I also am known," which describes the future state of a perfect, face-to-face knowledge that believers will experience at the resurrection.

The Roman Forum at Thessalonica (photo by Bible Passages)

If the elders were faithful to the Lord, they, like Paul, would receive the crown of righteousness (1 Timothy 4:7-8) and could look forward to experiencing the great reunion promised by Jesus to his disciples (Matthew 8:11; John 14:1-6). If as children of God we will sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, will we not also see Jesus, the disciples, and others we have known and loved in this life? Indeed, we can find hope and know joy realizing we will see each other again, face to face, and that we will never again have to experience a painful good-bye similar to what Paul and the elders of Ephesus endured at Miletus.

By John W. Moore