In September 2024 my wife and I travelled from Ireland to Athens in Greece to take part in the “Footsteps of Paul and John” tour, which is run by Pilgrim Tours. It was to be an amazing adventure where we cruised the Aegean sea onboard the Celestial Discovery visiting many beautiful Islands and places mentioned in the New Testament. These sites included the cave of the Apocalypse/Revelation on Patmos, Mars Hill in Athens, Ancient Corinth and Ancient Ephesus in Turkey. We were really blessed to travel with, and have fellowship, with believers from the United States and Canada some of whom we became great friends with.
"But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin." 1 John 1v7
Upon reaching Ephesus, I carefully unwrapped one of the coins featured on this website. This coin was minted in Ephesus almost 2000 years ago and features the image of Artemis of Ephesus. It had now returned to the city where it had been used in a multitude of transactions in the Agora /Marketplace at the exact time the Apostle Paul lived in the city. As I walked the streets of Ephesus, I looked at the ruins of the Agora and the homes the citizens of Ephesus lived in. My imagination ran wild! Had the coin been carried by someone along that street? Had it been in these houses? Had the people who carried it seen the Apostle Paul? Had they heard him preach the Gospel? Had they become Christians? Oh, if only that coin could have spoken to me and answered my questions!
Soon the huge theatre of Ephesus came into view, illuminated by the scorching Turkish sun. It was there that a multitude gathered chanting "Great is Artemis/Diana of the Ephesians" for two hours in support of Demetrius and the other silversmiths who made shrines and in opposition to Paul and Gospel message he preached in Acts 19 v 24-41. Was the coin I held used to buy a shrine? Had someone in that mob held the coin at some stage? The Temple of Artemis was one of the wonders of the Ancient world, but today all that remains is a solitary pillar and a few stones. She was a god who could not move, speak or see and she could certainly not answer their prayers. Her giant statute, that thousands once bowed down to, is long gone - as are those who worshiped her. What a contrast to the Lord Jesus Christ who died on the cross for sinners and on the third day rose again from the dead! "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever." Hebrews 13v8.
If you are not a Christian I urge you to repent and trust in Christ alone because only he can save you.
"Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4v12 NKJV