But when some became stubborn and continued in unbelief, speaking evil of the Way before the congregation, he withdrew from them and took the disciples with him, reasoning daily in the hall of Tyrannus. This continued for two years, so that all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks. And God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul,

We have this way of looking at the world around us and thinking nobody has ever had it this bad. The deception, the corruption, the things celebrated in culture that Scripture calls an abomination... we look at all of it and something in us says, "How could the gospel ever get through all of this?"

We need to look at what Paul walked into before we talk about what God did through him.

Ephesus was the second largest city in the Roman Empire. Around 250,000 people. It was a port city, a financial hub, and the center of tourism on a massive scale. The entire economy, every bit of it, was built around the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world.

This was not just a religious building, it was the central bank of the region. It held deposits for individuals, for kings, for entire cities. It made loans and grew savings with interest. The silversmiths made shrines, the coppersmiths made cult objects, and every form of trade was connected to that temple and organized into guilds that were deeply political.

And beyond the economics, Ephesus was a renowned center for magical practices. The phrase "Ephesian Letters" was common throughout the ancient world for incantations and spells. People traveled from all over for spiritual protection, provision, and prosperity... all of it rooted in darkness. Because of all this power and success, Ephesus was one of the few cities that Rome allowed to govern itself. And Rome could take that privilege away at any moment, so the people of Ephesus protected their culture with everything they had.

Now here's what I need you to understand. This is the city Paul walked into. No political influence. No military backing. No cultural leverage. Just a man, a Christ given message, and a rented lecture hall. The words corruption, chaos, perverted, authoritarian... these are not just descriptions of our day. They described the Roman Empire at its peak. And yet Paul wrote to believers living under that very empire and told them in Romans 13:6 that the authorities are ministers of God.

But you know what? History proves that our current situation, as difficult as it feels, is far more comfortable than what the early church faced. And if the gospel could overtake the Roman province of Asia starting from a single room in the most spiritually hostile city in the empire, then maybe the problem is not the darkness around us. Maybe the problem is that we have underestimated the power already in us.

Paul did not wait for the environment to change. He did not lobby for better conditions. He taught the truth daily in the Hall of Tyrannus, and within two years, Acts 19:10 tells us that all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks. All of them. Not because Paul went everywhere, but because the gospel is built to multiply when ordinary people carry it into the places they already go.

Tomorrow we are going to look at the authority behind that kind of impact. Because this was never about Paul's ability. It was about a command given long before Paul ever set foot in Ephesus.

Identify one area of your life, your workplace, your neighborhood, your circle of friends, where you have been waiting for conditions to improve before you share your faith. Write it down and ask God to show you that He does not need ideal conditions. He just needs willing people.