The Acts of the Apostles

104 THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES
in the book of a mission in Crete. The author shows
fairly detailed knowledge of Ephesus (mentioned eight
times between xviii. 19 and XX. 17 ; 'Kcpea-ioi xix. 28,
34, 35 ; xxi. 29), though we cannot ascertain from
the Acts whether he himself had visited that city.
On the so-called second missionary journey St. Paul
only paid the city a passing visit, yet his ministry
found at first a favourable reception in the synagogue
there (xviii. 19, 20). The real founders of the
Ephesian Church were Priscilla and her husband
(xviii. 18 y!) together with the so-called " disciples of
John." During the third missionary journey St. Paul
at first, for three months, made the synagogue the
centre of his work (xix. 8), then for two years he
worked directly among the Gentiles of the city. We
are told that he taught daily ev r^ o'X^^i^ Tvpavvou
(xix. 9). This sounds as if the school were known
to the first readers of the Acts. The fact that the
number of Jews in Ephesus was very large is clearly
expressed in the book, and the local colouring in the
narrative of the riot of the silversmiths is most appro-
priate, although it is plain that St. Luke was not
present. His authorities here would have been Gains
and Aristarchus of Macedonia. It is quite evident
that the narrator regards the mission in Ephesus as
at the same time a mission to the whole of Asia.
Not only did the numerous provincials visiting Ephesus
hear the Word of God (xix. 10), but it is suggested
in passages where St. Luke writes Asia while we should
expect Ephesus (vide supra) that St. Paul made mis-
sionary journeys from Ephesus. It is distinctly stated
(xix. 1) that he passed through the mountainous dis-