Biblical history promotes Ephesus as a significant location where Christianity spread. Many tours focus on Roman and Greek influences but do not mention the last 500 years or more, during which the city became a dominant Christian center. The conversion of the Ephesians transformed the city from a pagan center to a thriving Christian community. A visit to Ephesus provides a unique glimpse into how early believers repurposed civic or religious spaces for Christian worship. This ancient city hosts a dozen or more repurposed Christian sites.
I have walked through Ephesus numerous times during my lifetime, and each time I discover something new. Starting from the upper gate (south end), the different parts of the city spread out among the ruins as one walks down toward the ancient harbor.
Walking tour of Repurposed Christian sites in Ephesus
When the first believers converted in Ephesus, they gathered people in the well-known public space called the hall of Tyrannus. Gathering and teaching the gospel are always the first stages in forming a body of believers. As Ephesians 2:20 says, “built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone.” The gospel and what the apostles taught form the basis of all teaching. We find these truths in the New Testament.
Meeting in a public forum enabled the first believers to create a space for others to join. Ephesians 2:21 alludes to this fact: “In him (Christ) you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit” (ESV). The inspired scripture states how these early believers dwelt together by the Spirit in these public rental spaces. Unfortunately, we cannot pinpoint the exact location of the Hall of Tyrannus. However, seekers in Paul’s time recognized its location within the vast ancient city and gathered together.
Here is a map of where I have found Christian ruins that reflect a devoted space for worship. In addition to the house churches in the city, the believers consecrated public areas for Christian use. Many of these areas could have been the first repurposed churches in Asia Minor.
For some reason, the state agora area developed many sites for churches and chapels, possibly to provide easy access for state workers and the numerous nearby workshops. Also, just outside this area to the south-east, many homes exist that have been lost or not dug up.
State Agora Churches
In the State Agora square, which sits at the entrance to the upper gate area, there are at least 4 locations that mark the presence of a chapel or church. A chapel hosts small worship gatherings or serves as a marked renewal for Christianity. While a church offers a more formal worship setting. Church sites have cross-entry stones that builders consistently used as church door lintels. Only the Lord knows how much worship took place in each space. Yet, past believers in Christ marked that location for spiritual reasons.
Main Agora Walkway Churches
The above video covers the main walkway, but the one below is the less-traveled Agora walkway near the upper gate of Ephesus.
I love exploring the layers of history hidden beneath ancient cities like Ephesus. Yet beyond the stones, mosaics, and house churches lies a question that still speaks to us today. The early believers who gathered in these homes sought to live out the teachings found in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, including his vision for marriage in Ephesians 5.
But what did that vision actually mean? Was marriage simply a legal contract, or was it something deeper—a covenant reflecting Christ’s relationship with His Church? In my book, I dig beneath the surface of modern assumptions to explore the biblical differences between covenant and contract, and how understanding those distinctions can transform the way couples approach marriage today. Just as the ruins of Ephesus reveal hidden stories waiting to be uncovered, Scripture offers deeper truths about marriage that are well worth exploring.
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