Apostle Gaius is one of the most important people of Ephesus since his name was mentioned in Holy Bible.
Gaius, whose hospitality I and the whole church here enjoy, sends you his greetings. Erastus, who is the city’s director of public works, and our brother Quartus send you their greetings. *
Romans 16:23
Gaius became a bishop of Ephesus. Also, he is one of the Seventy Apostles which are considered second important to the twelve original apostles of Jesus Christ.
Gaius of Ephesus was one of the companions of the Apostle Paul, remembered for a single dramatic moment: he was seized by an angry mob during the great riot of the silversmiths at Ephesus and dragged into the city’s enormous theatre.
The Book of Acts tells how Paul’s preaching threatened the lucrative trade in silver shrines of the goddess Artemis, and how the furious crowd, unable to lay hands on Paul himself, grabbed his travelling companions Gaius and Aristarchus and rushed them into the Great Theatre, where thousands roared “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” for some two hours.
We know little else for certain about this Gaius — indeed, several men named Gaius appear in the New Testament, and it is not always easy to tell them apart. But standing on the stage of the Great Theatre at Ephesus, where he was hauled before that seething crowd, his brief moment in the story comes vividly, almost frighteningly, to life.
The Great Theatre where Gaius faced the mob is one of the most powerful places I show my guests. To experience it with a local guide, reach me through toursaroundturkey.com.
