An Ephesian — a citizen or inhabitant of Ephesus, the great port city of Asia Minor and Paul's most strategic mission base.
The Greek Ephesios refers to a person from Ephesus (modern-day Turkey), the capital of the Roman province of Asia. Ephesus was one of the largest cities in the Roman Empire, home to the Temple of Artemis (one of the Seven Wonders), a major port, and a commercial center. Paul spent three years there (Acts 20:31) — his longest stay in any city. The Ephesian church was the recipient of one of Paul's most theologically profound letters. Acts 19 records both the dramatic growth of the gospel in Ephesus and the riot of the silversmiths defending their Artemis trade.
Ephesus represents the intersection of pagan religion, commercial power, and apostolic gospel. The Ephesioi who rioted in Acts 19 ('Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!' — Acts 19:28) demonstrate how economic interests defend false religion. Yet the same city produced the church to which Paul wrote his most elevated Christological letter — the epistle where Christ is presented as the head of all things, and the church as his body and fullness (Ephesians 1:22-23). Revelation 2:1-7 addresses Ephesus as the first of the seven churches — praised for perseverance, rebuked for abandoning its first love. The greatest churches can lose their greatest virtue.