Miletus was an important Greek port on the coast of Asia Minor, south of Ephesus, near the mouth of the Meander River. In New Testament times, it was known for its prosperous past as one of the leading cities of Ionia.
The Bible records Miletus mainly for one striking episode. At the end of his third missionary journey, Paul decided not to stop in Ephesus so as not to delay his arrival in Jerusalem before Pentecost. Instead, he sent for the elders of the church of Ephesus to meet him in Miletus.
There Paul gave one of the most personal speeches in the New Testament. He recalled how he had served the Lord with tears and trials, warned of false teachers who would rise up among the believers, and entrusted the church to God’s care. The scene ends with the elders weeping, not knowing they would never see the apostle again.
Years later, Paul mentioned Miletus again in passing. In one of his last letters, he wrote that he had to leave his companion Trophimus there, sick.
