Miletus

Miletus, a city in Asia Minor where Paul met with the elders of the Ephesian church on his way to Jerusalem (Act 20:15) and where Trophimus was left ill (2Ti 4:20).

Miletus was an ancient city located on the western coast of Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey), near the mouth of the Maeander River. It was a significant port city and a center of trade and culture in the Greco-Roman world.

In the New Testament, Miletus is mentioned in connection with the Apostle Paul's missionary journeys. During his third journey, Paul stopped at Miletus on his way to Jerusalem and sent for the elders of the church in Ephesus to meet him there (Act.20.15, 17). He delivered a farewell address to the Ephesian elders, warning them about false teachers and encouraging them to remain faithful to God (Act.20.18-35).

In 2Ti.4.20, Paul mentions that he left Trophimus, one of his companions, ill at Miletus. This statement provides insight into the challenges and hardships faced by early Christian missionaries as they traveled and spread the gospel message.

Miletus was known for its wool industry and its intellectual and artistic achievements. It was the birthplace of several notable Greek philosophers, including Thales, Anaximander, and Anaximenes, who were among the first to seek rational explanations for natural phenomena.

(Miletum, 2 Tim. 4:20), a seaport town and the ancient capital of Ionia, about 36 miles south of Ephesus. On his voyage from Greece to Syria, Paul touched at this port, and delivered that noble and pathetic address to the elders (“presbyters,” ver. 28) of Ephesus recorded in Acts 20:15-35. The site of Miletus is now some 10 miles from the coast.