What title did Ephesus bear during Roman times?

• A. The capital of Asia Minor
• B. The chief port of the Aegean
• C. The first and greatest metropolis of Asia
• D. A major provincial capital

Answer: (C)

This item tests how Ephesus was viewed in the Roman world. In that era, Ephesus stood out as the premier city in Asia Minor (the western part of what we call Asia), renowned for its wealth, population, and influence in commerce and culture. Historical sources and church history describe it as the first and greatest metropolis of Asia, a label that signals its preeminence over other cities in the region. That status helps explain why Paul’s work there was so impactful and why Ephesus loomed large in early Christian circles. The other descriptions—being merely a capital, or just a chief port—don’t capture the same sense of Ephesus’s overarching prominence in Asia Minor.