Why is Ephesus one of the seven churches of Revelation?

We're now back in Turkey, where we'll begin our whirlwind journey through the Seven Churches of Revelation. Our first stop will be Ephesus, which is just a few miles from here, and we'll trace a semicircular highway route through Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. Since we spent an entire episode here at Ephesus during Paul's journeys, we already understand the size and importance of this ancient city. By the time John was writing Revelation, the church at Ephesus was already well-established. According to early church history, the first bishop of Ephesus was Timothy, a student of Paul we met earlier in the series. Timothy died here in about 97 AD, when he tried to preach the gospel during the annual festival of Artemis. It seems that he so angered the Artemis followers that they beat him, dragged him through the streets, and killed him. Here at Ephesus, Timothy, whom Paul called a dear son, became another in the long line of martyrs for the Christian faith. The apostle John spent many years here in Ephesus, and it was here that John wrote the Gospel of John, and most likely his three epistles as well. Now, the cult of Artemis and the worship of the Roman emperor thrived here in Ephesus, so it's not surprising that opposition to paganism and idolatry were prominent themes in John's seven letters to the churches of Asia Prophets. The apostle John returned to Ephesus after Emperor Nerva pardoned him from exile on Patmos. He died here sometime after 98 AD, during the reign of Emperor Trajan. There is some question regarding the circumstances of John's death, some believing he was martyred, and others believing he died of natural causes. According to church historians, John was buried here at Ephesus. I'm about two miles from the main city of Ephesus, on the ruins of the Basilica of St. John. In the 6th century AD, Byzantine Emperor Justinian built this church over the ruins, marking the tomb of St. John the Apostle. Evidence here suggests that a church was built over the ruins of the tomb in the 3rd century AD, or earlier. Now, throughout this episode, I'm going to share portions of the seven letters to the seven churches that John wrote. I don't have time to cover everything, but I highly recommend you read these letters for yourself. Many people throughout history have discovered that these 2,000-year-old writings have special significance for their own lives in their own churches. Here's a portion of the first letter. Consider how far you have fallen. Repent and do the things you did at first. Revelation 2, 1-5.