To the church in Ephesus
1"To the angel of the church in Ephesus write:
These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands: 2I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. 3You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. 4Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. 5Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. 6But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.
Dig Deeper
A few years ago I had a friend who had decided to go on a diet of eating only healthy food. They were very dedicated to it, but the problem came in when, after a few days, they didn’t have anymore healthy food in their house. Rather than going shopping and getting more healthy food items, they simply went several days eating next to nothing. This really missed the whole point of a healthy diet. It was not to just stop eating junk but to learn to eat in a healthy and responsible manner.
God’s people are always called to doctrinal purity. Our doctrine is important because our beliefs determine our actions. Ephesus, however, had evidently become so obsessed with having the right doctrine that they failed to love people. They were adamant about ridding themselves of junk doctrines but had neglected filling up on the nutritious spiritual food of love for others that fuels and protects the life of doctrinal purity in the Church.
2:1 - The word translated as angel, simply means "messenger." It was common for the prophetic leaders of the churches to be referred to as "angels of the churches." It is likely, then, that John is addressing the elder or overseer of each church, although it is also possible that he could simply be referring to the personifications of the government of each church. Each church is addressed with the very words of Him who holds the power (seven stars) in His right hand and who walks among the churches (lampstands).
The city of Ephesus was a major center in politics and trade. It was also well known for its art, science, witchcraft, idolatry, gladiators, and persecution of the early church. It was a deeply pagan city that contained the temple to Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world. Ephesus was also well known as a haven for Jewish occultism and magical arts.
2:2-3 - The church is praised by Jesus for their perseverance and hard work. This was not a church that compromised. In the face of compromise all around them, they had taken a strong stand for orthodoxy. Of all Paul’s letters to the churches, only Ephesians (which was quite possibly a circular letter from Ephesus) does not mention a single doctrinal issue that needed correction. At the very beginning of the 2nd century, church father Ignatius noted that the church in Ephesus was still holding to doctrinal purity: "You all live according to the truth, and no heresy has a home among you. . . You are arrayed from head to foot in the commandments of Jesus Christ."
2:4-6 - As is so often the case, the church’s desire for sound doctrine, though, had hardened into a lack of love. They loved the truth more than they loved living it amongst their fellow men. It is not concern for sound doctrine that leads to an absence of love, though; it is really a perversion of the sound doctrine of love. They weren’t criticized for being too doctrinally sound, it was that they had lost their love. We are required to have sound doctrine and be loving. A lack of either is equally dangerous. In fact, a church that holds firm on all other doctrines but fails in love has really missed the whole point of the Christian life and beliefs. The church is told to repent from their lack of love and do the things they did at first. Love is not simply an attitude, it is also the action of fulfilling and obeying God’s law (1 John 5:2-3). Christ doesn’t call for the church to change their attitude, it is a call to change their actions. If they don’t repent, Jesus says that He will come to them and remove their lampstand. He is clearly not threatening them with His glorious Second Coming. This is further evidence that the nature of the Revelation is contemporary for the original readers. The threat to remove their lampstand means that their influence and place will be taken away in an act of judgment. They will cease to be a true church of Christ in any manner. Their lack of love has put them in danger of having the entire community excommunicated by the King. It is the vital duty of the elders to lead the church in doctrinal purity and the actions of love.
This message would have been clear to the Ephesians. This coastline city had a problem with sediment filling the harbor. They were constantly in danger of being moved out of place and cut off from the sea. They had let the harbor go for over two centuries and it was filling up. In 64 A.D., they finally began to dredge the harbor and keep their place safe. Over the centuries, this important job has been neglected. The ruins of Ephesus are now six miles away from the sea. Thus, John used a contemporary situation for them, to teach theological truth.
The church is commended once again near the end of this discourse. This time it is for their hatred of the Nicolaitans. "Nicolaitans" means "conqueror of the people" in Greek. Later, John will mention the followers of Balaam (2:14), which means "conqueror of the people" in Hebrew. John’s point is that the Nicolaitans and Balaamites are participants in the same heretical manner. In the letter to Thytira, those who follow Jezebel are mentioned (2:20). The doctrines of all three are virtually identical. It seems that John is focusing on one particular type of heresy, and merely giving it different names to demonstrate that it can take on many forms. He is warning the people against following heresies that draw them into idolatry and fornication.
2:7 - Each message is different for each church, but the overall command is the same for each church: Overcome! The Greek word for "overcome" is nikao. It is the same word as the root word for Nicolaitans. In other words, Christ is telling the Church to overcome those who seek to overcome them. Overcoming is the standard for all Christians. It is not a question of victory or defeat, but one of victory or treason. The promise of eating from the Tree of Life is not just a future hope, it is the promise to take dominion and overcome the world now. The Tree of Life was present in Eden and is symbolic of the new heavens and earth that will exist (Rev. 21:1-5) when God renews His creation (Matt. 19:28). Thus, the Ephesians are being called to the life of God’s age to come, and to live it now in the present age.
Devotional Thought
John implies that love is far more than a feeling or attitude; it is a concrete action. How would people around you be able to see your love for God and for your fellow man? List three things that you can do beginning today to concretely and visibly demonstrate your love for God and for others. If you don’t feel like you have that kind of love, then pray for God to give you that love, until He does it.
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