Bible Studies
The Message to the Church at Ephesus (Rev. 2:1-7)
Series: Additional StudiesIntroduction:
1. This coming week the adult class will give consideration to the letters sent to the seven churches of Asia. 2. Our study tonight will provide an introduction to the series and address in particular the letter to the church at Ephesus.Discussion:
I. The Book of Revelation was written to the seven churches of Asia (1:4-7).A. The message originated with God (1:1).
B. It is described as “the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1:1), a revelation that God gave Him to show to His bond-servants.
C. He sent and communicated it by His angel to John who communicated it to the seven churches (1:2).
D. John is quite clear that the message is from Jesus Christ and not from himself (1:4ff).
E. He describes with some detail where and how the revelation was given to him and what his response was (1:9-20).
II. An examination of the seven letters reveals that the Lord had intimate knowledge about the circumstances associated with each congregation. Ex. Eye salve was a product produced in the region of Laodicea. He admonishes the church at Laodicea to buy eye salve to anoint their eyes so that they might see. III. The letters fall into a general pattern involving first an identification of the author, followed by a commendation, followed by a condemnation, followed by a call to repentance, and a promise of life to those who hear and overcome.A. The letter to the church at Smyrna has no call to repentance, nor does the letter to
B. The letters reflect a judgment of the congregations and yet there is special consideration given in the evaluation of individuals (ex. 3:4).
IV. The language of the letters reflects respect for O.T. imagery (ex. Balaam (2:14); Jezebel (2:20); the key of David (3:7); the book of life (3:5); the new Jerusalem (3:12). O.T. themes of king and kingdom create further solidarity with the O.T. revelation and the revelation continued by Jesus and the apostles. V. Canonical sources and background information on the church at Ephesus.A. There are four major N.T. texts that give us information about the church in Ephesus.
1. The beginning of the church is described in Acts 19:1-20.
a. The first we know of the congregation is when Paul arrived there on his so-called third missionary journey.
b. He found disciples there familiar only with John’s baptism. This may have been as a result of the influence of Apollos (Acts 18:24-19:1).
c. They were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus as a result of Paul’s instruction placing their belief in Jesus.
d. Paul entered the synagogue and reasoned and persuaded them about the kingdom of God for three months.
e. There was opposition and he moved to the school of Tyrannus and reasoned with the disciples there for two years. Their influence was so powerful that all who lived in Asia both Jews and Greeks heard the word of the Lord.
f. There is an incident described in Acts 19:11ff about an attempt to cast out an evil spirit. The result was that some who practiced magic brought their books together and burned them as a result of their newfound confidence in the word of the Lord. There was a great disturbance when the silversmiths began complaining about Paul’s teaching turning people away from Artemis. The confusion was so great they cried out “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians” for about two hours.
2. The Book of Ephesians. Which some have suggested is a circular epistle. Three early mss do not contain the phrase “at Ephesus” in verse 1. The suggestion is that Ephesus was the last church to receive the circular letter. The epistle is very general and may not give particular and distinctive information about the church at Ephesus.
3. Acts 20:17-38 where Paul speaks to the Ephesian elders.
4. Our text in Rev. 2.
B. Additional information may be gleaned from the following texts:
1 Cor. 15:32 where he refers to fighting with wild beasts in Ephesus;
1 Cor. 16:8 where he refers to a wide door for effective service being opened to him there;
1 Tim. 1:3 where he instructs Timothy to remain on at Ephesus to instruct men not to teach strange doctrines;
2 Tim. 1:18 speaks of Onesiphorus who served Paul in Ephesus.
2 Tim. 4:12 speaks of Tychicus sent to Ephesus.
C. Mark Wilson (Biblical Turkey: A Guided to the Jewish and Christian Sites of Asia Minor, pp. 199ff) provides helpful information regarding the geography, civic and religious history and the archaeological history of Ephesus.
He states: “Ephesus was known throughout the ancient world as the temple keeper (neokoros; see Acts 19:35) of the goddess Artemis. Thousands made pilgrimages to Ephesus each spring for the annual Artemisia festival, just as Jews traveled to Jerusalem for their feasts (Acts 2:5). Although the worship of Artemis is not specifically mentioned in the N.T. outside the book of Acts, it undoubtedly remained an opponent of Christianity in the city until the temple’s destruction by the Goths around AD 262. At least fourteen other deities have been identified with pagan temples in Ephesus in the 1 C AD.”
VI. The message to Ephesus (2:1-7).A. The identification (2:1).
“The One who holds the seven stars in His right hand, the One who walks among the seven golden lampstands.” Clearly connects to 1:20 and on the basis of what John says in 1:1-7 it seems evident that the one who is speaking is Jesus Christ, the faithful witness.
B. The commendation (2:2-3).
“I know your deeds and your toil and perseverance, and that you cannot tolerate evil men, and put to the test those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found them to be false; and you have perseverance and have endured for My name’s sake, and have not grown weary.”
The Christians in Ephesus were in a difficult place. Their patron saint is Artemis and according to Wilson at least 14 other deities have been identified with pagan temples in Ephesus in 1 C AD. This is probably only reflective of a small part of the difficulty that they faced.
The third missionary journey is dated 54-57 AD. If Revelation is dated at 95 A.D. that is a 38 year span. Paul’s warning in Acts 20 and Timothy’s work (1 Tim. 1:3ff) seems to have had its effect. They evidence a toughness against false teaching recognized and commended by the Lord. They had not grown weary.
C. Condemnation and call to repentance (2:4-5).
“I have this against you, that you have left your first love.”
This statement is not as clear to me as it seems to be to others. Some are quick to interpret this in relation to a high level of emotion typical of just becoming a Christian, but I am not sure that is what is under consideration. Diminished emotion is probably normal. Emotions are fickle in the first place. After shouting “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians for two hours” the idolaters probably got tired and were ready to go on to something else.
The call to repentance, I think, defines the leaving of the first love, when it says repent and do the deeds you did at first.
What did they do at first? Acts 19 may give us insight. “All who lived in Asia heard the word” (10); “So the word of the Lord was growing mightily and prevailing” (20). It is obvious they were having an impact not only on their city but all Asia. Was this the work that was now diminished? It is not clear.
They are now in a new generation. It has been approximately 38 years since the first preaching took place. This is a critical period in the life of a congregation. As one put it for the first generation their newfound faith is their identity, it is who they are. For the second generation it is a matter of inconvenience and for the third it is a matter of annoyance.
The solution: Remember and Repent. If we are not moving forward we are moving backward. It is not enough just to respond to false teachers. It is not enough to “know the Bible. It is not enough to be good moral people. It is not enough to come to church. We must be looking for ways to go forward as a congregation and as individuals. We must consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds (Heb. 10:24). Sometimes there is a generational thing that happens. Older people like the old songs. They like familiar things to be taught over and over again. It is comforting to them. Younger people grow tired of the same old things. Yes, they need to be taught the history, but they need to address things that are relevant to them and not just things that are relevant or were relevant to the older generation. So there must be some kind of balance between old and new relevancies. It is not one or the other, but both/and. All of us need to understand that the Lord’s church is not about “me” it is first about the Lord and then about others. Too much focus on “me” and what I want/prefer and the work of the Lord is diminished. Our first love must be the Lord and His people.
D. Hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans (2:6).
Hailey says, “Little is known about the Nicolaitans. Several traditions exist and numerous theories have been suggested regarding their origin and doctrines, but these have not been established factually. The Nicolaitans were probably a sect of the Gnostics, but history is silent to their actual origin, peculiar doctrines, and ultimate fate after the Revelation. We do know that they flourished at Ephesus and Pergamum.”
E. He who has an ear, let Him hear (2:7a).
1. A statement used by Jesus in Mark. 4:9, 23 in connection with the parable of the sower/soils/seed.
2. May hark back to a theme in the O.T. of Israel “having eyes to see they did not perceive and having ears to hear they did not hear” (Cf. Isa. 6:9-10).
a. Indeed Israel had become like the gods they worship—blind and deaf.
b. The idols had eyes but could not see; ears but could not hear (Psa. 115:3-8; 135:15-18).
c. We become like the God we worship.
3. If faith comes by hearing (Rom. 10:17) then a lack of hearing diminishes faith.
a. “He who has an ear let him hear.”
b. Increase your faith by hearing. Having left their first love Jesus now calls them to greater faith.
F. Promise of life to the one who overcomes (2:7b).
1. Life belongs to those who hear the word of the Lord.
2. Only the Lord has the power to give life to the dead.
3. Ezekiel saw a vision of a valley of bones representative of the nation of Israel who saw themselves in Babylonian captivity as dead (37:1ff).
a. God asked Ezekiel, “Can these bones live?”
b. Ezekiel recognized that God only knew.
c. “Prophesy over these bones and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.’”
d. Reading of Ezek. 37:11-14.
Conclusion:
1. Don’t loose your first love. 2. If you do repent. 3. If you have ears, HEAR the word of the Lord.
