5. THE EPISTLE TO EPHESUS - Revelation 2:1-7

 

It is thought by some that these seven epistles to the churches were written earlier than the main body of Revelation (and that by some 20 years) during the reign of Vespasian. However, they were probably written after the apostle had received all the visions and were then included in a general epistle to each of the seven churches.

Generally speaking, John appears to follow the same formula when addressing the churches, and that a sevenfold one consisting of the following:

 

Please Read Revelation 2:1-7

 

Verse 1: The letter to Ephesus is addressed to the ‘angel’ or ‘messenger’ of the church at Ephesus. He is probably the leader or leaders of the church (See previous study for further explanation).

Ephesus was located on the western coast of the Roman province of Asia on the Aegean Sea, near the mouth of the Cayster River. Ephesus had a population of around 250 000 people at the time of the writing of this epistle. It was a free city, in that it had the right of self-government. Previous to Roman rule, Ephesus had been part of the Pergamum Kingdom and was bequeathed to Rome in 133 BC by Attalus III.

Ephesus was the gateway to Asia, being a major commercial center at the intersection of three major trade routes. It was also a religious center, having one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, the temple of Artemis (Diana). It also had three temples dedicated to emperor worship (Claudius, Hadrian, and Severus). There was also a games theatre that seated some 25 000 people.

Today the port of Ephesus is silted up and the city is a ruin. There is no church, the lampstand having been removed long ago. The city itself was destroyed in the middle of the third century AD.

Paul had visited the city of Ephesus on his way from Corinth to Jerusalem (Acts 18:19-21) at the conclusion of his first missionary journey in 52 AD. During his third missionary journey, Paul spent three years (Acts 20:31) there and when returning to Jerusalem at the conclusion of his third missionary journey, he bade farewell to the Ephesian elders at Miletus (Acts 20:17-38; 57 AD).

During his first imprisonment around 60-63 AD, Paul wrote his epistle to the church at Ephesus. Later he left Timothy in charge of the church (1 Tim 1:3). Tradition also has Mary, the mother of Jesus, in Ephesus. Sometime after the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD, the apostle John was also found in Ephesus. During the reign of Domitian (81-96 AD), John was exiled to Patmos and upon release returned to Ephesus, dying there during the reign of the Emperor Trajan.

Christ’s self-designation in this verse, and those to the other churches (2:8,12,18; 3:1,7,14), are all found within the description of ‘the One like the Son of Man,’ in Revelation 1:10-20.

The church at Ephesus had been greatly troubled by false apostles (2:2), and the Lord Jesus Christ was very aware of this as He who currently and continually operates within the church, caring for, and protecting His stars (1:16,20), who are called to reflect His light to their charge. His current active presence in the church denotes One who has come near for the purpose of judgment (Note the context).

NOTE: INDIVIDUAL DISCOVERY QUESTION HERE: What are the practical implications of verse one?

 

Verses 2,3: Verse two begins with a clear reference to the omniscience of Christ, as He who discerns and knows all things, whether they be good or evil (Heb 4:13). In His omniscience Christ has observed the Ephesians toil in maintaining the true faith over that of falsehood, even to the point of weariness and exhaustion, and in the face of much pressure to quit (Acts 19:8-40). The Ephesian church has continued on with great perseverance and endurance.

In their rejection of falsehood, the church has heeded Paul’s warning to them when he bid the elders farewell (Acts 20:28,29; Eph 5:3-17; 1 Jn 4:1), his warning proving accurate. Ignatius the bishop of Antioch, who wrote to the Ephesians some time after this epistle, writes of how the church was so well taught that no unorthodox sect could gain even a hearing among the believers.

The church took its role against falsehood extremely seriously, testing all the claims of those who claimed to be ‘apostles’ (1 Cor 14:29; 1 Thess 5:21; 1 Jn 4:1), and when they found their claims false, they exposed them as liars. Who were these false apostles? They were probably of an antinomian sentiment, as verse six seems to imply.

It is important to note that John as the Lord’s messenger does not condemn zeal for doctrinal and moral purity, rather He commends it, as is implied in verse 4.

QUESTIONS: What would be the practical manifestation of the church at Ephesus in regards to verses 2 and 3? Are there any dangers to be wary of in these practices? Explain.

 

NOTE: INDIVIDUAL DISCOVERY QUESTION HERE: What is meant by ‘you have left your first love’ in Revelation 2:4?

 

Verse 4: Though the church had certainly maintained its purity, the Lord Jesus Christ still found fault with the church at Ephesus. The charge He has brought against the church is that of having ‘left your first love.’ This would suggest that the zeal for purity had reduced the church to that of a barren formalism and a consequent waxing cold of their love for Christ (Mt 24:11ff; 1 Cor 13:2). This means not their first love in time, but that love which is to have the pre-eminence for believers, or the first place if you like. This of course should be were Christ is held.

Verse 5: This verse clearly shows the correct use of rebuke, for it shows that the rebuke given here was with the view of restoration of the church.

The act of remembering is that of recalling, or re-focusing the mind upon the privileged position that they once enjoyed, which is that from which they had fallen. Remembering those times of past rich blessing would provide a powerful motivation and stimulation for repentance.

To repent is to change the mind about something and to therefore change direction. For the Ephesians, they needed to turn from the pursuit of a dead orthodoxy to that of a lively and fruitful relationship with Christ. Such a relationship would once again bear the fruit of the Spirit in their lives.

Christ’s threat to the Ephesian church is very real, as consequent history has well documented. This warning speaks not of that last final judgment at the last great Day of the Lord, but of an imminent visitation of God to the church at Ephesus, for the purpose of removing their lampstand. This judgment would in effect leave the church in a darkened state and without the special presence of Christ. Outwardly the church could continue to exist for a long time, but the real source of its life would be long gone and this well before it stopped being a human institution. The only way that this judgement could be prevented was by an immediate and radical repentance.

QUESTIONS: How is this ‘first love’ evidenced in the life of a believer?

 

How is a lampstand removed from a church?

 

How is repentance from this state of having lost our first love evidenced?

 

Verse 6: The church at Ephesus is however commended for its hatred of the Nicolaitan falsehood. The word hatred suggests an intense revulsion toward the falsehood and wicked practice of the Nicolaitan compromise with paganism.

Not much is known of the Nicolaitan error. The sect is identified by Irenaeus with the Nicolas of Acts 6:5 (2:14,15; Eph 2:6), which would suggest that he had fallen into heresy and gathered quite a following. Revelation 2:14 and 15 identifies the Nicolaitans as the same as those who followed Balaam. What this would mean is that they refused to keep themselves from the immorality of heathendom, while perhaps justifying their behaviour under the cloak of Christianity. In short, it seems to have been a compromise with paganism and therefore a form of antinomianism (perhaps to avoid persecution?).

Verse 7: The opening sentence of this verse is found in all the epistles to the churches, with only minor variations (2:11,17,29; 3:6,13,22). Each address is ‘to the churches,’ clearly showing that each church read each epistle for their own learning (Mk 4:23-25; 13:37).

The ear of course refers to the spiritual ear (Deut 29:4; Is 50:4,5) and not to the physical ear, for it is the spiritual ear that believes and obeys (Pr 20:12). Only the regenerated ear is able to both hear and heed the message of the Spirit, who is represented as Christ’s mouthpiece to the churches.

The one who overcomes is the one who perseveres to the very end. It has the idea of a continuous victory over both the inner opposition and the outer opposition. The overcomer will find himself in the very presence of the King in the Kingdom.

The ‘tree of life’ sends the memory back to Genesis (Gen 2:9; 3:22ff) and implies that everything lost by sin in Adam, is won back in Christ. Free access to this tree infers immortality in God’s presence (22:2,14).

The word ‘paradise’ comes from the Persian word for garden (pairi-daiza) In Revelation paradise symbolises the restored relationship between God and man in the eternal Kingdom (20:14; 22:2,14).

QUESTIONS: Who heeded the Spirit’s message to the church at Ephesus? Explain your answer.

 

Describe what an overcomer’s life would be like before paradise?

 

INDIVIDUAL DISCOVERY

Explain how the believers in Smyrna are rich?

 

What is a ‘synagogue of Satan (2:9)?’

 

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17/10/2006

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