Revelation 2: Church Of Ephesus

Ephesus means Desirable.

Main Theme: The pure church who lost its first love.

🔹History of Ephesus

Ephesus was the ancient Roman Empire's fourth-largest city and Asia Minor's capital.

Acts 19 recounts Paul's journey to Ephesus, a city known for its worship of the pagan goddess Diana. Paul's preaching sparked outrage in the community and endangered region's dominion over the goddess Diana. The Old Latin and Vulgate accepted the Latin name Diana as an equivalent to the Greek name "Artemis". Diana/Artemis was a moon goddess, known in inscriptions as the "mother of the gods" and the "savior goddess." Her followers engage in astrology and occult activities, depicting her as a multi-breasted woman.

Temples, theaters, gyms, bathhouses, and brothels were just a few of the public institutions located throughout the city, which was notorious for debauchery, superstition, and the employment of magic.

According to Acts 19:17–19, the Ephesians, who used to practice sorcery and converted to Christianity, burned their occultic books, which cost a total of fifty thousand pieces of silver.

Revelation Chapter 2 - Verse 1 to 3

1 Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks;

2 I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:

3 And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.

🔹Works and labor

The Ephesus Church was a thriving, operational church committed to evangelism and salvation. People commonly refer to missionary or evangelistic activity in difficult and extreme settings as "labor." Ephesians 4:12 suggests a connection between the "works" and evangelism.

Ephesians 4:11-12 -“11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:”

🔹Patience

The New Testament translates the term "patience" from two distinct Greek words: Makrothumia and hupomone. The Greek word makrothumia translates as "longsuffering," but hupomone suggests endurance or perseverance. The phrase appears twice in the letter to the Ephesians (verses 2–3).

Ephesians 4:1-3 - “1 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,

2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;

3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”

🔹Cannot bear those who are evil

The Ephesian church had a very low tolerance for people who taught evil and heresy. It upheld doctrinal orthodoxy by putting those who taught the Word to the test. The apostle Paul warned the elders of Ephesus to be on their guard because wolves would prowl among them and teach perverse ideas, not sparing the flock (Acts 20:28–30). The apostles put all their teaching to the test by comparing it to God's Word.

🔹For My Name’s sake

The members of the apostolic church did exalt the name of Jesus. Those who proclaimed the gospel put their lives in danger for His name, and they were prepared to die for Him (Acts 21:13).

Revelation Chapter 2 - Verse 4 to 5

4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.

5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.

🔹Left your first love

The church at Ephesus had lost their first love.

The church had lost its core bonds and vital connection to Jesus through labor and working itself to exhaustion.

Maintaining theoretical strictness and advancing the gospel should not come at the expense of a genuine, personal relationship with Jesus. Losing their first love is considered as falling.

🔹Repent

The term refers to turning around, reversing course, or doing a U-turn. The Ephesian church needed to turn around and return to its original form—a church that worked hard in evangelism and supported theological orthodoxy because they loved Jesus. Their motivation for hard work should be love.

🔹Do your first works

The loss of first love is revealed in the loss of the first works. Works of love reveal the love for Jesus.

The first epistle of John reveals the relationship between love and works, but it also describes a personal relationship to Jesus (I John 3:16–18; I John 5:3; 2 John 6).

🔹Remove the candlestick

If the Ephesian church did not repent and rediscover its first love, Jesus threatened to take away the light from it (Matthew 5:14-16; Mark 4:21-25; Luke 8:16-18).

Revelation Chapter 2 - Verse 6 to 7

6 But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitanes, which I also hate.

7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.

🔹Nicolaitanes

The Nicolaitans were heretical followers of Nicolas, one of the seven deacons mentioned in Acts 6:5, who renounced his faith.

The Nicolaitans held that the body could never contaminate the spirit. As a result, they preached that Christians are exempt from the law and may do whatever they choose.

It is crucial to note that the Nicolaitans were rejected in Ephesus, but afterward allowed by the church in Pergamum (Revelation 2:15).

• They practiced immorality in the name of spiritual liberty.

• They believed in the practice of polygamy.

• They believed that it was lawful to eat food sacrificed to idols.

• They made the grace of Christ cheap. Paul criticizes those who turn the grace of God into lasciviousness (Jude 1:4). Lasciviousness means unrestrained sexual behavior.

• The Nicolaitan doctrine appears to have been a form of antinomianism, which makes the fatal mistake that man can freely partake in sin because the Law of God is no longer binding.

Sources:

Theopedia: Nicolaitans - Link

Wikipedia: Nicolaism - Link

🔹He who overcomes

The one who overcomes is the Christian who gains victory or conquers. In Revelation, it is a present participle, which means ‘he who continues to gain the victory’.

🔹Paradise of God

Paradise is where God dwells. A comparison of Revelation 2:7 and Revelation 22:1-2 supports this. The tree of life mentioned in both verses is located in God's very presence.

Next: Revelation Chapter 2: Church Of Smyrna

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