Revelation 2:1 “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. 2 I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. 3 You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.
4 Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. 5 Consider how far 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. 6 But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
7 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.
The Scriptures tell us a great deal about Ephesus. Paul, Priscilla, Aquila and Timothy all worked to establish the Church there.
When Paul, Priscilla and Aquila first arrived in Ephesus, Paul went into the synagogue to reason with the Jews about Christ, their Messiah, while Priscilla and Aquila discipled Apollos. Acts 18:18-19
A Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. 25 He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervor and taught about Jesus accurately, though he knew only the baptism of John. 26 He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately. Acts 18:24-26
Though Apollos was learned and had a thorough knowledge of the Old Testament he did not yet understand faith in Christ. Priscilla and Aquilla invited him home to instruct him.
How did he react?
Did Apollos say, as some arrogant and self-important Reverends today might protest: ‘God chose me for this ministry. You have no right to instruct me. I have a successful ministry here.”
No. He went with them and humbly accepted their instruction, learning about how Christ had fulfilled the Old Testament Promise of the Lamb of God. As a result…
Apollos vigorously refuted his Jewish opponents in public debate, proving from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Messiah. Acts 18:28
Meanwhile,Paul in the synagogue spoke boldly for three months, arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God. 9 But some of them became obstinate; they refused to believe and publicly maligned the Way. So Paul left them. He took the disciples with him and had discussions daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. 10 This went on for two years, so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord.
11 God did extraordinary things through Paul. Acts 19:8-11
However, he faced life-threatening opposition from folks whose livelihood was threatened when people, believing the Gospel presented by Paul, stopped worshipping the goddess Diana.
23 About that time there arose a great disturbance about the Way. 24 A silversmith named Demetrius, who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought in a lot of business for the craftsmen there. 25 He called them together, along with the workers in related trades, and said: “You know, my friends, that we receive a good income from this business. 26 And you see and hear how this fellow Paul has convinced and led astray large numbers of people here in Ephesus and in practically the whole province of Asia. He says that gods made by human hands are no gods at all. 27 There is danger not only that our trade will lose its good name, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be discredited; and the goddess herself, who is worshiped throughout the province of Asia and the world, will be robbed of her divine majesty.” Acts 19:23-27
After Paul established the Church in Ephesus he determined to continue his missionary journey, from Miletus Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church. Acts 20:17
Paul wanted to warn the elders to remain faithful in the face of opposition. Paul knew from experience that savage false teachers would try to infiltrate the church to mislead the faithful.
When they arrived, he said to them: 28 Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. 29 I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. 30 Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. 31 So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears. Acts 20:28-31
Ephesus was a major economic, cultural, and religious port city. Not only did they have the Temple of Diana, one of the wonders of the ancient world, but they also had a Roman theater, stadium, gymnasium, public baths, library, and, of course, brothels. In addition to the worship of Diana there was occult worship. After becoming believers a number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly. When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas. Acts 19:19. Which is pretty significant considering that a drachma is a day’s wages. That calculates to over 150 years worth of wages that they destroyed after becoming Christians. You can see why those who earned their living from the temple, idols and from sorcery wanted Paul and his followers killed.
Christ had an important message for the Christians in Ephesus:
Revelation 2:1 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.
Notice first how Christ identifies himself, going back to Revelation 1:12, as the one who holds the seven stars in his right hand. As we will see this will be a reoccurring theme. Christ will preface his address to each Church by referring back to one of his qualities as prophesied in Daniel and revealed to John.
Christ, the Creator and ruler over all of history, tells the pastor/elders of the Church at Ephesus that he holds them in his hand and that he is walking with them. Just as it had been prophesied:
I will put my dwelling place among you, and I will not abhor you. 12 I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people. Leviticus 26:11-12
Despite of, and in fact because of, all of depravity on display in Ephesus, Christ established his Church there to rescue unbelievers from their futile ways of life. Christ wanted the Christians to know that he walked with them, protecting, examining, judging, and building them up in unity. After all, because Christ came to rescue the perishing, the Church was desperately needed in Ephesus.
Revelation 2:2-3 I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. 3 You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.
The believers at Ephesus, had, despite persecution, remained faithful to the truth. They were willing to take a firm uncompromising stand for the truth even though the cost had been great. They had not grown weary. They would not allow the Word of God to be diluted or altered by false teachers. They followed Paul’s instruction to the Elders:
Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.29 I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock.30 Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. 31 So be on your guard! Acts 20:28-31.
Commenting on the Ephesians faithfulness St. Ignatius wrote, “You all live according to truth, and no heresy has a home among you: indeed, you do not so much as listen to anyone if he speaks of anything except concerning Jesus Christ… I have learned that certain persons passed through you bringing evil doctrine, you did not allow them to sow seeds among you, for you stopped up your ears, so that you might not receive the seed sown by them… You are arrayed from head to foot in the commandments of Jesus Christ.” “Epistles of St. Ignatius”
Revelation 2:4 Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first.
They worked hard to preserve the truth that God had revealed to them. They stood fast and endured persecution from unbelievers. They would not tolerate false teachers. They were willing to judge those who attempted to bring false teaching into the Church. They were the missionary center for all of Asia. Yet Christ points out a problem. They did not love as they first did when they became believers.
Paul had warned the Corinthians about the same thing: If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8 Love never fails. I Corinthians 13:2
We must be careful here. Remember that Christ had commended the pastor and elders for taking a stand for the truth. They had held true to Christ’s teaching and compared the message that those who claim to be apostles were bringing into the Church to the message of Christ. It is not wrong to be concerned about maintaining truth; however, in so doing they had become unloving toward fellow believers. Truth and love are not opposites. They must be held together: A gentle answer turns away wrath. Proverbs 15:1. The command to Speak the truth in love, Ephesians 4:15, doesn’t mean that we are to stop speaking if someone is offended by the truth. We are to speak in love.
Strangely the Church frequently acts like it is difficult to hold to both the truth and to love simultaneously, like trying to hold two ends of a strong magnet together. But look what Christ says, “You have forsaken…” You left, you abandoned, in other words, you worked hard to break love and truth apart. Holding to the truth and being loving are all part of the Christian calling and lifestyle. To separate them in either direction does damage to the Church and harms Christ’s witness to the world.
Revelation 2:5 Consider how far 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.
Christ gives his Church three steps back to restoring love:
- Consider; Don’t forget what it was like to be redeemed by Christ. Remember the burden of guilt that you had. Remember the futility of life without God. Remember the fear of death. Remember that because of Christ you will no longer face the wrath of God. Remember how you have been adopted into God’s family. Remember that you are a child of God. Remember love.
- Repent; As you remember these things take a good look at yourself; your behavior, your thoughts, your rationalizations, your deceptions, the lies you tell yourself such as, ‘I’m not that bad, I’m better than my neighbor’; judging harshly rather than correcting in love. Facing the truth about yourself will lead you to repentance. Notice that repent is repeated two times. Christ is emphasizing our need to turn around and make a sharp break with sin and rebellion.
- Do the things you did at first! Have you ever thought, ‘If only I could feel like loving others, if only I could have that enthusiasm that I used to have, that initial joy of coming to Christ, well, then I could get active in the Kingdom again like I initially was.’ But this reasoning is exactly backwards. That is not how God has wired our brains. Instead, get active in the Kingdom, do what God wants, be obedient, practice the love you first had and you will find that your feelings, enthusiasm, and joy will follow.
I John 3:18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.
For many today love is defined as a feeling or perhaps an intention but notice, love is to be demonstrated in actions not in hollow words. I John 3:16
Revelation 2:5 If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.
Christ will come. But this coming is not to be understood as a phrase of comfort. This is a day of wrath. The wrath of God coming in judgment; a day of judgment against the unrepentant Church.
If the Church is not willing to be faithful, in both doctrine and love, Christ says that he will remove their lampstand. The Church is the light of the world, a light in the darkness of unbelief and sin. If the Church will not shine, there is no need for the Church to exist. Christ will remove it.
Revelation 2:6 But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
Who were the Nicolaitans and why did God hate them?
St. Irenaeus wrote that “The Nicolaitans … lead lives of unrestrained indulgence, teaching it is a matter of indifference to practice adultery, and to eat things sacrificed to idols.” “Against Heresies”
The Nicolaitans were teaching compromise with the culture; teaching that it was acceptable for Christians to live lives of sexual anarchy and lives of devotion to the idols of the age as long as they continued to profess Christ as their Savior in their hearts. Sound familiar? This teaching should be of no surprise to Christians today as the same false teaching continues to infiltrate the Church. Christians rationalize that as long as they say that they believe in Christ they may fit in with the culture and live however they want, practicing; gossip, false witness, fornication, adultery, homosexuality, pornography, greed, drunkenness, theft, and more. I Corinthians 6:9
The elders at Ephesus were unwilling to allow the Nicolaitans to teach in their Church. That was a good thing because when the Church dilutes the truth to gain the acceptance of unbelievers or to avoid offending unbelievers; when the Church is not clear about what Christ is saving us from; our horrible sin and rebellion against God, the Church, as well as our unbelieving neighbors will be in danger of both misunderstanding the truth and clinging to cherished sins. As Christ warned:
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ Matthew 7:21-23
Next Christ says something that seems to be paradoxical; Christ commended the Ephesians for hating the practices of these false teachers.
How can it be loving to hate?
This may be paradoxical but it is not contradictory. If you love the Lord you will begin to hate what he hates. Love for the good must entail a corresponding hatred for evil. The Bible teaches that if you love God you will hate evil because it opposes God and it destroys all that is good and true, leading people and cultures to ruin. Christ says that if you don’t hate such manifestations of evil, you won’t be loved by God.
Psalm 97:10, Those who love the Lord hate evil.
Psalm 101:3, I hate what faithless people do.
Psalm 119:104&128, I hate every wrong path.
Psalm 139:21-22, Do I not hate those who hate you, Lord, and abhor those who are in rebellion? I have nothing but hatred for them; I count them as my enemies.
In our supposedly tolerant age we are taught that to disagree with the religious beliefs or behaviors of another is to be less than loving. It is intolerant and wrong. Yet we are to hate false teaching because such teachings and practices are leading people to Hell. But be careful, we are to express our warnings both out of love and in a loving manner, like a parent weeping over their children.
Revelation 2:7 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.
What a wonderful promise to those facing persecution and death. Will you be a traitor to Christ who saved you or will you remain faithful? Of course if we actually believed that Christ was reigning over all of history we could say with John:
Everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. 1 John 5:4
What is the tree of life?
Galatians 3:13, Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.”
I Peter 2:24, He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.”
Out of an abundance of love for us, Christ, the Lamb of God, submitted to death on the tree so that he could bear our punishment and, in so doing, offer us everlasting life. We reenact this in our weekly worship as we take the bread, His body broken for us. I Corinthians 11:24
I John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. In eating from the tree of life we accept the free gift of salvation, and experience and exhibit the benefits and blessings of adoption: The fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Galatians 5:22-23