Seven Letters of Love
Student’s Study Guide
REVELATION 2
A Letter of Love to the
Church of Ephesus
Revelation 1:1-7
A Return to the Heart’s
First Love
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.
2:1-3 Understanding the worldview the Bible
was written with will help in appreciating the message sent to the first church
mentioned in the Revelation, the
Church of Ephesus. Historically the city of Ephesus was a cultural center. It
was a commercially prosper place attracting worldwide trade. The city was also
a religious center where the goddess Diana was worshipped. The people of
Ephesus honored Diana by building her a marvelous temple, which became one of
the seven wonders of the ancient world. Christianity came to Ephesus when Paul
preached the gospel. Later, Timothy was the bishop of the Church and Paul wrote
one his epistle to the assemble. Initially the Church at Ephesus did well and
prospered.
The community of saints was light in the
midst of a dark pagan culture. The believers were zealous in many religious
activities.
·
The Church performed good
deeds. When
the people were hungry the Church of Ephesus fed them. The poor were given
food, clothing, and shelter. The sick were cared for and the dying were
comforted.
·
The Church labored to exalt
Christ. It
was not enough that the Church knew about Jesus, others must know the Lord as
well.
·
The Church persevered in the
faith. The
saints were “patient” in the sphere of faith. While the gospel is not a works
salvation it does demand good works as a sign conversion.
·
The Church did not tolerate
evil. Men
and women who were in error morally or ethically were not allowed to practice
sin in the midst of the saints. The Church in Ephesus would not have tolerated
what was allowed in the Church of Corinth (1 Cor. 5:1ff).
·
The Church was discerning in
doctrine. When
individuals such as Nicholas claimed to be apostles the believers were mature
enough to test them (Acts 1:1-3 cf. 1 Cor. 9:1).
q
An apostle was one who had been called by God.
q
An apostle was one who was with Christ during His ministry.
q
An apostle was one who had seen the risen Lord.
·
The Church endured periods
of persecution. Jesus said, “Blessed are you when
men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil
against you falsely for my sake.” The Church at Ephesus knew what it was to
suffer for the sake of righteousness.
4 Nevertheless
I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.
2:4 There is much to commend
in the Church of Ephesus. The members of the assembly were willing workers who
hated evil while moving towards a greater state of maturity manifested in
spiritual discernment all the while enduring unjust moments of suffering. “Nevertheless,” and the awful words of
Revelation 2:4 were stated. “I have somewhat against thee, because thou
hast left thy first love.” The
Church of Ephesus had left their first love? How did that happen? There are any
number of ways for religious people to be caught up doing work for Christ they
forget the Lord Himself. It is possible for the believer to lose his first
love.
·
Love for Christ can be lost by reading the Bible out of a sense of duty
but with no delight in meditating on the Lord.
·
Teaching what is not practiced can cause a person to lose love for
Christ. It is possible to teach on prayer and not pray. It is possible to teach
on forgiving others and harbor