Ephesians

   Letter to the Church at Ephesus

Rev 2:1 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;

Christ knew everything that was going on in this church, both good and bad. Consider this, if we could actually see Christ walking among us, how different would our churches be? He does walk among us whether we notice or not.

The angel of the church mention here is the pastor of the church of the one who is responsible for the spiritual condition of that particular church.

I believe this to be an actual church that existed in John's day. It may be that each church represents a type of church existing in John's day and also in this present age. I personally see these different types of churches existing during all the periods throughout church history. We see now some churches dead and some churches on fire for God. We see some doctrinally pure and some very lax. We see some show love and some are not concerned about the salivation of the lost. Some do not preach against sin and some preach fervently against sin.

The golden candlesticks are representative of the seven churches with whom Christ walks into the midst.

Some believe the Ephesians church represents the church age during the time of the apostles or the apostolic age. The reasoning is that they would have been doctrinally pure at that point and easy to point out false prophets. They would have known the false from the real. This church didn't last very long. A few short years later after the time of severe persecution the doctrinally pure church age ended after Constantine liberated the church.

Rev 2:2 I know thy works, and thy labor, 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:

One of the good things about this church was that they hated sin and could not bear to see evil prevail among them. They didn't tolerate apostles who preached one thing and lived another. They didn't allow liars and pretenders to preach false doctrine and error among the congregation. They were quick to correct false doctrine or false teaching. They stood against things that were contrary to the faith once delivered to the saints. This is a good trait of any church.

They labored heavily for the Lord. They had patience and were not anxious or without faith. They desired to walk in truth.

I know this is a dirty word in today's world but this sounds like a fundamental church. Fundamental meaning a church who believed in every word that precedes from the mouth of God. They didn't fall for false or new doctrines contrary to the word that was first preached to them.

There are churches like this in existence today but they are getting fewer and far between. Yet they have a certain danger that is serious and not a little thing. They need to repent of the flaw they have without abandoning the good part that Christ commends them for.

Rev 2:3 And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast labored, and hast not fainted.

They did not faint or give up when things became rough. They had patience and stood the test of trials and temptations. They were solid and did not bend to the will of the worldly crowd to be accepted.

More and more they sound like a strong bible believing fundamental church. They most probably didn't have the written New Testament yet but they had the word originally preached by the apostle Paul and perhaps others during this period.

Rev 2:4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.

This is the key verse and one that is very important. The key is to correct this problem without losing the sound doctrine. Many try to walk in love but they think to do that they have to forsake sound doctrine. How can we say we love Christ and ignore all His words?

They had lost their first love. I sometimes struggle with what this first love is. I think it covers many things.

This church had no problem loving the word of God and hating evil. The love they lacked must have been their love for one another. I will add also a love for the lost.

If we truly love Christ, we will worship Him in spirit and in truth. Perhaps they had sound doctrine but were getting away from genuine heart felt worship to God. Perhaps they stood true with a zeal for the word but it became duty or mechanical instead of fervent love and passion for Christ.

Perhaps also they began to be intolerant toward each other's weaknesses and didn't show compassion when a brother or sister failed. Perhaps they had no tolerance for sin which is good but didn't show the spirit of meekness when they tried to correct this sin in others.

Galatians 6:1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such a one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.

Here is what I believe leaving the first love may concern also:

A loss of compassion for the lost. To really love Christ is to love the message of the gospel which is to seek and save that which is lost. That is why Jesus came and why He died on the cross. He had such love for the lost that he suffered and died for us while we were still sinners.  Should not we mimic the love Christ had by possessing that love ourselves? These people at Ephesus were saved from sin but others needed this salvation. We should love the lost enough to give them the gospel. This does not mean that we forsake sound doctrine in order to attract the crowds. If we do that, we begin to resemble some of the other churches described in the the next few verses of Revelation but we must retain a fervent love for those living around us that have not yet heard or believed the gospel. This may be the first love that this church lost.  This is part of loving Christ.  We can't love Christ and not love to see souls saved from sin and granted eternal life. 

We must strive to keep sound doctrine while maintaining the joy of our salvation and compassion for the lost. This can only be done with constant walking in the spirit.

A church should be reaching out to the lost without losing the fundamental sound teaching of the scriptures. A church should keep the teaching of the scriptures without losing their compassion for the weak Christians or the lost. Strive for balance and the type of faith which works by love. Nothing else will work and stand the test of the trials that come against the church.

Rev 2:5 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.

This is a warning from our Lord. The thing Jesus found that they lacked was not to be taken lightly. It was serious enough to cause their candlestick to be removed from its place. The only solution was repentance.

Repentance means to be sorry for sin to the point of being willing to change and turn form that sin. If we are sorry but make no effort to change, it is not genuine repentance.

Repentance is still necessary every time we fail as an individual or as a congregation. True repentance would bring about the change Christ asked of them. For we can't change without Christ and the strength of the Holy Spirit. We need the word and the Spirit confirming the word.

Rev 2:6 But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitanes, which I also hate.

I found two meanings of the Nicolaitanes.

First was followers of Nicolaus who allowed fornication or community of wives, eating things sacrificed to idols and other immoral practices. Sexual impurity, lust and other things forbidden by scripture were considered not sinful thy this group of Gnostics.

Another meaning is this:

Nicolaitanes means "victory over people" or to conquer the "laity."

In other words by implying laws and doctrines of men, the clergy rules the laity. People become dependent upon the clergy for their salvation instead of Christ.

It places a mediator between God and man other than Jesus. The clergy does the praying, the rituals, the ordinances, the words that supposedly are to bring salvation to the laity. It is wrong because it places a man or woman between us and God instead of allowing us to seek God ourselves.

We should strive to bring people to Christ and then step back and teach them to seek Christ themselves so that if they happen to live in a desert place where there is no church they can still have a close relationship with God.

There is only one mediator between God and man and that is Jesus. If we allow any person to block that vision of Christ we have by faith, we are looking to that person instead of Christ. We open ourselves up to deception if we allow anyone to stand in the gap between us and Christ.

Whether that person is Joseph Smith, Nicolaus, the pope, Mary, a dead saint, Billy Graham, William Branham, Kenneth Copeland, our pastor, Benny Hinn or any other. A true pastor of the Lord will not accept our worship. A true pastor will encourage each one of us to depend on Christ alone for our salvation and not man, a ministry or anything other than Christ.

Nikos means to conquer, laos is the word laity comes from.

Every church needs a pastor to lead under the guidance of the Holy Spirit but he is to serve as a servant, not as a Lord. There should be no high exalted position of a clergy as opposed to a low position of the laity. Jesus taught against that.

Matthew 20:25 But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them.
Mat 20:26 But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister;
Mat 20:27 And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:

The Ephesians church was commended for hating the deeds of the Nicolaitanes. Whether it is the first meaning of fornication and idolatry or the second meaning of clergy ruling over laity, both are wrong according to new testament scriptures. No man is to have absolute rule in the church to today like Moses in the Old Testament. Jesus took that place and is the only mediator between God and man.

Any person who uses their leadership to manipulate others into certain behavior instead of trusting in the Holy Spirit to save and change the behavior of the convert, is putting himself in the place of Christ.

We are to be examples of love and keeping of the scriptures. We can't manipulate and control someone to Christ. Jesus is a gentle example who taught in love. We are not to Lord over and manipulate the congregation. Mind control out, trust is the Holy Spirit in.

Jesus hates this doctrine. Why would He? Why would Jesus hate for anyone to control the congregation for the purpose of getting the congregation to live holy lives? Because, I believe Jesus wants us to live holy lives because we love Him, not because we are threatened excommunication for not living holy.

A pastor is to gently lead by example and purity, teaching the truth of God's word by the power of the Holy Spirit. He is not to Lord over the flock and exalt himself or herself is a position higher than his congregation. We are not to be followers of men but of Jesus Christ.

Rev 2:7 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.

Whoever is granted to eat of this tree will live forever. It is granted to those that overcome the temptation to follow another way other than Christ. The promise of overcoming is the promise of eternal life. We must believe and continue in what we believe. The word is written so that we can walk in it and not be deceived. He saves each individual, one by one so that we can now pray to God without the aid of a priest, prophet or mediator other than Jesus Christ. This is why Jesus came. He came that we can be saved and get to know Him personally no matter where we are. You can pray, you can talk to God. You don't need me, you don't need anyone to be the mediator. Jesus is the way the truth and the life, no man can come to the Father except through Jesus Christ.

Don't let anyone stand in that gap and block your vision of Jesus Christ.

Letter to the Church at Smyrna

Ephesians

Ephesians Bible Study