7 Churches of Revelation
1. Ephesus
The Commendations
Jesus knows everything we think and do. He knows our hearts. This is true for everyone, in the church or not. The Ephesians did a good job determining what was of sound doctrine and identifying heresy. They were given a total of seven accolades.
There was a lot of heresy in the church in the early days. Gnosticism was a big problem and many of the epistles were written to counter the false doctrine. Gnosticism is the teaching that spirit is entirely good and matter is entirely evil. This led to the belief that the human body is matter and therefore evil and God is spirit and therefore good. In this thinking salvation is not from grace but from knowledge. The Greek word for knowledge is “gnosis”, hence Gnosticism. The Gnostics also taught that God joined Jesus after baptism and left before he died, called “Cerinthianism”. Since the body was evil, it was to be treated harshly. This is the background for the letter to the Colossians, as well as 1 John. This led to licentiousness, which is in essence made breaking God’s law of no consequence. This is the background for what Jesus is saying the Ephesians are doing a good job rooting out.
The Criticisms
The Greek word for first in Rev 2:4 is “protos”: first in rank, influence, honor; the chief, principal; the superlative. The primary theme of the letter: “thy first love.” They were too busy on the business of the King to have time for the King…
Love of Espousal
- Joy of their salvation: Ps 51:12; Jer 2:2; 2 Cor 11:2; 1 Jn 4:19.
- First-named fruit of the Spirit is love: Gal 5:22.
- God uses the marriage to communicate His most intimate truths (The Most Intimate Truth: The Harpazo!)
- 20 references to this grace are found in Paul’s epistle to the Ephesians: Eph 5.
“Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word. But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.” (Luk 10:38-42)
The Exhortation
Remember. Repent. Aorist tense used envisaged no delay. Repent Repeated. Where is their lampstand visible today? Note: He hates the deeds, not the Nicolaitans. These will become doctrines in the Letter to Pergamos.
Nicolaitans
- A first-century sect claiming apostolic authority for their opinions?
- An untranslated word?
- Nicao – Conquer, overcome, rule
- Laos – Laity; people
- Using their clerical stature or position to rule over the people (vs. washing of the feet, John 13)
Nicolas? = One of “the seven” chosen to have the oversight of “the daily ministration” to the poor of the church in Jerusalem (Acts 6:5); called “a proselyte of Antioch” (the other six were therefore probably Jews by birth).
Some of the church Fathers (Irenaeus, Hippolytus, Pseudo-Tertullian) state that he was the founder of a sect called “Nicolaitans.” Other Fathers suggest that a vain claim made by this sect was in promoting apostolic authority for their opinions. Cf. John 13:14,16; 1 Pet 5:3 (even suggests that Peter might have had a premonition that he himself would be attributed to such abuses…).
John 13:14-16 If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.
