Revelation Study Week 5: Chapter 2:1-7

The Loveless Church

The New Revised Standard Version (The Message to Ephesus)

“To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands: 2 “I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance. I know that you cannot tolerate evildoers; you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them to be false. 3 I also know that you are enduring patiently and bearing up for the sake of my name, and that you have not grown weary. 4 But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. 5 Remember then from what you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. 6 Yet this is to your credit: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7 Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches. To everyone who conquers, I will give permission to eat from the tree of life that is in the paradise of God.

Literal Meaning

Five things in every Letter!

Command to write to the angel.

Description of the author

Seven stars in his right hand - Vs 1:16

Walks among the seven gold lampstands - Vs 1:12-13a

I Know statements

Nothing is hidden from him

Commendation/Condemnation

Commendation: always comes first if there is any - all but Sardis and Laodicea

toil

patient endurance

don’t tolerate evildoers

tested apostles

bearing up for the sake of Christ’s name

Not grown weary

Hate the works of the Nicolaitans

Condemnation: always comes last if there is any - all but Smyrna and Philadelphia

Lost your first love - the love you had at first

Every church with a condemnation is Called to repent

He who has an ear, let them hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches

This is for everyone

He who (or to him who) conquers (or overcomes)

As conquerers we get to eat the tree of life that is in the Paradise of God

Universal Understanding

Any church that does the right things but does them without love, does them with the wrong motive. Why we do something is as important as what we do.

Doing the right thing without love can lead to legalism or or just preforming a ritual

Having love but not doing the right thing leads to the idea of a cheap grace

Prophetic Nature

If we understand the things that “are” as being from the end of chapter one to the beginning of chapter 4 where are we in the “are” stage?

I have to tell you there are some who don’t believe there is a connection of chapters 2-3 and the church age. Most believe chapters 2-3 are only historical, like the rest of the NT.

From about 30AD-100AD -

They started out doing the right things because of a deep love for Jesus, but Just as we cannot tell if an individual is doing something for the right reason, so we can not tell if the church at the end of the 1st century beginning of the 2nd was doing the right things for the right reason… But God knew!

They hadn’t abandoned the work of Christ, they lost the reason for the work!

Personal Application

Has your love grown cold?

Are you doing the right things but lack love?

Are you doing the wrong things?

Has your works become just rituals?