Letters to the seven churches

Each church is addressed in a letter by the Lord, using the same pattern.

1. He begins with a self description to that church. A portion of the description of Jesus in chapter 1

2. He commends them about something good, If He can find anything.

3. He rebukes or corrects where or if corrections need to be made. Two of the churches weren’t corrected

4. He offers a great reward for those who follow Him and listen to what he’s saying

5. He exhorts every church to have ears to hear what the Spirit is saying to the church

Return to Your First Love

During Paul’s time, Ephesus was a remarkable metropolis that stood as a pivotal center of commerce, culture, and religious significance. The city boasted a population of around 250,000 to 300,000 people, making it the largest city in the Roman province of Asia. Its strategic location at the mouth of the Cayster River made it the most important trade center west of Tarsus. The city featured an impressive main thoroughfare meters wide, running from the theater to the harbor, flanked by columns and lined with baths, gymnasiums, and impressive buildings.

The church at Ephesus was founded around 53-54 A.D. by the Apostle Paul during his third missionary journey. While Paul initially made a brief stop near the end of his second missionary journey, his substantive ministry in the city began during his third journey. He first encountered a group of Old Testament saints and baptized them, which marked the beginning of his three-year work of building the church

Acts 19:1–10 ESV

And it happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the inland country and came to Ephesus. There he found some disciples. And he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” And he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” They said, “Into John’s baptism.” And Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, Jesus.” On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking in tongues and prophesying. There were about twelve men in all. And he entered the synagogue and for three months spoke boldly, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God. But when some became stubborn and continued in unbelief, speaking evil of the Way before the congregation, he withdrew from them and took the disciples with him, reasoning daily in the hall of Tyrannus. This continued for two years, so that all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.

At the time of the Apostle Paul, the city of Ephesus was home to the Temple of the goddess Artemis. Today, very little remains of the Great Temple of Artemis. Once, it was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world and a major destination for pilgrims and tourists. At 450 feet in length and 225 feet in width, the roof was supported by more than 120 columns.

Acts 19:18–20 ESV

Also many of those who were now believers came, confessing and divulging their practices. And a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted the value of them and found it came to fifty thousand pieces of silver. So the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily.

Acts 19:23–27 ESV

About that time there arose no little disturbance concerning the Way. For a man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought no little business to the craftsmen. These he gathered together, with the workmen in similar trades, and said, “Men, you know that from this business we have our wealth. And you see and hear that not only in Ephesus but in almost all of Asia this Paul has persuaded and turned away a great many people, saying that gods made with hands are not gods. And there is danger not only that this trade of ours may come into disrepute but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis may be counted as nothing, and that she may even be deposed from her magnificence, she whom all Asia and the world worship.”

Acts 19:28–34 ESV

When they heard this they were enraged and were crying out, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” So the city was filled with the confusion, and they rushed together into the theater, dragging with them Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians who were Paul’s companions in travel. But when Paul wished to go in among the crowd, the disciples would not let him. And even some of the Asiarchs, who were friends of his, sent to him and were urging him not to venture into the theater. Now some cried out one thing, some another, for the assembly was in confusion, and most of them did not know why they had come together. Some of the crowd prompted Alexander, whom the Jews had put forward. And Alexander, motioning with his hand, wanted to make a defense to the crowd. But when they recognized that he was a Jew, for about two hours they all cried out with one voice, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”

According to the sources, there are slightly different estimates for the amphitheater’s capacity in Ephesus. One source indicates the amphitheater could hold 24,000 people, while another suggests it could seat twenty to twenty-five thousand people2. A third source even claims it could hold up to 50,000 spectators

Outward actions in service to God are insufficient if they are not motivated by a genuine love for Christ. We are encouraged to evaluate our spiritual fervor and return to the heart of our faith—loving Jesus and one another.

The heart of Christian faith lies in the love we have for Jesus, and a return to that love rejuvenates our service and witness in the world.

Acts 20:17–28 ESV

Now from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the church to come to him. And when they came to him, he said to them: “You yourselves know how I lived among you the whole time from the first day that I set foot in Asia, serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials that happened to me through the plots of the Jews; how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house, testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me. But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. And now, behold, I know that none of you among whom I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom will see my face again. Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all, for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God. Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.

Ephesians 4:14–15 ESV

so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ,

1 Timothy 1:3–7 ESV

As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith. The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. Certain persons, by swerving from these, have wandered away into vain discussion, desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions.

1 John 4:7 ESV

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.