The Busy Church: Ephesus

The Speaker

The one who holds all seven stars in His hand

The one who walks among all seven candelsticks

This is the same Lord Jesus Christ from the vision in chater one

Here is the meaning of the vision: A living, holy, majestic, omniscient, authoritative, powerful Christ stands in the midst of the churches, holds their destiny in his hand and says: “Stop fearing. I was dead. I am alive forever. More man that, I hold in my hand the keys to death and the grave. You should not fear to go to any place to which I hold the key. You may be persecuted to death but I am still your king.”

The Ephesian Church

Ephesus was an ancient city with a key spot in Asia Minor. By the time of the Romans, it had been a key city for over 600 years. In 560 BC its ruler Croesus had moved the city and then built the famous temple for Artemis. In 356, the great temple was destroyed by fire and subsequently rebuilt. It is considered one of the seven wonders of the ancient world and was 4 times bigger than the Parthenon in Athens.

SLIDES

In 133 BC, Ephesus became ruled directly by Rome.

From we know Christianity was introduced to the Asian peninsula early. Paul and Barnabas, during the first missionary journey about A.D. 45–48, established Christianity in Cilicia, Pamphylia, and Phrygia. The newly established religion moved inevitably westward to the coast and to the flourishing city of Ephesus, a city of multiple religions, gods, and goddesses.

At the close of his second missionary journey about A.D. 49–52, Paul left Achaia (Greece) taking Aquila and Priscilla with him. They stopped at Ephesus and surveyed the situation in that city where religions flourished. The Ephesians urged Paul to stay there, but he declined. Leaving Aquila and Priscilla and perhaps Timothy there to carry on the Christian witness (), Paul sailed to Antioch. He returned to Ephesus during a third missionary journey and experienced the triumph over the challenge of Jewish religious leaders as well as that of the Greco-Roman religions represented in the worship of the Greek goddess Artemis (Roman name—Diana; ).

His ministry in Ephesus lasted three years (). From there he journeyed to Jerusalem where he was arrested by the Jews and turned over to the Romans. He was imprisoned in Caesarea for two years (). He was sent to Rome where he was imprisoned for another two years ().

Started about -----

Ray Summers, “Ephesians, Letter to The,” ed. Chad Brand et al., Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2003), 491–492.

Pastored for 3 years by the apostle Paul

Timothy was also a pastor there.

Tradition says that the Apostle John was the pastor there prior to his exile on the isle of Patmos

John had been the chief leader of the Christian forces around Ephesus for a quarter of a century. The history of the founding and early operation of this church is recorded in . The church had been in operation about forty or forty-five years when this message was sent.

Known for its sophistication and its magnificent temple to Artemis aka Diana

Christ’s Compliments to the Church

One of the fascinating aspects of this section of Scripture is the clear play on words between these three compliments. The language used is almost identical - they are patient in working and in their spirit, but are NOT patient with falsehood.

They work diligently at their labor - and also are diligent to test the accuracy of those who name themselves apostles - sent ones from God.

They labored

Works

Labor

- speaks of very hard work to the point of exhaustion

Patience in working

Has the concept of bearing up under a burden.

reminiscent of a farmer awaiting his crops

Patience” reveals the attitude of persistence in the toil that produces work. It is not, in the New Testament, the passive word of current usage; there is no folding of the hands in waiting in this word; it literally means “to remain under.” It means staying when the burden is heavy; it means holding one’s own in the face of every difficulty.

Galatians 6:9 KJV 1900

And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

… we think God should always move immediately in great strength. Unless there are large numbers of converts and displays of power, we grow discouraged, like Elijah. But God more often speaks in a still, small voice and works in a quiet way. “And therefore will the LORD wait, that he may be gracious unto you, . . . And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left” (, ). " ICR devotional

They purified

They tested the claims of those who said they were apostles and found them false

The New American Commentary: Revelation 1. To Ephesus (2:1–7)

The church had demonstrated its unwillingness to tolerate such heresy. This lack of tolerance did not manifest itself only in terms of an attitude. Understanding the necessity for doctrinal purity, the Ephesian church tried or tested these teachers. “Tested” is a translation of the aorist active indicative of peirazō, suggesting a thorough examination.

They endured

They had patience in the midst of trials

The New American Commentary: Revelation 1. To Ephesus (2:1–7)

Painting a picture of church life in Ephesus on the basis of v. 2, one can possibly affirm that the church at Ephesus was a diligent, hardworking church characterized by great patience in the apostolic endeavor, a love for moral purity, and an unquestioned orthodoxy, which made the congregation quite different from her sister churches in Pergamum or Thyatira.

Christ’s Correction of the Church

They abandoned

They replaced

The New American Commentary: Revelation 1. To Ephesus (2:1–7)

What is in view in the church of Ephesus is a question of motivation and priority. Certainly, one can do all the right things and yet do them for an inadequate or ignoble reason. One can even do the right things for some of the right reasons but fail in the service of the Lord in terms of the noblest reasoning. Perhaps Ephesus had succeeded well in many areas, but the maintenance of that success had become more important than the motivation for service—namely, the love for Christ

Christ’s Prescription for Change

Remember

The New American Commentary: Revelation 1. To Ephesus (2:1–7)

The Ephesian Christians are asked to remember the lofty perch of the early development of the church when most and perhaps all of them had experienced the new birth, the release of the burden of the guilt of sin, and the elation of knowing that one is right with God. Those immediate postconversion days are, for the vast majority of new converts, days of service to the King motivated by gratitude and pure hearts of love.

The New American Commentary: Revelation 1. To Ephesus (2:1–7)

The Ephesians are to remember those days; and, having assessed the difference between their present habitual pursuits versus the love-motivated pursuits of the early years, they are to repent.

Repent

Confess to the Lord that you have been improperly motivated and seek His forgiveness

Re-Do

Pursue all of the above tasks, but with the proper motivation of love for Christ

2 Corinthians 5:14 KJV 1900

For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:

Christ’s Warning of Removal

The New American Commentary: Revelation 1. To Ephesus (2:1–7)

A significant threat hangs over the church at Ephesus like the proverbial sword of Damocles. If they refuse to repent, then the Lord himself will come and remove the lampstand from its place. How the auditors at the church of Ephesus responded when they heard this particular threat is difficult to imagine. In the midst of what seemed to be such a successful evangelistic and missionary foray into the most prestigious city of that part of Asia Minor, the congregation has been threatened with removal because of improper motivation. For the church in any era, this should give significant pause. Neither history nor appropriate activity is sufficient to demand the continued blessings of God; rather, the only motivation must be love for Christ

Our Prayer to Christ

356

To be vigilant in our work

To be pure in our doctrine

To be patient in our demeanor

To be loving in our heart

Remember your early joy and zest in your love for Christ and his work. Remember the driving force of that love. Repent of the condition of service without love which you have allowed to creep into your life. It is a deadly enemy to effective work in the Lord’s kingdom. Return to that original state of service out of a heart of love.