THE ORTHODOX CHURCH OF EPHESUS

This past week, as I was feeding the baby in the wee hours of the morning, I told him that I loved him. That is something I frequently do for all the boys who have been entrusted to us to raise. I firmly believe that they need to have the assurance of such things. But after I stated that I got to wondering what this little baby thinks love is. My guess is that he thinks love is feeding him. And boy, oh boy, he has wanted a lot of love lately!

In the New Testament love is referred to a lot; 215 times in the NASB. It is referred to as a command — , .

Matthew 22:37 NASB95PARA

And He said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’

John 13:34 NASB95PARA

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.

Christ death is mentioned as a demonstration of love.

Romans 5:8 NASB95PARA

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 5:8 NASB95PARA

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

John 3:16 CSB

For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

It is referred to as a driving force.

2 Corinthians 5:14 CSB

For the love of Christ compels us, since we have reached this conclusion: If one died for all, then all died.

2 Corinthians 5:15 NASB95PARA

and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf.

It is described as being the highest of Christian virtues. , .

1 Corinthians 13:4–7 NASB95PARA

Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

1 Corinthians 13:3–5 NASB95PARA

And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing. Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered,

1 Corinthians 13:13 NASB95PARA

But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Though God’s love for the objects of His affection is constant and unchanging, human love is fickle. Like the moon, it waxes and wanes. And apparently the orthodox church in Ephesus had lost its first love, and so Christ instructed John to write to them and warn them of the grave danger that this loss of love brought.

The church in Ephesus had a solid beginning. It was founded by Priscilla and Aquila who were ministry partners with Paul. Shortly after they began this work Apollos came along, preaching the baptism of John. Priscilla and Aquila took him aside and instructed him about Jesus, and he was converted and became a powerful preacher and evangelist. Eventually Paul came to this city and he spent more time there than in any other place, with the possible exception of prison. Timothy succeeded Paul in this ministry, and Onesiphorus and Tychicus also ministered there as well. The testimony of the early church was the the apostle John spent the last decades of his life at Ephesus. It is likely that his three epistles, and perhaps the Gospel of John were written while ministering in this city. It was likely that he was sent into exile on Patmos while residing in Ephesus.

As we go through this letter I want you to keep in mind that solid doctrine and practice, as essential as they are, do not replace the activity of love. We will look at the importance of reigniting a lost love, and reward for those who overcome.

Let’s read this letter together.

SALUTATION

The Addressed

Angel — messenger — representative — pastor?

Secondarily, the church in Ephesus

The Addresser

Look at Rev. 2:1-2.

The One:

Holds the seven stars — Authority

The seven stars refers to the leadership of the seven churches being addressed

Christ has authority in the church — He is the head of the church; and the church leadership derives its authority from Him — omnipotent

Walks among the seven golden lampstands — Presence

The seven lampstands are the seven churches

Christ is ever present in His congregation — omnipresent

“I Know” — Omniscient

Toil

Perseverance

Intolerance of evil people

Testing of false apostles

Endurance through persecution

Hatred of Nicolaitans

Knowledge of negative things

They have left their first love

The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Volume 12: Hebrews through Revelation 1. To Ephesus (2:1–7)

“First” (prōtos) love would suggest that they still loved, but with a quality and intensity unlike that of their initial love.

THE COMMENDATIONS

Deeds

Toil

Perseverance

REIGNITING LOST LOVE

Intolerance of evil people

Testing of false apostles

Endurance through persecution

Hatred of Nicolaitans

THE CONCERN

Revelation 2:4 CSB

But I have this against you: You have abandoned the love you had at first.

You have lost your first love

THE CORRECTIVE ACTION

REMEMBER

REPENT

RETURN

THE CONSEQUENCE

REMOVAL OF LAMPSTAND

The church is called to be the light of the world, and the local church is the light of Christ within its community. Christ warned that if the Ephesian Church failed to return to the first love then He would remove their lampstand.

The Church Might Become Ineffective

The Church Might Cease to Exist

REWARD FOR OVER-COMERS

Over-comers are those who have ears to hear

Granted permission to eat of the tree of life

Illusion to ;

Genesis 2:9 NASB95PARA

Out of the ground the Lord God caused to grow every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Revelation 22:1–2 NASB95PARA

Then he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb, in the middle of its street. On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.