030506 To the Church in Ephesus

To the Church in Ephesus

“First Love”

March 5, 2006

2 “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: ‘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, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. 3 I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name’s sake, and you have not grown weary. 4 But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. 5 Remember therefore from where 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 you have: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.’

Recall the mystery of the seven stars and the seven golden lampstands. As you recall, the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches. These angels (messengers) are very likely the pastors of the churches. Pastors have oversight of the church. Oversight, that is, with respect to God’s Word. The pastor is held responsible for what is being preached and taught to God’s people. He is like a watchman watching over the souls of the Saints. If the Lord likes what is happening in the church, the messenger is commended. If the Lord doesn’t like what is happening in the church, the messenger is rebuked. So, you see, the pastor should always have the better interests of the church at heart.

The seven golden lampstands are the churches, that is, the people gathered together to hear God’s Word. They also have responsibility. They are called to listen to the messenger and hear the message, not of the messenger, but the words of the one who walks among them through that word.

There is an important clue regarding the nature of the messages given to the churches in the way the Lord introduces Himself. That He possesses the seven stars means that these messengers belong to Him. He has laid claim to them as His own angels. That He walks among the churches means that He is present in the midst of His people. What a terrible thing it would be if He denounced the messenger by taking away his star. What a travesty if the Lord should leave the presence of His people. Both are possible. The importance of what happens to the star or the lampstand is vital for a proper understanding of God’s Word.

The works done by the church in Ephesus are honorable in this case. 2 “ ‘I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. 3 I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name’s sake, and you have not grown weary. They patiently endure their situation. They have worked to test anyone who claims that He has been sent by God. It is so troubling that such people invade and disrupt God’s people with their false claims. Whatever message these so-called apostles bring is not from God. It is obvious however, that this church and its messenger have the truth. That’s how they are able to recognize what is false. Their doctrinal clarity is a very good thing.

What is not good is what the people of this church have forsaken and lost, the love they had at first. Jeremiah, one of the Old Testament prophets, helps us understand. The Lord says to him:

2 “Go and proclaim in the hearing of Jerusalem, Thus says the Lord, “I remember the devotion of your youth, your love as a bride, how you followed me in the wilderness, in a land not sown.

Apparently, the Ephesians have the same problem as ancient Israel. The Lord remembers the loving devotion of their youth. The Lord was like a loving husband to them. They followed Him even through trying and difficult times. But something happened. That was no longer the case. Perhaps these folks got a little arrogant and felt secure in their doctrinal prowess. Maybe they had turned their love for the Lord into self-love. Whatever it was, they had abandoned their love for the Lord. And that was a problem that had to be addressed, now!

Now was the time for them to realize that God’s love also extends to others. They couldn’t isolate themselves from the culture and needs of the society they lived in and at the same time claim their love for God. That would be like faith without works—dead! If that were the case, they could be of no use to the Lord. Repentance, a change of mind was necessary. They needed to resolve personal issues and hear the clear word and warning God’s messenger brings. If they do not, the lampstand at that place will be removed. God will no longer consider them His people. The lampstand, the identifiable mark of the Church, will be gone. We might expect the message to end there. But the Lord always seeks to give hope, and always sees the good.

And as if out of nowhere, with no other connection, we run smack dab into the works of the Nicolaitans. We should note that it is the works, not Nicolaitans personally, that God hates. Who they were and what they did is not known for sure. Irenaeus, one of the church fathers who was alive at the time of the apostles seems to identify them with followers of one of the six deacons chosen to wait tables so the apostles could devote their time to preaching and teaching in Acts 6.

Others think they might have been a heretical sect known as Gnostics. Gnostics were called flesh abusers. Like all Gnostics they so separated the human soul from the flesh in their teaching that to them it didn’t matter what they did in the flesh. They could engage in every kind of sexual perversion and evil without guilt because the soul—the spirit, is all that mattered. The soul was enlightened by some inner feeling of spirituality that was secret. Anyone having the secret was saved. That secret was the secret knowledge of God that taught a subordination of Christ below God. It seems strange that they were otherwise an ascetic group of people who had certain rituals that were mandatory. But that the Ephesians also hated the works of the Nicolaitans is only reasonable given their ability to discern doctrinal matters.

Then, almost ironically, they are entreated to hear what the Spirit says. One can’t help but wonder if they were living so close to the letter of God’s Word that they had lost the very thing that gives life—the Spirit.

What we need to be asking ourselves at this point is how we—individually and corporately as a church, are like the church at Ephesus. What a shame it would be if we too lost the love we had at first—the love for God and people. We cannot simply rest on our laurels and think that our work is done. As long as there is an earth, God’s work remains. But without love, the works we do are worthless.

The first love Christians have moves them to desire to help others know the love of God in Christ Jesus. It also looks to the simple needs people have. Ignoring those needs ignores the Lord Jesus, who also suffered and was in need. And why was He in such need? It was for people, sinners all. It was so that they all might come to a knowledge of the truth and be saved. If it wasn’t for love, this letter to the churches would not have happened. So we rejoice in His love that keeps coming to us with words of help and restoration for Christ’s own sake. Amen.