Untitled Sermon (3)
First Love
To the angel of the church in Ephesus write:
These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands. 2 I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. 3 You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.
4 Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. 5 Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. 6 But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
7 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.
918 ἀφίημι (aphiēmi): vb.; ≡ Str 863; TDNT 1.509—1. LN 15.43 dismiss, have go away (Mt 13:36); 2. LN 15.48 depart from, leave (Mt 18:12; Jn 4:3; 1Ti 6:5 v.r.); 3. LN 85.45 leave behind, abandon (Mt 4:20); 4. LN 85.62 leave in a place, let remain (Mt 24:2); 5. LN 34.78 divorce (1Co 7:11, 13); 6. LN 40.8 forgive, pardon (Mt 6:12; Lk 23:34 v.r.); 7. LN 57.223 cancel a debt (Mt 18:27, 32); 8. LN 31.63 reject, refuse to listen to (Mk 7:8); 9. LN 68.43 stop, an activity implying complete cessation, forsake (Rev 2:4); 10. LN 13.37 stop, for a state to cease (Lk 4:39); 11. LN 13.140 allow, let, permit (Mt 7:4); 12. LN 90.50 produce, make, give (Mk 15:37); 13. LN 23.109 die, formally, send away the spirit (Mt 27:50+); 14. LN 33.137 that is not the issue (Mt 8:22; Lk 9:60+), see 2507 last
