The Church in Ephesus

Transcription

1 The Church in Ephesus Introduction: I. Description of Christ Revelation 2:1 (ESV) 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. a. There are two very slight deviations from the description in 2:1 from the description given in the vision of chapter 1. b. The word holds is a much stronger word than the word used in Revelation 1:16 Revelation 2:1 (ESV) "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. Revelation 1:16 (ESV) In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength. The emphasis is the firmness with which he holds the 7 stars in His hands. c. Secondly, here Christ is seen walking among the churches where in Rev. 1:13 Christ is simply present with the churches. Revelation 2:1 (ESV) "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 Revelation 1:13 (ESV) and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. i. The emphasis is on His active care and love for the churches, Leviticus 26:11 (ESV) I will make my dwelling among you, and my soul shall not abhor you. 1

2 Leviticus 26:12 (ESV) And I will walk among you and will be your God, and you shall be my people. Leviticus 26:13 (ESV) I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that you should not be their slaves. And I have broken the bars of your yoke and made you walk erect. This imagery of walking among the churches helps us to understand what is meant when it is said I will come to you. 2. Praise for the Church Revelation 2:5 (ESV) Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and The coming is not a reference to the second coming. Rather, it is a coming associated with Christ s oversight connected with His walking among the churches. a. Christ praises the church for their hard work. Revelation 2:2 (ESV) " 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. b. Christ praises the church for their perseverance. Revelation 2:2 (ESV) " 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. c. Christ praises the church for not putting up with false apostles. Revelation 2:2 (ESV) " 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. 2 Corinthians 11:13 (ESV) For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. 2

3 d. Christ praises the church for putting up with hardship for the advancement of Christ s cause. Revelation 2:3 (ESV) I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name s sake, and you have not grown weary. Note the word "bear" in both verse 2 and verse 3. e. Christ praises the church for not quitting. Revelation 2:3 (ESV) I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name's sake, and you have not grown weary. f. Observations: i. There is much to be said for steadfastness in doing the Lord s work. i It is easy to grow tired, weary and want to quit. It is praise worthy to be continually keeping on. 3. Rebuke of the Church Revelation 2:4 (ESV) But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. a. The Ephesians though working hard, and remaining faithful to their husband Christ, found themselves in a loveless marriage. Jeremiah 2:1 (ESV) The word of the LORD came to me, saying, Jeremiah 2:2 (ESV) 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. It is clear that the Ephesians loved truth more than they loved God or one another. This does not mean that they were not believers or that they had no love at all, for the commendations of verses 2 3 would be impossible in that case. Rather, their early love had grown cold and been replaced with a harsh zeal for orthodoxy. 3

4 Osborne, Grant R. Revelation. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, Print. Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament. b. We must be careful that our love for Christ is not exchanged for a dutiful commitment absent of real love for Christ. c. It is easy to fall into the rut of working hard and doing what is right without a real joy and appreciation. d. Illustrations of a marriage. 4. Remedy for the Church a. They are to reflect upon the spiritual highs ( from where you have fallen) in their initial relationship to Christ. i. Remember how much you were in love in the early days of your relationship to Christ. Illustration of a marriage. b. They are to repent. Bear in mind the loving relationships you once enjoyed and make a clean break with your present manner of life! Mounce, Robert H. The Book of Revelation. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., Print. The New International Commentary on the New Testament. c. They are to go back and do things as they did them previously. 4

5 The things [they] did at first were those that resulted from their initial response of love. Mounce, Robert H. The Book of Revelation. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., Print. The New International Commentary on the New Testament. i. It is not so much that they are to do entirely different things. For they are being praised for what they are doing. i However, they are to do these things with a renewed motivation of love for Christ. Paul thanked God for the Thessalonians because their labor was motivated by a love for Christ. 1 Thessalonians 1:1 (ESV) Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace. 1 Thessalonians 1:2 (ESV) We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, 1 Thessalonians 1:3 (ESV) remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. iv. It is possible when we think of a church as a whole, that at one time preached the gospel and had a true love for Christ, degrades to a point where they still have activities and programs that are a continuance of their tradition but no longer are motivated by saving faith. 5. Consequence of continued unrepentance a. Christ would cause the church at Ephesus to cease to exist if it did not repent. b. Remember, that the lampstand is the visible local church, 5

6 Revelation 1:20 (ESV) As for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lampstands, the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches. c. If they fail to repent Christ will bring the church to a close. d. What is very important to see in this verse is that the closure of the church is a result of the judgment of Christ. i. It is not that the closure is due to a result of Satanic powers that overcome the church. i iv. Nor, is the church s closure a natural result of people gradually losing interest and faithfulness over time. It is Christ who closes the church for He is not pleased with their lack of love for Him. Here we see how tremendously important the motivation is in doing a deed and not just the deed itself. 1 Corinthians 13:1 (ESV) If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 1 Corinthians 13:2 (ESV) And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 1 Corinthians 13:3 (ESV) If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. v. One can only wonder, how many churches close today because of a lack of fervent love for Christ. 6. Christ praises the church for hating what He hates. 6

7 Revelation 2:6 (ESV) Yet this you have: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. a. I include this praise here, and not with the earlier praise given to the church because the text places this verse after the command to repent of their lack of love. b. It is intended to make it absolutely clear that what they are to love is Christ. i. They are not called to be more loving in general. In loving Christ they are also to hate what He hates. 7. Promise for Conquerors Revelation 2:6 (ESV) Yet this you have: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. How does this square with the New Testament teaching of loving your enemies? (1) It is not the Nicolaitans themselves, that the Ephesians are to hate. (2) The Ephesians are to hate the teaching and practices of the Nicolaitans. Psalm 45:7 (ESV) you have loved righteousness and hated wickedness. Therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions; (3) We are not given specifics concerning the Nicolaitans teaching or practices. Revelation 2:7 (ESV) 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. a. In the garden of Eden the way to the tree of life was blocked due to the sin of Adam and Eve and fellowship with God was broken. 7

8 Genesis 2:9 (ESV) And out of the ground the LORD God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Genesis 3:22 (ESV) Then the LORD God said, Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever Genesis 3:23 (ESV) therefore the LORD God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. Genesis 3:24 (ESV) He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.. b. In the Paradise of God speaks of a never ending fellowship with God. There is no fear that our love for God will ever grow cold. The tree of life is given for life and healing. Revelation 22:1 (ESV) Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb Revelation 22:2 (ESV) through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations c. Thus in the Paradise of God our love for Christ will never grow cold. d. The exhortation is now given to individuals to heed what is being said to the church. Revelation 2:7 (ESV) 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.' We must be sure that our motivation in serving Christ is a real saving faith and not just a product of simply being a part of a church, and seeking to do our part to make the organization run smoothly. 8