Revelation 2:1-7: Letter to the Church at Ephesus

In chapters two and three of the book of Revelation, we find messages to seven churches in Asia Minor, which is modern-day Turkey.

The author of the letters to the churches is Jesus, and He dictated these letters to John. Each of the messages to the churches contains commendations and rebukes that cite the congregation’s strengths or weaknesses. There are messages for us today in the letters: what God expects of His people in the church age—that is, from us.

The seven letters have been interpreted in three ways by Bible commentators:

• First, the letters were written to real churches at that time and deal with real victories and real problem areas. Two of the churches receive only commendations (Smyrna and Philadelphia). Four receive commendations for some and reprimands for other characteristics (Ephesus, Pergamun, Thyatira, and Sardis). One receives only a reprimand (Laodicia).
• Second, there is a theory by theologians that the contents of the letters are applicable to all Christian congregations everywhere in every era and that the letters together express God’s will for His church.
• And third, Bible interpreters see a prophetic el­­­ement in the letters, explaining that as the church age unfolded, characteristics of the churches in each successive historical period mirror those in the seven letters.

Regardless of your interpretive view, the letters to the churches should be a guide not only in the ways we individually live out our faith in our culture, but also as the purposes and goals of our own church.

The Church at Ephesus

Revelation 2:1-7:

“¹ 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.”

The account of the beginning of the Ephesian congregation is found in Acts 18 and 19. Acts 18 describes Paul’s second missionary journey, circa 52 A.D., and Acts 19 describes Paul’s third missionary journey, circa 54-55 A.D.

Ephesus was a port city, a shipping center, and three land trade routes passed through the city, facilitating trade. The community was wealthy from trade and economic activity. Ephesus was a Roman “free city,” which entitled it to self-rule, with the people having individual rights and freedoms that they highly valued. The city was the judicial center for the region, and it hosted famous annual athletic games.

Many pagan religions were practiced there. The temple of Diana was there. It was of the seven wonders of the world: 425 feet long, 225 feet wide, and 60 feet high. The temple featured a grand solid cypress stairway.

The manufacture and sale of idols for the various religions was a big business in Ephesus. For that reason, craftspeople and merchants opposed the Christian church, which shunned idols.

Paul established the church at Ephesus and spent at least three years ministering there (Acts 20:31). Later, Timothy was the pastor in Ephesus (1 Timothy 1:3). John was another Christian in Ephesis, and he wrote 1, 2, and 3 John while ministering there. Years later, John was exiled to the island of Patmos, about 70 miles from Ephesus, where he wrote the book of Revelation.

The Christians at Ephesus demonstrated love for truth and righteousness and opposition to false religion and doctrine. The church at Ephesus was doctrinally sound and opposed evil, false doctrines, and false teachers (vv. 2, 6). Jesus commended the church in the letter for its good works, patience, labor, rejection of evil people and false apostles (tested them and proved their error, v. 2), perseverance, and the fact that they hated the deeds of the Nicolaitans (6).

The Nicolaitans were a sect that promoted false Christian doctrine. Irenaeus, a second-century church leader, describes the Nicolaitans as believing that since we are saved by grace and free from the law, nothing say or do is evil. In his doctrinal work, Against Heresies, Irenaeus writes that the Nicolaitans “…lead lives of unrestrained indulgence…” because of Christian liberty. Clement of Alexandria, another second-century church leader, wrote about the Nicolaitans: “They abandoned themselves to pleasure like goats, leading a life of self-indulgence.” The practices of the Nicolaitans were similar to the practices of those accused of following the doctrine of Balaam (a charge against the church at Pergamum, v. 14; the church at Pergamum also is accused of tolerating the doctrine of the Nicolaitans in their midst, a fact which Christ calls “…a thing I hate…” in v. 15).

Jesus gives one reprimand to the Ephesians: “You have left your first love…” (v.4); “…repent and do the first works…” (v. 5). What is that “..first love…”? That has been a matter of some debate, but we can get insight from what we know about the Ephesians. They were absolutely doctrinally on target. Next to the Jerusalem church, they were the most knowledgeable about correct doctrine. For three years, Paul taught there. He left Timothy in Ephesus to lead the church, and John spent many years there preaching and teaching. They knew their stuff and knew false doctrine when they heard it.

The Ephesians were known for doctrinal purity from the beginning of the church there.

Ignatius, a very early church leader and bishop of the church in Antioch in Greece, wrote in a letter to the Ephesian church, in which he stated “…you live according to truth, and no heresy has a home among you; no, you do not so much as even listen to anyone if he speaks anything else but truth concerning Jesus Christ.” Ignatius wrote that sometime around 105-110 A.D.

While we find a lot of evidence of doctrinal purity, we find nothing in the epistles or any other literature about the Ephesian church being enthusiastic about their faith, a love for Jesus that just overflows. It’s the love Jesus describes when He was asked what is the greatest commandment: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength . . . you shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:39-31).

The Ephesians were right on when it came to doctrinal truth, but they seem to have lost touch with the zealous and unfettered love for their Savior and Lord; the bubbling-over kind of love for God we all knew as young Christians. Other theories about the “first love” include losing their zeal for evangelism, heart-felt worship, fellowship, and helps.

So what is the solution? Jesus supplies it: “Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works” (5). In other words, think back to the time when Jesus saved you and bring back that enthusiastic love you once felt. Experience—not just individually, but also as a church—the love for your Savior you felt in the beginning. Or maybe we could put it this way: Loosen up a little!

The word “works” may steer us more toward doing ministry, such as evangelism, helps, and aiding widows and orphans. We just don’t know for sure.

Jesus wants us to study His word, discuss with each other Who He is, what He is like, what He reveals to us about His will. He wants us to be able to recognize false teaching and to confront it, and He also wants us to feel the love for Him that He feels for us: complete commitment; enthusiastic love that puts no one else first, a love that enjoys His presence just because of Who He is; and a love that we can know is with all our heart, all our soul, all our mind, and all our strength.

(Next: Revelation 2:12-17: Letter to the Church in Pergamum)