Revelation 2:1-7
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MacArthur Bible Studies: Revelation Opening Thought
If Jesus were to commission one of His apostles to write a letter to your local church, what sort of things would He commend you for? Rebuke you for? Why?
“To the angel of the church in Ephesus write:
The One who holds the seven stars in His right hand, the One who walks among the seven golden lampstands, says this:
‘I know your deeds and your toil and perseverance, and that you cannot tolerate evil men, and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found them to be false;
and you have perseverance and have endured for My name’s sake, and have not grown weary.
‘But I have this against you, that you have left your first love.
‘Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place—unless you repent.
‘Yet this you do have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God.’
“To the angel of the church in Ephesus write:
The One who holds the seven stars in His right hand, the One who walks among the seven golden lampstands, says this:
Angel -
(1) heavenly guardians of the church, (2) human representatives of those churches, generally identified as their bishops or pastors, (3) personifications of the churches themselves, (4) literally human messengers who were perhaps the postmen, or (5) usage of the term in “some complex and elusive way or at differing levels” so that no lexical equivalent tells the whole story. Hemer sees problems with all these views and suggests that the problem is that of attempting to use the logical categories of the modern mind to handle the symbolism of the ancient world.
(1) heavenly guardians of the church,
(2) human representatives of those churches, generally identified as their bishops or pastors,
αγγλος - sometimes refers to a human messenger
(3) personifications of the churches themselves,
(4) literally human messengers who were perhaps the postmen, or
(5) usage of the term in “some complex and elusive way or at differing levels” so that no lexical equivalent tells the whole story.
Hemer sees problems with all these views and suggests that the problem is that of attempting to use the logical categories of the modern mind to handle the symbolism of the ancient world.
Ephesus - , this is also where John the apostle was said to spend the last of his days.
Ephesus - , this is also where John the apostle was said to spend the last of his days.
holds - present active participle - continuing action - nuance of not merely holding but also grasping or exercising power,
walks - present active participle - continuing action
stars - 1:20 states these are the angels of the 7 chruches
Thus, God has firm control over the angels.
walks - present active participle - continuing action
Lamps - are the 7 churches
‘I know your deeds and your toil and perseverance, and that you cannot tolerate evil men, and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found them to be false;
and you have perseverance and have endured for My name’s sake, and have not grown weary.
MacArthur Bible Studies: Revelation Understanding the Text
What commendations did Christ have for the church at Ephesus?
What commendations did Christ have for the church at Ephesus?
toil - Kopos, translated as “hard work,” refers to strenuous labor that induces weariness
John MacArthur, Revelation: The Christian’s Ultimate Victory, MacArthur Bible Studies (Nashville, TN: W Publishing Group, 2001), 20.toil - Kopos, translated as “hard work,” refers to strenuous labor that induces weariness
perseverance - hupomenō, which by way of derivation comes from hupo meaning “under” and menō meaning “remain” or “abide.”
tolerate - bastazō, meaning “bear” or “carry.” The church of Ephesus finds the burden excessive to bear or carry
The New American Commentary: Revelation 1. To Ephesus (2:1–7)
that the church at Ephesus was a diligent, hardworking church characterized by great patience in the apostolic endeavor, a love for moral purity, and an unquestioned orthodoxy
4 ‘But I have this against you, that you have left your first love.
5 ‘Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place—unless you repent.
6 ‘Yet this you do have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
4 John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace, from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne,
5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood—
6 and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father—to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.
What did God have against those people who were commended so much in verses 2-3?
The New American Commentary: Revelation 1. To Ephesus (2:1–7)
How, someone may ask, could a church as perfect as that of Ephesus possibly fail to love Christ or God appropriately?
one can do all the right things and yet do them for an inadequate or ignoble reason
The New American Commentary: Revelation 1. To Ephesus (2:1–7)
“first love” has biblical precedent since the highest commandment
5 “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.
The New American Commentary: Revelation 1. To Ephesus (2:1–7)
A significant threat hangs over the church at Ephesus like the proverbial sword of Damocles. If they refuse to repent, then the Lord himself will come and remove the lampstand from its place
7 ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God.’
MacArthur Bible Studies: Revelation Reflecting on the Text
What counsel would you give to a Christian friend who confessed that he or she was still living a moral life but that his/her affection for and devotion to Christ had waned?
Paige Patterson, Revelation, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, vol. 39, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: B&H, 2012), 85.