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THE NORTHERN KENTUCKY SEARCHER VOLUME 1, NUMBER 17, MAY 27, 2001 THE CHURCH AT EPHESUS Revelation 2 & 3 contain letters to seven churches that existed in Asia Minor near the close of the first century. The things that characterized these churches, both good and bad, have continued to characterize congregations of the Lord's people up to and including the present. Indeed, an examination of these letters proves once again the accuracy of Solomon's statement in Ecclesiastes 1:9, "That which has been is that which will be, and that which has been done is that which will be done. So, there is nothing new under the sun." The first letter is to the church at Ephesus and says, "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 endure 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 endured for My name's sake, and have not grown weary. But I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore 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." Ephesus was a city of the Roman province of Asia. It was located near the mouth of the Cayster River, 3 miles from the western coast of Asia Minor. It possessed an outstanding harbor that was capable of accommodating the largest ships of the time. Additionally, Ephesus was connected by highways with all of the major cities of Asia Minor making it the most accessible city of the province. It was a tremendously important city from a commercial standpoint and the temple of Diana made it an important religious center as well. Another interesting fact about Ephesus is that it was a refuge for criminals. If a person was within a bowshot of the temple of Diana, he could not be arrested for any crime. On his second missionary journey, the Apostle Paul visited this city on his way from Corinth to Jerusalem, (Acts 18:19 - 21). Paul left Priscilla and Aquila here according to verse 19 of Acts 18. It was in this city that Apollos was taught "the way of God more accurately", by Priscilla and Aquila, (Acts 18:26). On his third missionary journey, Paul went back to Ephesus. The events of this time are recorded in Acts 19. It was during this stay, which Acts 20:31 tells us lasted for 3 years, that trouble occurred. Demetrius, a silversmith who made shrines for Diana, aroused public sentiment against Paul. The decline in sales of shrines for Diana was the reason for his actions. Also, in Acts 20:17 - 38, Paul bade farewell to the Ephesian elders while in the city of Miletus on his way back to Jerusalem from his third preaching tour. Surely the church in Ephesus had quite a history. We know that Timothy had been left there by Paul according to 1 Tim. 1:3, and tradition holds that John the Apostle labored there for many years. At the time of the writing of the book of Revelation, this congregation had been in existence for at least 30 years, probably more. Immediately in the letter the Lord had things to commend the congregation in Ephesus for. When Jesus said, "I know", it comes from the word "oida", and it means "to know perfectly". Nothing is ever hidden from the Lord. The church is praised for its deeds, toil, and perseverance. It would not have been easy being a Christian in a city such as Ephesus. The act of spreading the gospel and performing the other duties and privileges of being a Christian resulted in much hardship and even outright persecution. Yet, the Ephesian brethren had persisted in their labors and patiently endured their trials. They would not tolerate immorality in their midst. They would not let those who practiced evil corrupt the congregation. Evidently the city attracted many false teachers, which stands to reason because of its easy accessibility and strategic location. There were even those who claimed to be apostles. In 1 John 4:1, we find, "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world." The congregation in Ephesus did just that. As far as "putting to the test those who call themselves apostles", is concerned, in 2 Corinthians 12:12, Paul wrote of the "signs of a true apostle", which were "signs and wonders and miracles". These imposters were not able to live up to their claims. The Ephesian brethren had remained steadfast in their labor for the Lord despite the opposition. They had endured and had not given up. However, there was a complaint that the Lord had against the church and it was a very serious one. Verse 4 of Revelation 2 tells us, "But I have this against you, that you have left your first love." William Hendriksen, in his book, More Than Conquerors, had this to say about verse 4, "To be sure, there were works, toil, and endurance in Ephesus; but all these may be present even though there be a decay in love. A wife, for example, may be very faithful to her husband and may give evidence of bustling assiduity in all matters pertaining to him - and yet, there may be a decay in love. Her sense of duty may cause her to remain faithful in all the details of attention which she bestows upon him. Similarly, a church member may be very regular in his attendance at the services but, in spite of that, may not be as devoted to the Lord as he formerly was." This congregation had all of the actions, but it was lacking in the motivation. That early devotion, that fiery zeal for that Lord that was there in the beginning (remember that this church had now been in existence for at least 30 years) was fading. The work was still being done, but it was being done out of a sense of duty rather than a sense of love. In verse 5, Jesus said, "Remember therefore 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." It is good for all of us to pause and remember what we were like when we first became Christians. Do you remember the feeling? Do you remember being on fire for the Lord, so to speak, with such zeal that you felt compelled to speak to others about the truth you had found? Well, upon remembering the Lord told them to repent and get back to where they had been - motivated by a fiery, zealous love for their Savior. A failure to repent and regain what they had lost would result in their failure to exist anymore as a congregation of the Lord's people in His eyes. A primary purpose of a church, described in verse 20 of chapter 1 as a "lampstand", is to spread the light of the gospel. I think of Paul's commendation of the church in Thessalonica in 1 Thess. 1:7 & 8. He wrote, "So that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith toward God has gone forth, so that we have no need to say anything." It is certainly true that once a congregation begins to lose its "first love", what seems to go first is its evangelistic zeal. Oh, it will continue to meet, have two gospel meetings a year, publish a bulletin, and maybe even support an additional preacher or two; but its members will not be out talking to non-Christians. Personal bible classes arranged by its members all but fade away and very little private teaching or inviting is done. The idea of the "lampstand" being removed calls to mind the Lord's words found in Matthew 5:13 - 16. Jesus said, "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how will it be made salty again? It is good for nothing anymore, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do men light a lamp, and put it under the peck-measure, but on the lampstand; and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven." Let's all look closely at ourselves and make certain that the fire is burning inside of us as strongly as it was the day we rose out of the waters of baptism. Let's make sure that we have not lost "our first love". Greg Litmer
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