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RUSSELL SANDERS
5-5-2022
THE SEVEN CHURCHES – LESSON 2
EPHESUS
All seven churches of Revelation 2 and 3 were in Asia Minor or what today is the western half of Turkey. During the time when the Apostle Paul founded the church, Ephesus was a thriving trade center with a port on the Aegean Sea. This was a northern portion of the Mediterranean Sea, lying across the sea from Greece. During the time of John’s writing, trade had declined be cause the port had become full of silt which restricted navigation. However, it still drew many pilgrims to the ornate Temple of Diana, the Roman goddess of fertility also known as Artemis to the Greeks. Silversmiths sold many idols of Diana. A temple of Diana still draws many tourists today while unsuspecting Christian tourists buy their demonic artifacts.
The church at Ephesus had been planted by Paul who later placed Aquila and Priscillas is its early pastors. Later, Paul returned and spent three years teaching and preaching at Ephesus. There was such a move of God in miraculous demonstration that people came from all over Asia Minor.
The letter in Revelation sent to Ephesus takes place about fifty years after Paul was there. God had a lot of good to say about them. Their works were good. They had patiently labored to share the gospel. They did not tolerate sin (evil). They had exposed those who had falsely claimed to be apostles. They hated the deeds of the Nicolaitans, as did the apostle John.
Oh, who were the Nicolaitans? There is no known sect by that name. The name comes from the Greek word “nikao” which means “to conquer” and “laos” which means “the people” or “the laity.” It has been suggested that it refers to the separation between “clergy” and “laity” where a religious clerical hierarchy rules over the “laity” or common members of the church. Others have said it was moral looseness. It is unclear to us but was clearly understood at John’s time. One thing we know is that God hated them.
The Holy Spirit only had one rebuke, and it was that they had left their first love. (Rev. 2:4-5.) Their works were good, but their hearts had grown cold in their relationship to God. They were backslidden.
God told them to repent and return their hearts and works to the early days when they were at the very center of the strong move of God throughout Asia Minor. If they did not repent, their church would not last.
They apparently did not repent and return to their first love and zeal for the gospel because the church did not survive long term. The temple of Diana remains, and the region is now given over to Islam.
How many believers today have lost that “first love” from their early experience with the Lord? Have we “cooled off” over time? A long and sustained “cool” period easily can lead to backsliding.
We must keep our “fire” of love for Jesus burning. Be hungry for a close relationship with him every day, day after day. Don’t let your light (candlestick) burn out.
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