Letters to the Church: Ephesus (The Church part 2)

Faithful Witnessing is actually the big idea in revelation 


Revelation 1:4-6  


Revelation 2:1-7 


It is interesting that much of our New Testament was written to
the church in Ephesus: Ephesians, 1 and 2 Timothy, 1-3 John, and
Revelation. Also, the Gospel of John was likely written by John
when he was in Ephesus. We know that Paul and Timothy also
ministered in this church.   


Ephesus was the home to many major temples. 


The patron God of Ephesus was Artemis who was the goddess of food
and fertility/childbirth   


Ephesus was also the hub of the imperial cult in Asia minor with
a temple to the Caesars and worship of the empire. Ephesus was a
center of patriotism.   


Ephesus was also the center of commerce of the entire world.
  


Jesus is described in 2 ways… Power and Presence 


·      Jesus is described as the one who
holds the 7 stars. “Holding” was a symbol of power in the Roman
world. 


·      Jesus is depicted as the one that
walks among the lampstands. It says he knows what they do… He is
present!   


o   The churches are described as lampstands here. This
is temple imagery. In the Temple the lampstand was a menorah with
7 candles, representing these 7 churches.  


o   the role of the lampstand in the temple was to
shine light on the table of showbread. Jesus is the bread of
life!  


o    Our purpose as the church is to shine our
light on Jesus, who is our life!  


 Praise for Ephesus  


Jesus knows their hard work Ephesus had discernment and good
doctrine 


They endured hardships for Jesus’ name 


They hated the practices of the Nicolatians   


Forsaken Love 


In verse 4 Jesus has something against them… They had forsaken
the love they had at first.  


• There are 2 ways this can be translated- “Left your first love”
(Jesus) or “left the love you had at first” (love for others) •
The second view, but it connects to the first view too (1 John
4).  


• Ephesus obviously loved Jesus they obeyed his commands to be in
the truth and worked hard for his name but were likely hardened
in their love for each other because they had spent so much
energy on standing up to the culture and for pure doctrine. These
are good things, but Ephesus neglected the greatest thing.
   


Remember, Repent, Do 


The book of Ephesians if the earliest letter we have written to
this church in the Bible and it’s interesting that it’s Paul’s
only letter to a church that isn’t in crisis. The only command in
the first 4 chapters of the book of Ephesians is to “remember”
(Eph 2:11) . The letter to Ephesians is all about what Christ has
done in love for the church and how that should motivate them in
love for each other.   


“Conquering” 


Jesus redefines Roman conquering in Revelation 5 as he conquers
as a slaughtered lamb. Winning in God’s kingdom often looks like
losing in the eyes of the world.   


Conclusions: 


·      This is a church that was
reactive and defensive towards the outside, rather than living
the love of Jesus inside the church 


·      Without love for the body, we
won’t be counted as a faithful witness. Jesus tell his disciples
that the world would know they are disciples by their love for
EACH OTHER, not by pure doctrine or good works done in his name.