Ephesus served as a key city for pagan worship, trading, military power, and learning for the Roman

Empire. Therefore it was also the epicenter of the Christian movement in Asia Minor.

To the Angel at the Church in Ephesus...

In the opening letter to the church at Ephesus we find Christ pictured as walking among the seven lamp stands, which represent the seven churches of Asia Minor (1:20-2:1). By walking amongst the lamp stands it tells us that He is the head of the church and is its Savior (John 10:28). Many suppose that there is an allusion to Genesis 3:8, where the Lord is walking in the Garden of Eden with the man and woman he had created. Furthermore Jesus walking among the lamp stands recalls an Old Testament promise: "I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people" (Leviticus 26:12). This promise to ancient Israel is now made to the church; the new Israel (Galatians 6:16). From the creation to the consummation of all things in Revelation the key focus is that the Lord seeks a personal relationship with his people, and desires to interact with them and be their guide. Each of the seven letters are introduced with Christs assertion, "I know..." (2:2, 9, 13, 19; 3:1, 8, 15). The church, all those two thousand years ago and today need to be aware that Christ has a perfect understanding of our sin, distresses, and persecution of His church. He also knows what they have achieved and where they have failed in their faithfulness to him.

Patmos

The church at Ephesus had endured much for their faith. They had suffered and had not grown spiritually tired. False teachers had attempted to infiltrate the Ephesian church. They are Nicolaitans mentioned in 2:2, 6. Their practices or teachings are specifically identified because the focus is the faithfulness of the church. This tells us that the Ephesian church was diligent to eliminate false teaching before and after Johns day. Assuming the date for Revelation as 90 A.D. we find Ignatius writing in 110 A.D. praising the church in Ephesus for rejecting those who promulgated heretical doctrines .

Where we are in chapters 2 and 3 as we look at the greater context of the Letter of Revelation Ironically though, the Ephesian church and its leadership may have gone too far in rooting out heresy. Jesus asserts that the spiritual problem in the church described as a forsaking of "rst love" (2:4). This is generally taken to mean the church members love for one another, and others. If this interpretation is correct then it is possible that hatred of heresy had created suspicion and intolerance of each others differences and weaknesses. This could have lead to an undue preoccupation with always being "correct," resulting in the proverbial "straining at a gnat and swallowing a camel." This is an important lesson to the church at large. Doctrinal purity is important to the Christian faith but we must be cautious because it can unintentionally lead to a critical spirit. We can defend the faith in power only if we rst remember to defend love for one another (John 13:34). Since God is love then Christians will reect that love as they are being kept by God the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

animated faith
following Jesus like never before! October 2012
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