Wednesday, September 19, 2018

The Preoccupied Church-Revelation 2:1-7


As we enter chapter 2 of Revelation we begin a new major section of the book.  Concerning “the things which were and the things which are and the things which will happen after these things” (see 1:19), in chapter 2 John begins recording Jesus’ message that speaks into this second category (the things which are). This includes seven individual letters/messages to seven historical churches that existed in Asia Minor at the end of the first century. We are going to devote a week to each of these churches and observe a consistent pattern in their corresponding messages. This pattern includes seven components that are nearly consistent in every letter found in these two chapters (with a couple of exceptions). The first of these messages is addressed to Ephesus and recorded for us in Revelation 2:1-7. Therein, Jesus identifies what ought to be of greatest importance to any body of believers as they persevere to the end.

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1. COMMISSION-2:1-“…To the angel of the church in Ephesus write…”

Ephesus was the fourth largest city of the first-century Roman empire with a population of 250,000 inhabitants. Situated on the western coast of Asia Minor, Ephesus was an important port and even called the “First and Greatest Metropolis of Asia.” Throughout the ancient world, Ephesus was regarded as the temple keeper (see Acts 19:35) of the goddess Artemis as the temple of Artemis constructed there was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world (measuring 220 by 425 ft.). Yearly festivals and other events were promoted for the worship of Artemis and at least fourteen other deities in this region during the first century. Pervasive paganism on this scale no doubt made it difficult on the local church body in this city as they promoted and lived out the gospel.

Jesus calls on John to record the following: “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write…”(2:1). As indicated earlier (in 1:20), the seven stars in Jesus’ hands each represented the angels assigned to the seven churches. In this opening line Jesus sends word to the angel (one of the stars) assigned to the body of believers in Ephesus. 

2. CHARACTER-2:1b-“…The One who holds the seven stars in His right hand, the One who walks among the seven golden lampstands says this:…”

After identifying the destination of this message, Jesus identifies himself—the speaker of the message—“The One who holds the seven stars in His right hand, the One who walks among the seven golden lampstands says this,…” (2:1b). In this identifying description, Jesus borrows from what has already been revealed in the imagery of Revelation 1 (particularly in 1:16 and 1:13 respectively). At least two divine attributes are suggested by these phrases—omnipotence and omnipresence. As the one who holds the stars in his hand Jesus betrays his sovereignty and power over the realms (especially the spiritual and angelic realms). As the one walking among the lampstands (earlier in the middle of the lampstands) he is understood as present among each of the contexts they symbolize simultaneously.  Such imagery was readily assessible to the church and its context as the emperor Domitian in A.D. 83, in an attempt to deify his infant son, manufactured coins that showed the young child seated on a globe surrounded by stars. In an effort to encourage the church in Ephesus and speak into the culture of first century Rome, the Revealer borrows these images and demonstrates Jesus’ superiority over the leaders of the world. Jesus is everywhere and holds the stars in his hand! 

3. COMMENDATION-2:2-3, 6

After introducing the message to the church of Ephesus, Jesus offers a three-fold commendation. First, Jesus compliments the church on her perseverance in the truth—“…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,…” (2:2). It was probably not very easy to remain in the truth in first century Ephesus when the majority of 250,000 were worshiping pagan gods, visiting glamorous temples, and celebrating multiple festivals throughout their calendar year. Perhaps this is why Jesus describes their perseverance in the truth with words like “toil.” In spite of the pagan pressure around them to leave the gospel message, Jesus recognizes the church’s deeds, inability to tolerate evil men, and willingness to test those who claimed apostle-status and praises them for their steadfastness in truth.

The early church was often plagued with false teachers and fake apostles. Paul predicted this would be the case in Acts 20:29-30.

Acts 20:29-30-“I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them.”

Paul also asked Timothy to call out errant doctrine in 1 Timothy 1:3. Later Hymenaeus, Alexander, and Philetus are even named as Ephesians who wandered from the truth (1 Tim. 1:19-20, 2 Tim. 2:17-18). One can imagine that in this particular context (Ephesus), the church was in a perpetual state of defense against falsity.

Continuing in his commendations, Jesus also compliments the church’s fortitude under pressure saying, “and you have perseverance and have endured for My name’s sake, and have not grown weary” (2:3). The pressure the church of Ephesus experienced was not merely philosophical/ideological (paganism vs. Christianity), it was existential. The word for “have endured” means “to continue to bear up under unusually trying circumstances and difficulties” (Louw Nida). In spite of cultural pressure and persecution believers faced in this region, Jesus says that the church of Ephesus has not “grown weary” (become emotionally fatigued and discouraged—Louw Nida).
A third commendation/compliment Jesus makes is found later in verse 6, “Yet this you do have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate” (2:6). In other words, Jesus commends this church for having the same enemies he does,  proving that you don’t just know the character of a person by what they like, but also what they hate. So who were these Nicolaitans and why are they disdained? 

This obscure sect is mentioned later in the letter to Pergamum. “Their name ‘Nicolaitans’ (literally, “victor over the people”) is a wordplay on [one of] Revelation’s key word[s] nikao, ‘to be victorious, conquer’ and translated ‘overcome’ in the victor sayings. [As we will soon see in the book of Revelation]. Unlike the true victors, who were to overcome by resisting the existing political, social, and religious order, the Nicolaitans apparently advocated accommodation to pagan society by eating food sacrificed to idols and engaging in sexual immorality” (Wilson, ZIBBC, 263). One might surmise that the Nicolaitans were into syncretism, not sanctification (being set with the world, not set apart from the world).

These commendations reveal that the church of Ephesus had a lot going for them. They persevered in the truth, exercised fortitude under pressure, and rightly hated this accommodating group of syncretists. However, after issuing these compliments, Jesus raises a very serious concern.

4. CONDEMNATION-2:4-“…But I have this against you, that you have left your first love,…”
The concern Jesus raises is jarring—“But I  have this against you, that you have left your first love”  (2:4). While in the throws of defending the truth, ferreting out the falsity, remaining steadfast under pressure, and avoiding those who deserved to be avoided, the church had become overly preoccupied with good pursuits to the neglect of their greatest pursuit—Christ—their first love. What does this look like? What does it mean for a church to abandon its first love?

In John 14:15 Jesus says “if you love me, you will keep My commandments.” Earlier Jesus confirms what a central command is “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35). After that John the apostle reiterates this teaching in 1 John 3:11-18.

1 John 3:11-18-For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another;  not as Cain, who was of the evil one and slew his brother. And for what reason did he slay him? Because his deeds were evil, and his brother’s were righteous. Do not be surprised, brethren, if the world hates you. We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love abides in death. Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer; and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has the world’s goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.”

These teachings confirm Jesus’ summary of the law: Love God and love others (Matt. 22:35-40; Mark 12:28-34). This is exercised not in platitudes and pontificating, but in practical service and support of one’s fellow man. Love as a verb does things and in loving others the church proves its love for Jesus himself (see Matthew 25:31-46).

As far as the church in Ephesus was concerned, one commentator puts it this way “Years of vigilance concerning orthodoxy (correct doctrine) have perhaps dulled their sensitivity to orthopraxy (correct practice), both of which are necessary for a spiritually healthy congregation” (Wilson, ZIBBC, 261). Another scholar offers the following explanation of the Ephesian church: “Sound doctrine and perseverance are inadequate without love” (Keener, IVP BBC, 732).

5. CORRECTION-2:5

The severity of this problem is accentuated by the word of correction that Jesus offers in verse 5—“therefore, remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first” (2:5). The prescription for this problem is two-fold. First, the church needs to remember from where they have fallen. Jesus imagines a pedestal upon which the church at Ephesus, committing themselves to truth AND practically loving others, once sat. However, an unhealthy preoccupation with the former led to a neglect of latter and caused them fall out of their seat. In an effort to climb back onto the stool, they have to remember from where they fell. Second, they need to repent (turn in a different direction in their thinking and corresponding activities). Rather than grow increasingly satisfied with their spot on the floor, they need to look up and change their behaviors in an effort to climb back onto their perch and return to the ministry table.

Following this two-fold prescription is a frightening warning—“or else I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place—unless you repent…” (2:5b). Unless the church changes its ways, Christ promises that he will move the Ephesian lampstand from its leadership position as an apostolic church among the Asian churches and pass its authority along to another congregation (Wilson, ZIBBC, 262). This reiterates how seriously Jesus takes the practical ministry of the church. A church in which there is much study but no service, does not deserve the blessings of God and can easily be replaced.

5. CALL-2:7a-“…He who has an ear let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches,…”

Following the word of correction is the call for others to listen in—“He who has an ear let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches” (2:7a). Though the message found in verses 1-7 is specifically addressed to the church in Ephesus at the end of the first century, Jesus almost seems to invite others who can learn from this letter to apply it also in their own respective contexts if needed. Remember, the entire book of Revelation (containing all the individual letters) was circulated among the churches and beyond. If others could stand to learn and apply something appropriately, then they ought to do so as well.

6. CHALLENGE-2:7b-“…To Him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God,…”

In keeping with this more general audience and more general call is a challenge containing a promise that is true for any believer (in Ephesus or anywhere else)—“To Him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God”  (2:7b). Though the idea of overcoming can be used in militaristic or athletic imagery, here the connotation appears to involve persevering in the face of conflict and hardship (a theme that we will see repeated in many of the letters and thereafter in the prophetic portion of the Book of Revelation). Those who overcome will be ultimately saved (glorified—see Matthew 24:13—“But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved) and this is assured to those who have through faith and repentance entered into a relationship with Jesus Christ (See also Romans 8:30-“ and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified”). Once, glorified, believers will be granted access to the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God.

The imagery of this promise involves the reversal of the curse that was introduced in the garden of Eden. In fact “Paradise” is the Greek word assigned to “Eden” in the Septuagint. Therefore, what Jesus promises here is, in some ways, described as a return to the paradise originally created when all things were perfect and very good (see Gen. 2-3). There, the “tree of life” will be enjoyed by those who in Ephesus (or anywhere else) endure in Christ to the end. In fact, at the very end of Revelation, this tree of life reemerges in John’s description of heaven.

Revelation 22:1-2-“Then he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb, in the middle of its street. On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit yielding its fruit in every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.”

This promise of paradise and of this tree (though universal for the church) is highly contextualized for those in Ephesus as a grove called Ortygia outside of Ephesus in the first century was known as “paradise” by the locals who visited there frequently, believing it to be the birthplace of Artemis. The Paradise Jesus promises to Ephesian believers and all worshipers of the one true God is greater than all other presumed oases for which the pagan world pines. 

So What?

Now that is something to look forward to! However, while we anticipate this glorious end and persevere in the meantime, let us who have ears hear how this message to Ephesus is applicable today. Like the church in Ephesus, it is so easy for today’s body to become preoccupied with all kinds of things that are good to the neglect of what is essential. I often refer to a taxonomy of priorities (hills upon which to die) in the classes I teach and reveal that the gospel and all theological issues appertaining thereunto (deity, death, and resurrection of Christ, etc.) is what is most important to any person and any system. Believing this and taking this message of hope to the world seems to be what is nearest to God’s heart as witnessed in Jesus’ last earthly words—“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matt. 28:19-20) and 2 Peter 3:9—“The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.” Loving God and others to this end (living out the true gospel in practical ways) cannot be overwhelmed by other considerations (eschatological charts, ecclesiological concerns, etc.). To be sure these are important and necessary areas of study as we seek to apply the entirety of Scripture and understand what the whole of the Bible is saying about God and his work. However, if and when the pursuit of answers to these lesser questions gets in way of our pursuit of the Way, the Truth, and the Life and loving Him by loving others, there is a serious problem.

Might you need to be reminded of what is most important today? Do you need to repent of your current preoccupations and become fascinated once again with the glory of Jesus and the practical ramifications of this?

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