Apocalypse | 011 | To the Angel of Ephesus

 

The history of the seven churches began at the anointing of Jesus Christ in 27 AD, and it is this church that is His agency for the proclamation and demonstration of the saving gospel. It is this church that will, in the succeeding generations, be His people until the end of time. 

Said the apostle Paul, "For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise." (Galatians 3:26-29)

During the time of John, Ephesus was a metropolitan city in the Roman Empire's province of Asia Minor, known today as modern Turkey. It was a city of elites, much like New York or Dubai today, a center for trade, pleasure, and antiquities culture of many cultures especially Greek and Roman. Ephesus in the Greek language means something that is desired. 

During his stay at Ephesus with Acquilla and Pricilla, the apostle Paul came face to face with the central religion of the city, which was the worship of the Roman goddess Diana, known to the Greeks as the goddess Artemis. (read Acts chapters 19 and 20) 

The Great Temple of Artemis was erected in her name and was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Paul's ministry and the growth of the Christian church in the city led to the decline in sales of statues and religious items dedicated to the goddess Diana. Since this was the central business of the city, it caused an uprising from the businessmen of Ephesus. Paul was almost executed because of his open rebuke against the worship of the goddess. 

The church of Ephesus referred to the period of time between 27 AD to approximately 100 AD when the apostles, even though they were martyred one by one, were still alive. John the penman of the book of Revelation, was the last of the apostles to die in 100 AD.

As a fresh fire burning on dry wood, the zeal was hot! Jesus said, "I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles and are not, and hast found them liars: And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name’s sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted." (Revelation 2:2-3) 

This church "...turned the world upside down..." (Acts 17:6) due to their zeal through the power of the Holy Spirit given to them at the day of Pentecost. There was no idleness and lazying around, patience was brewed in their characters as a result of the grand responsibilities they chose to bear. Over and over again in the Bible, you'd read Paul, Peter, John other apostles rebuking people and even themselves if they stepped out of line from the truth of God.

Jesus, who looks into the hearts of the people, saw a decline in their love for God. The fire began to die down during the initial stages of Christianity preparing the way for a great time of darkness. "I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.", said Jesus, "Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent." 

We see the use of strong rebuke and exhortation by Jesus as He counsels this church to repent, making sure to put His foot down in an uncompromising way so that we know that He is serious about His warning. Do not take God's mercy for granted.

In the early stages of the ministry by the twelve apostles, when the number of disciples was increasing, the Grecians among them complained against the Hebrews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.” Among these seven men was Nicolas of Antioch who was a convert from paganism into Judaism and Christianity. (taken from Acts chapter 6) 

According to the earliest reliable source I could find, Iranaeus [120 AD - 203 AD], Bishop of Lyons, in his book Against Heresies states that the Nicolaitanes were followers of Nicolas who was one of the seven first ordained to the diaconate by the apostles. They lead lives of unrestrained indulgence. The character of these men is very plainly pointed out in the Apocalypse of John, [when they are represented] as teaching that it is a matter of indifference to practice adultery and to eat things sacrificed to idols. Wherefore the Word has also spoken of them thus: ‘But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitanes, which I also hate.

In his book The Refutation of all Heresies, Hippolytus [ born c. 170 - martyred c. 235 ], a leader in the early Christian church in Rome stated that there were...among the Gnostics diversities of opinion; but they have decided that it would not be worth while to enumerate the silly doctrines of these (heretics), inasmuch as they are (too) numerous and devoid of reason, and full of blasphemy. Now, even those (of the heretics) who are of a more serious turn in regard of the Divinity, and have derived their systems of speculation from the Greeks, must stand convicted (of these charges). But Nicolaus has been a cause of the wide-spread combination of these wicked men. He, as one of the seven (that were chosen) for the diaconate, was appointed by the Apostles. (But Nicolaus) departed from correct doctrine, and was in the habit of inculcating indifferency on how people should eat and live. And when the disciples (of Nicolaus) continued to offer insult to the Holy Spirit, John reproved them in the Apocalypse as fornicators and eaters of things offered unto idols.

In the letter to the church at Pergamos the Nicolaitans were associated closely with those people who held the teaching of Balaam. This may have been a play on words. “Nicolaitans” could have been derived from two Greek words, nikan, which meant “to conquer” and laos, which meant “people.” Likewise Balaam could be derived from two Heb. words, bela which meant “to conquer” and ha’am, which meant “people.” Nicolaus and Balaam would then be the Gr. and Heb. forms of the same name, descriptive in each instance of an evil teacher who had influence over the people and brought them into bondage to heresy.

The doctrine of the Nicolaitans was dualistic. They reasoned that the human body was evil anyway and only the spirit was good. A Christian, therefore, could do whatever he desired with his body because it had no importance. The spirit, on the other hand, was the recipient of grace which meant that grace and forgiveness were his no matter what he did. They were those ready to compromise with the world. They were judged by the author of Revelation to be most dangerous because the result of their teaching would have conformed Christianity to the world rather than have Christianity change the world.

Those who are teaching this doctrine today have much to say in regard to faith and the righteousness of Christ; but they pervert the truth, and make it serve the cause of error. They declare that we have only to believe on Jesus Christ, and that faith is all-sufficient; that the righteousness of Christ is to be the sinner's credentials; that this imputed righteousness fulfils the law for us, and that we are under no obligation to obey the law of God. This class claim that Christ came to save sinners, and that he has saved them. “I am saved,” they will repeat over and over again. But are they saved while transgressing the law of Jehovah?—No; for the garments of Christ's righteousness are not a cloak for iniquity. Such teaching is a gross deception, and Christ becomes to these persons a stumbling-block as he did to the Jews,—to the Jews because they would not receive him as their personal Saviour; to these professed believers in Christ, because they separate Christ and the Law, and regard faith as a substitute for obedience. They separate the Father and the Son, the Saviour of the world. Virtually they teach, both by precept and example, that Christ, by his death, saves men in their transgressions. 

Jesus urges us to overcome the weaknesses He has pointed out by giving the words of  promise "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God." If you have not guessed by now, God's new Paradise is the refurbished Eden with the tree of life at its center.

It is my prayer that one day, you and I will be partaking in the tree of life together. Until then, God bless you.