Lesson #06

REVELATION 2:1-7
LESSON #06
THE APOSTOLIC CHURCH OF THE CHURCH AGE–EPHESUS

• MEMORY VERSE: REV 2:7

• THE MESSAGES TO THE CHURCHES:
• THERE IS A FOUR-PART ASPECT TO EACH OF THE SEVEN MESSAGES TO THE CHURCHES.
• #1 THE MESSAGE ADDRESSED TO THE ACTUAL CHURCH OF JOHN’S DAY.
• IN THIS ASPECT, WE WILL EXAMINE EACH CHURCH AND ITS LOCATION AS IT EXISTED WHEN JOHN WROTE THE BOOK OF REVELATION.
• #2 THE MESSAGE OF ADMONITION TO ALL CHURCHES DURING THE CHURCH AGE.
• BECAUSE CHURCHES ARE LIVING, CHANGING ORGANISMS, WE SHOULD CONTINUALLY EXAMINE WHERE WE ARE IN RESPECT TO GOD’S PURPOSE FOR THE CHURCH.
• #3 THE PERSONAL MESSAGE TO EVERY BELIEVER AS SEEN IN THE CONTINUALLY USED PHRASE, “HE WHO HATH AN EAR, LET HIM HEAR WHAT THE SPIRIT SAITH UNTO THE CHURCHES.”
• THE CHURCH IS MADE UP OF INDIVIDUAL CHRISTIANS WHO BEAR RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE CHURCH TO WHICH EACH BELONGS.
• #4 THE PROPHETIC MESSAGE DESCRIBING THE HISTORY OF THE CHURCH THROUGH THE CHURCH AGE PERIOD
• THE PURPOSE OF THIS ASPECT IS SO WE CAN DISCERN WHERE WE ARE IN RESPECT TO HISTORY AND THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST.
• THIS ASPECT IS BASED ON THE ASSUMPTION THAT THESE SEVEN REPRESENTATIVE CHURCHES NOT ONLY REPRESENT THE CHARACTERISTICS FOUND IN CHRISTIAN CHURCHES EVERYWHERE, BUT THAT THEY PROPHETICALLY REPRESENT ERAS OF CHURCH HISTORY.
• WE WILL ALSO CONSIDER EACH CHURCH IN RELATIONSHIP TO THE SUCCESSIVE PARABLES OF MATTHEW 13 THAT JESUS SAID EXPLAINED THE KINGDOM.
• THERE ARE SEVEN PARTS TO EACH CHURCH MESSAGE:
• #1 A COMMAND TO WRITE TO A SPECIFIC CHURCH.
• #2 A STATEMENT ABOUT JESUS CHRIST.
• #3 A COMMENDATION (EXCEPT FOR THE CHURCH OF LAODICEA)
• #4 A CORRECTION (EXCEPT FOR THE CHURCHES OF SMYRNA AND PHILADELPHIA)
• #5 A COMMAND TO REPENT.
• #6 A CALL TO THE INDIVIDUAL CHRISTIAN.
• #7 A PROMISE TO THE OBEDIENT OVERCOMER.
• IN OUR STUDY OF THE CHURCHES OF REVELATION, LOOK FOR YOUR OWN CHURCH, NOT JUST IN THE NEGATIVES BUT ALSO IN THE POSITIVES

• READ REV 2:1-7 THE CHURCH OF EPHESUS
• BACKGROUND:
• NAME, EPHESUS, MEANS “DESIRABLE”.
• THE STRATEGIC SIGNIFICANCE OF THE GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION OF THIS CHURCH:
• EPHESUS WAS AN EXPORT CENTER BY SHIP AND BY LAND ROUTES.
• THEREFORE IT WAS A BUSINESS AND CULTURAL CROSSROADS.
• IT WAS A METROPOLIS OF EASTERN ASIA WITH A POPULATION OF 500,000.
• THE RELIGIOUS SIGNIFICANCE OF THE CITY OF EPHESUS:
• THIS CITY WAS A CENTER OF IDOLATRY HAVING ONE OF THE 7 WONDERS OF THE ANCIENT WORLD, THE TEMPLE OF DIANA (ARTEMIS).
• DIANA (ARTEMIS) WAS THE GODDESS OF THE MOON, NATURE, LIFE, AND FERTILITY. SHE IS DEPICTED AS HAVING MANY BREASTS.
• READ ACT 19
• “HAVE YE RECEIVED THE HOLY SPIRIT?” (7)
• PAUL TAUGHT IN THIS CITY FOR OVER 2 YEARS. (9-10)
• THERE WERE MANY MIRACLES THAT SO MANY PEOPLE BELIEVED IN CHRIST. (18)
• TO INDICATE THEIR NEW LIFE THE CHRISTIANS BURNED THEIR PAGAN BOOKS. (19-20)
• THE SILVERSMITHS OF THE TEMPLE OF DIANA BECAME UPSET BECAUSE THE CITY-WIDE REPENTANCE WAS DISTURBING THEIR BUSINESS. (24-27)
• THE RESULT WAS A PERSECUTION OF CHRISTIANS. (28-29)
• THERE WAS A CALL TO ORDER. (35)
• EPHESUS WAS ALSO AN IMPORTANT CENTER FOR EMPEROR WORSHIP.
• THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN EPHESUS:
• THE EPHESUS CHURCH HAD THE BEST OF TEACHING:
• PAUL, FOUNDED THE CHURCH AND TAUGHT THERE FOR 2 YEARS.
• TIMOTHY
• AQUILLA AND PRISCILLA
• APOLLOS
• POSSIBLY JOHN HIMSELF
• TODAY
• THIS CHURCH NO LONGER EXISTS. IT IS A REMOVED LAMPSTAND WITH NO LIGHT OF CHRIST AND NO KINGDOM INFLUENCE. THE LOCATION IS DESERTED WITH NO CITY THERE.
• CHRIST REVEALED:
• CHRIST HOLDS THE SEVEN STARS IN HIS RIGHT HAND = RIGHT HAND IS THE FAVORED POSITION, INDICATING HE NOT ONLY CONTROLS BUT BLESSES THE 7 PASTORS/MESSENGERS (2:1)
• CHRIST WALKS IN THE MIDST = HE IS IN FELLOWSHIP AND IN CONTROL.
• CHRIST IS THE HEAD OF THE CHURCH (2:1)
• THE COMMENDATION:
• “LABOR” = TOIL AND SWEAT TO THE POINT OF EXHAUSTION.
• THIS WAS A HARD-WORKING CHURCH FOR THE LORD.
• “TRIED THEM THAT ARE APOSTLES AND ARE NOT” =
• THIS CHURCH DISCERNED THE SPIRIT OF MEN AS TO WHETHER THE LEADERS WERE WHO THEY SAID THEY WERE.
• “HATED NICOLAITANS” = “NIKO” = TO CONQUER. “LAITY” = THE PEOPLE
• THERE AROSE IN THE EARLY CHURCH A GROUP WHO TRIED TO SEPARATE LAYMEN AND A CLERGY OF HOLY MEN FOR THE PURPOSE OF POWER AND CONTROL.
• THESE CLERGY CLAIMED TO BE CHRISTIANS BUT LIVED IMMORAL, UNCLEAN LIVES BELIEVING THAT THE BODY AND SPIRIT WERE SEPARATE AND WHAT YOU DID TO THE BODY HAD NO EFFECT ON THE SPIRIT.
• THIS BELIEF WAS PART OF THE GNOSTIC FALSE DOCTRINE AS PRACTICED BY THE EPICUREANS.
• READ REV 2:15
• WHAT STARTED AS “DEEDS” IN EPHESUS BECAME “DOCTRINE” IN PERGAMUM.
• THE CHURCH IN EPHESUS HATED THIS SEPARATION OF CLERGY AND LAYMEN, BUT THE CHURCH AT PERGAMUM ACCEPTED IT.
• WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS DOCTRINE?
• IT DESTROYS THE BIBLICAL CONCEPT OF THE “BODY” OF CHRIST AS A UNIT WITH EACH PERSON USING HIS SPIRITUAL GIFTS TO MINISTER TO OTHERS.
• THE CORRECTION:
• “THOU HAST LEFT THY FIRST LOVE” = “LEFT” = TO DROP SOMETHING AND NOT KNOW IT
• DISCUSSION: WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO LEAVE YOUR FIRST LOVE?
• READ JOH 14:15
• LETTING GOD SLIP AS TOP PRIORITY.
• DISOBEDIENCE SEARS THE HEART AND CREATES A DISTANCE BETWEEN YOU AND GOD.
• THIS PERSON LOSES THE JOY OF FELLOWSHIP WITH CHRIST.
• LEGALISM KILLS THE JOY OF THE SPIRIT SO THAT THERE IS NO FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT.
• THEY HAD TO FIGHT THIS FALSE DOCTRINE SO THEY BECAME HARD HEARTED AND DID NOT KNOW IT.
• THE COUNSEL:
• THIS CHURCH IS TOLD TO REPEAT THEIR FIRST WORKS.
• DISCUSSION: WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO DO YOUR FIRST WORKS OVER AGAIN?

• REPENT, WITNESS, LOVE OTHERS.

• THE CHALLENGE AND THE PROMISE:
• THE TREE OF LIFE
• IF THESE CHRISTIANS ARE OBEDIENT THERE IS A PROMISE THAT THEY WILL EAT OF THE RESTORED TREE OF ETERNAL LIFE THAT WAS DENIED MAN AT THE FALL OF ADAM AND EVE IN GEN 3. IT IS RESTORED TO MAN IN THE NEW JERUSALEM OF ETERNITY.
• READ REV 22:2
• FIG TREE WAS A SYMBOL USED BY THE CULT OF DIANA TO DEPICT ETERNAL LIFE. THE TREE OF LIFE WAS IN DIRECT OPPOSITION TO THE FIG TREE OF DIANA.
• THE GENERAL CHARACTER OF THIS CHURCH:
• LEFT THEIR FIRST LOVE
• THE PROPHETIC SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS CHURCH IN CHURCH HISTORY:
• THE APOSTOLIC AGE 30 – 100 AD
• THIS IS THE PERIOD OF TIME WHEN THE APOSTLES PLANTED CHURCHES. THESE CHURCHES CONSISTED OF NEW BABY BELIEVERS JUST GETTING ESTABLISHED ON RIGHT DOCTRINE AND STRUGGLING AGAINST PERSECUTION FROM THE JEWS.
• THE BOOK OF ACTS TELLS US A LOT ABOUT THIS PERIOD OF CHURCH HISTORY.
• THE CHURCH IN RELATIONSHIP TO A KINGDOM PARABLE: (MAT 13:3-23 )
• THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER AND THE SEED
• THE PARABLE SPEAKS OF PLANTING THE WORD OF GOD AND SEEING IT GROW TO A FULL HARVEST. THE APOSTOLIC CHURCH WAS THE TIME OF PLANTING AND GROWING NEW CHURCHES.
• THE MESSAGE TO THE INDIVIDUAL CHRISTIAN:
• HOW TO BE AN OVERCOMER–#1 BE FAITHFUL AND OBEDIENT TO THE WORD OF GOD. CHANGE AND YOU WILL REGAIN YOUR HEART.

• APPLICATION
• DISCUSSION: WHAT DOES THE MESSAGE TO THIS CHURCH SAY TO YOU AND YOUR CHURCH?

HOMEWORK
REVELATION 2:8-11
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FORCORRECTION.

• APPLICATION OF REV 2:1-7
• IN WHAT WAY DOES REV 2:1-7 APPLY TO YOUR PERSONAL LIFE AS A PART OF THE CHURCH?

• PREPARATION FOR REV 2:8-11
• READ REV 2:8-11
• READ JOH 8:39-44
• RELATE REV 2:9b TO JOH 8:39-44 AND DESCRIBE FROM WHERE COMES THE PERSECUTION SUFFERED BY THIS CHURCH.

• WHAT DOES CHRIST WANT CORRECTED IN THIS CHURCH?

• WHAT ARE THE PRAISE WORTHY ASPECTS OF THIS CHURCH?

• WHAT IS THE SECOND DEATH? (11)

• MEMORY VERSE: REV 2:11

• THE SEVEN CHURCHES
  REV 2-3