Intro:
- The key to understanding the book of Revelation is to note that there are three applications to scripture
- Doctrinal (“All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine…” II Tim. 3:16)
- Some verses found in Revelation apply to a different dispensation then the one we are currently living in. For example:
- 2:7 When someone eats of the tree of life, it is used to obtain eternal life (Gn. 3:22). According to this verse, a man must “overcome” to be given the right to eat of it. Rv. 22:14 is adds clarity when it says that a man must “keep the commandments”. Because a Christian obtained eternal life from another tree through Jesus Christ (I Jn. 5:11-12) and is already an overcomer (I Jn. 4:4, 5:4), this cannot be doctrinally aimed at him. This then must be aimed doctrinally at people in the tribulation who are required to “keep the commandments of God” and have “the faith of Jesus” (Rv. 12:17; 14:12).
- Historical
- The attributes that these churches display have many similarities to the church as a whole during different periods of time during church history.
- Ruckman divides them up like this
- Ephesus 33-150
- Smyrna 150-325
- Pergamus 325-500
- Thyatira 500-1000
- Sardis 1000-1500
- Philadelphia 1500-1900
- Laodicea 1900-Present
- Spiritual
- 2:5 If you don’t repent of your spiritual complacency, you will lose your influence in this world to get anything done for the Lord. You’ll lose the power of God. You’ll become cold and dead and formal.
- Ruckman points out the cycle of church history – p.5 (The History of the New Testament Church Vol I)
- A Man: this involves preaching and evangelization
- A Movement: this involves the setting up of teaching facilities and institutions
- A Machine: this involves regimentation and patterning the system after the world’s system of education (colleges and universities)
- A Monument: the means the Holy Spirit has departed, abandoning the institution to paganism: discipline and academic standards are substituted for liberty and power of the Holy Spirit
- Materialism: there is no shred of the movement left
Ephesus 33 A.D. to 150 A.D.
- There is not much known about the early church as individuals, but what is known is that they were fanatics. “One writer stated that they [Christians] committed the crime of bringing Jesus out of the temple and scattering Him all over the neighborhood. They lived like sheep, they prayed like saints, they preached like lions, and they died like flies.” P. 44 (The History of the New Testament Church Vol I)
- There were 10 major roman persecutions of the early church from 67-313 A.D. under Nero, Domitian, Trajan, Marcus Aurelius, Severus, Macrinus, Decius, Surelian, Diocletian, and Galerius. Pg. 45 (The History of the New Testament Church Vol I)
v. 1
- “the church at Ephesus” are the “saints which are at Ephesus” Eph. 1:1
- Imagine if Paul wrote a letter to the church at San Diego. Which church would get the letter? He is not speaking to one local church but to the all the believers that make up the local churches in that town. The church is not a building. It is the believers in the building.
v.2-5
- “Work, and thy labor, and thy patience” – Contrast the church of Ephesus with the church at Thessalonica (I Thess. 1:3) The church at Ephesus was a working, laboring, and patient church but they were dead spiritually (2:2) even though they were right doctrinally (2:4). They were intolerant of folks who claimed to be something that they were not and they used Scripture to “prove” them (2:4 “tried” and I Thess. 5:21). Note: it is easy to spot an Apostolic liar (II Cor. 12:12; Mk. 16:15-18). They need to remember the position of fellowship that they used to have. This “fallen” is not the same as Gal. 5:4 which is directed to a lost man. They need to repent of the things that got them to this point of working FOR God but not BECAUSE of God. If they don’t, God will remove their influence and power that they have in this life to be effective for Him.
v.6 “Nicolaitans”
- This is a transliteration (2:15 is the only other time this appears in the Bible). Νικόλαος which comes from νῖκος which means conquer and λαός which means the common people. Literally translated is “to conquer the common people”. This is seen in the concept of the clergy and laity. However, in the Bible, all Christians are the same and the “clergy” are to be esteemed very highly in love for their works sake (I Thess. 5:12-13). The rule that bishops and deacons have is a spiritual rule (I Pt. 5:1-4). There is no “ruling class” in the body of Christ.