Revelation 2:1-11
This chapter begins the letters to the Seven Churches.
The first letter is to the Church of Ephesus. Ephesus was a powerful city of wealth and influence throughout the Roman Empire.
In verse 1, Jesus is giving another reference to who He is and His authority to judge this Church.
Verses 2-7, He does what we have been instructed to do in the Epistles [letters] to the Body of Christ and that is to edify one another. We see Jesus do this frequently throughout these letters. He also makes known to them how He observes everything they are doing. This is an admonishment to each of us, for He is observing us and sees all that we do, as well as the motive behind our actions.
He mentions their good works, their patience, their attitude towards evil and their ability to judge false apostles. Then He hits them with this statement; “but I have a few things against you.”
“You have left your first Love!”
This statement should be a reality check for all of us. How many of us could claim “guilty as charged!”
He tells them what they need to do to get back to where they have fallen from; “repent and do the first works!” He also proclaims some judgment if they do not change and turn around. He then commends them for hating the works of the Nicolaitanes, which were known for false doctrine. Then He concludes with a reward for the over comer.
Ephesus was known for being the largest Church in the gentile world. Timothy was the Pastor of the Church. He was a close disciple of the Apostle Paul; whom he called his son in the faith.
The next letter was to the Church in Smyrna in verses 8-11. This city was known for its Schools of Medicine and Science. Jesus makes mention of their hard times and the fact that there were those among them that were of the synagogue of satan. These were most likely what were called ‘Judaizers.’ They were persecutors and haters of Christianity. True Jews that knew their God and their Covenant did not behave antagonistic toward other races or religions. That is why Jesus said “they say they are Jews proudly but defy the God they serve.”
Jesus concludes the letter with a warning that there would be more persecution which would involve some jail time but admonishes them to remain faithful to receive the reward that was to come.
