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More Revelation commentaries
Revelation 1:1-8
Jesus is coming again
Revelation 1:9-16
John sees seven golden candlesticks (Churches)
Revelation 1:17-20
Outline of the book of Revelation (v. 19)
Revelation 2:1-7
The Church that lost its first love
Revelation 2:8-11
The Persecuted Church
Revelation 2:12-17
The Compromising Church
Revelation 2:18-29
The Corrupt Church
Revelation 3:1-6
The Spiritually Dead Church
Revelation 3:7-13
The Faithful Church
Revelation 3:14-22
A Lukewarm Church
Revelation 4:1-11
Worship in Heaven
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The Church that lost its first love
Revelation 2:1–7
» View this passage in NIV (Bible Gateway)
At an open-air Gospel meeting the preacher asked for testimonies. While this was going on a skeptic was passing by just when the testimony of a saved drunkard was being given. He stopped and listened. The former drunkard was telling how Jesus had wrought a miracle and saved his p … More
Keep in mind that the seven churches addressed in these letters by John were actual churches which existed in the cities mentioned. These churches were representatives of all churches at that time as well as in subsequent generations. Each letter contains commendation, condemnation, exhortation and promise. This first letter was addressed to the church at Ephesus (v. 1). Ephesus was the capital of Asia, a seaport and the home of one of the seven wonders of the ancient world - the temple of Diana. The church in that city was started by Paul on his third missionary journey.
Christ commended those in the Ephesian church for their hard work, perseverance, their condemnation of wicked men and their identification of false apostles (vv. 2-3). However in spite of all these good qualities there was one vital lack: they had left the passion of their first love (v. 4). Most of these Ephesian Christians were now second-generation believers, and though they had retained purity of doctrine and life and had maintained a high level of service, they were lacking in deep devotion or passion for Christ. This shows how a church may have great zeal and activity with soundness of doctrine but still have lost its first love for Christ. The church is commanded to repent or have its light removed (v. 5). The church at Ephesus continued for awhile but after the 5th century both the church and the city declined. In fact that entire area is now engulfed in the false religion of Islam (vv. 6-7).
Application
What did I do at first in my relationship with Christ that I don’t do now? Have I in any way lost my passion or first love for Christ? Do I need to repent?
Revelation 2:1-7 (English Standard Version)
"To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: 'The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands. "'I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name's sake, and you have not grown weary. But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. Yet this you have: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God."'
View this passage in NIV (Bible Gateway) »
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