CHAPTER TWO

THE CHURCH IN EPHESUS

Scripture Reading: Rev. 2:1-7

The church in Ephesus is prophetic concerning the condition of the first stage of the church after the apostles. The apostolic age was prior to A.D. 96. After A.D. 96 the apostolic age apparently was over, and many wrong things began to creep in. Since Revelation is a book of prophecy, the names in the book are also prophetic. Ephesus in Greek means “desirable.” The church which continued after the apostolic church was still desirable.

“I know your works and your labor and your endurance” (Rev. 2:2a). The pronoun your in Revelation 2 and 3 is singular in number. Among the seven churches, five are rebuked, one receives no rebuke and no praise, and only one is praised. Ephesus is one among those which are rebuked. But the Lord first tells the messenger of Ephesus about the spiritual reality. Some think the Lord attempts to say something good before He rebukes so that the one being rebuked will not feel so bad, as if the Lord is being diplomatic. But this is not so with the Lord. Rather, the Lord points out the spiritual reality in the church. There is something called the spiritual reality which exists regardless of the outward condition. Although the Israelites were worthless in the sight of men, God said through Balaam that He did not behold iniquity in Jacob (Num. 23:21). It is not that God does not look; rather, He looks but sees nothing wrong. It is not that the eyes of God can see better than ours, but that God sees the spiritual reality.

It is not difficult for us to see that the condition of the church today is desolate. Sometimes we think a certain brother or sister is just as desolate. But if the children of God are enlightened by the Lord, they will see that their many weaknesses and failures are lies. If the spiritual reality is true, then these are all lies. Consider a little child who runs out to the street and returns covered with mud. Although he is filthy when he enters the house, I say that he is clean and beautiful. It is true that his body is covered with dirt, but the dirt does not grow out of him. Once he is washed, he will be clean again. Each child of God must see that even before he is washed, he is good. The dirtiness is a lie; his reality is good. Today the church does not look as glorious as God says, but today the church is glorious. If you have spiritual insight, though the church is not washed, you can still see that she is good. For this reason you can also thank God continually for the church. Today the church is glorious, not having spot or wrinkle or any such things (Eph. 5:25-27). No spot means sinless, and no wrinkle means not aged, always maintaining her freshness before the Lord. God says the church in Ephesus is good; it is her spiritual reality that is good.

“And you have tried those who call themselves apostles and are not, and have found them to be false” (Rev. 2:2b). The Lord says something about trying the apostles, which proves that after the apostolic age there are still apostles in the church. If there were only twelve apostles, then all they would have to ask is whether or not the professed apostle was John. If he was not John, then he would not be an apostle, because by that time all the other eleven apostles had passed away and only John was left. The necessity for the apostles to be tried proves that there were still more apostles after the twelve apostles.

“But I have one thing against you, that you have left your first love” (v. 4). The word “first” in Greek is proten. It refers not only to primacy in time but also in nature. In Luke 15 the father gave the best robe to the prodigal son to put on; the word “best” is also proten.

“But if not, I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place, unless you repent” (Rev. 2:5b). The churches in Revelation 2 and 3 are not only churches in prophecy but also churches that were actually in seven localities in Asia. Remarkably, history tells us that for more than a thousand years, there has been no church in Ephesus. The lampstand has been removed; even her outward appearance has been removed. Now there are churches in Corinth, Rome, and so forth, but none in Ephesus. Because she did not repent, the lampstand was removed.

“But this you have, that you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate” (v. 6). Nicolaitans cannot be found in church history. Since Revelation is a book of prophecy, we must look into the meaning of the word. Nicolait in Greek is composed of two words. Nikao means “conquer” or “above others.” Laos means “common people,” “secular people,” or “laity.” So nicolait means “conquering the common people,” “climbing above the laity.” Nicolaitans, then, refers to a group of people who esteem themselves higher than the common believers. The Lord is above; the common believers are below. The Nicolaitans are below the Lord yet above the common believers. The Lord hates the behavior of the Nicolaitans. The conduct of climbing over and above the common believers as a mediatorial class is what the Lord detests; it is something to be hated. But at that time there was only the behavior; it had not yet become a teaching.