Scripture: Revelation 2:1-7
Synopsis: The letter or message to the church in Ephesus is the first of Christ’s seven personal addresses to seven specific churches (Rev. 2-3). Ephesus was a church that was strong on orthodoxy–on insisting that its members were discipled according to the truth and away from error. This is what Christ commends them for in verses 2-3 and again in verse 6. Their reprimand, however, is that they have ‘abandoned the love they had at first.’ This is most likely a reference to their lack of love for one another within the church. It’s easy to see how their strength (i.e. a passion for truth) might have become distorted into certain unhealthy impulses (e.g. a spirit of ungracious fault-finding and judgmentalism). And for this serious problem, Christ warns of removing their lampstand. It’s a stern reminder of how serious is our obligation to love and serve one another as brothers and sisters in the church of Jesus Christ. A church that is not characterized by mutual love and service is one Christ may soon be done with. But the promise Christ gives to the Ephesian church is that if they remain faithful, they will be welcomed back into the paradise of Eden to enjoy perfect fellowship with God and one another for all eternity (v.7).