Revelation 2:1-7 - The Letter to Ephesus
Historical Context
Before I talk about this specific passage, I find it important to establish as much historic background as possible on Ephesus. A few things, then, about Ephesus:
- This was the most important city in western Turkey, the capital of its region, and, according to Wright, had a population of around 250,000. (Revelation for Everyone, N.T. Wright) This number is hotly debated; many scholars now think it was much less than this. Regardless, this was one of the largest cities in Asia Minor.
- Ephesus contained the temple of Artemis, which was one of the wonders of the world. Artemis was the Greek name for the Roman goddess Diana. Within its extensive grounds, the temple of Artemis had a tree which served as a shrine and a system of asylum. (RfE, Wright) The reference to the tree of life in the letter to Ephesus was no mistake.
- Ephesus was completely abandoned by the 15th century. (RfE, Wright)
- Today there are no active churches in the vicinity of Ephesus (the modern towns/villages that surround it). (RfE, Wright)
The Framework of the Letters to the Churches
Each of the letters to the seven churches follows roughly the same formula:
The Passage Itself
It seems to me that by the time John wrote the book of Revelation, Ephesus was a case study in missing the point of what it means to follow Christ. They were immovable in their doctrine, calling out false prophets and undergoing much persecution. But they had forgotten love.
Who, exactly, were the Nicolaitans? No one seems to know for certain, although church tradition holds that it was a heretical sect that "taught that spiritual liberty gave them sufficient leeway to practice idolatry and immorality." (NIV Study Bible, Zondervan) Doing this would allow them to avoid persecution by the state (Faithflife Study Bible). The church in Ephesus stood strongly against this. There was no question of their being opposed to the pagan religion of Rome, but they had forgotten that correct doctrine is nothing without love. John had already written the letters of 1-3 John (tradition holds they were written about 10 years before, ironically from Ephesus) in which he emphasizes love.
Each of the letters to the seven churches follows roughly the same formula:
- Greeting (2:1)
- "I know..." (2:2)
- Praise (2:3, 7a)
- Rebuke (2:4)
- Command (2:5a)
- Warning (2:5b)
- "The one who conquers..." (2:7b)
The Passage Itself
It seems to me that by the time John wrote the book of Revelation, Ephesus was a case study in missing the point of what it means to follow Christ. They were immovable in their doctrine, calling out false prophets and undergoing much persecution. But they had forgotten love.
Who, exactly, were the Nicolaitans? No one seems to know for certain, although church tradition holds that it was a heretical sect that "taught that spiritual liberty gave them sufficient leeway to practice idolatry and immorality." (NIV Study Bible, Zondervan) Doing this would allow them to avoid persecution by the state (Faithflife Study Bible). The church in Ephesus stood strongly against this. There was no question of their being opposed to the pagan religion of Rome, but they had forgotten that correct doctrine is nothing without love. John had already written the letters of 1-3 John (tradition holds they were written about 10 years before, ironically from Ephesus) in which he emphasizes love.
No comments:
Post a Comment