The Church of Ephesus Revelation 2:1-7
1 Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks;
2 I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:
3 And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name’s sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.
4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.
5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.
6 But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.
It was previously noted that the book of Revelation falls into three main divisions – the messages to the seven churches of Asia constitute the divine record of “the things which are,” the second of those divisions. This period of time will close with the return of Jesus Christ for His saints, after which the final division of Revelation 1:19, “the things which shall be hereafter,” will begin. The messages to the seven churches also follow a standard format with each message consisting of a greeting or salutation, a body and a closing.
The church of Ephesus was established by the apostle Paul. That ancient city was one of the most famous of its day, located in a commercial and cultural center of great renown. Religiously speaking, the Ephesians were predominantly pagan, being worshipers of Diana and other mythological deities. There was a Jewish synagogue in Ephesus and, of course, there was also the church that Paul established as recounted in Acts 19:1-7:
And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples, He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John’s baptism. Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied. And all the men were about twelve.
The Ephesian church period, extending from the foundation of the church until about A.D. 251, was characterized by fervent zeal which contributed to a rapid growth among many churches. Perhaps the meaning of the name Ephesus provides some insight, as it derives from a word meaning “fervent zeal.”
Three kinds of churches are mentioned or alluded to in the letters to the churches of Asia: first, churches which are true and faithful; second, churches which are ‘loose’ in doctrine and practice yet are fundamentally pure; and groups which may once have been churches but whose candlestick has been removed by the Lord. Men may consider those churches in the third group to be valid but God does not.
Today, churches in each group are influenced to some extent by those in the other groups. Moreover, there may be faithful individuals and unfaithful individuals in each church. It becomes important for true churches to remain as pure as is humanly possible given the circumstances in which they serve, perhaps particularly so in our time when it seems Christian values are assaulted from all sides.
While each of the seven churches addressed by the Lord was an actual church existing with specific characteristics, some scholars believe that the dominant characteristics of each may be assigned to a time in the history of the Lord’s churches. For those who are interested, these times will be given. Some of the characteristics of each of the churches may be found in any other period, however.
The Ephesian period extends, as previously mentioned, from the days when Christ formed His church to the year A.D. 251 when the church at Rome divided, leading many other churches into doctrinal error. This group eventually evolved into Catholicism.
It is interesting to note that more is written in the New Testament concerning the church at Ephesus than of any other church. Acts 18:24-20:1 records details of Paul’s ministry in that city and some of the problems he faced there. People speaking evil of Christ and His disciples, the assumption of spiritual authority, self-promotion by men of public influence, confusion over various matters of doctrine (teaching) and theism (faith) and a riot over economics were only a few of the problems faced by Paul and those with him. Acts 20:17-38 records Paul’s farewell message to the elders of the church at Ephesus.
The book of Ephesians deals with doctrinal and practical issues of the church. Paul left Timothy in that city as pastor of the church, and traditional history holds that the apostle John served for a time as pastor of the church there and that he was ultimately martyred in Ephesus. A careful study of the passages cited above reveals that many of the issues Paul warned about both in person and in epistle were faced by the church in the present text as are a great many in our day.
The Christ of the Churches (Revelation 2:1)
1 Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks;
The subject matter of this verse consists largely of topics that have already been addressed, as comments on Revelation 1:16 were concerned with “the angel of the church,” “the seven stars,” and “right hand.” Moreover, the significance of the number seven was discussed in the remarks on Revelation 1:4 and 1:11; the “golden candlesticks” was covered in Revelation 1:12, and the fact that Jesus Christ is “in the midst” of the seven churches (candlesticks) was considered in Revelation 1:13 where the risen, glorified Son of man was seen moving among of the churches, observing them and actively ministering to their needs.
Although most of what is stated in this verse is then a repetition of previously mentioned points, there is a different connotation than before. Those differences deal with the “seven stars” that Jesus “holds” in His right hand and the fact that He “walks” in the midst of the “seven candlesticks.”
“…he that holdeth the seven stars…”
In this phrase the operative word is the verb hold. In the previous references to the “seven stars” and the “right hand” of Jesus Christ the statement was made that the seven stars were “in” His right hand (Revelation 1:16, 20). These references depict the stars resting in the hollow of the right hand of Jesus. However, the word hold in Revelation 2:1 was translated from a Greek term that, because of its grammatical construction, meant that Jesus held the seven stars in a firm, secure, unyielding grasp. This means more than the holding, keeping power of Christ that is assured in John 10:28 (And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand). That promise applies to all believers; however, the situation in Revelation 2:1 deals with the pastors (“angels” or messengers) of the churches.
A pastor is a servant of the Lord in a special sense. To be sure, all believers are to serve God faithfully; however, pastors have a unique and distinct calling that involves duties and responsibilities that are singularly characteristic of their office. Consequently a pastor certainly needs all that is promised by being held in the Lord’s “right hand.” He needs to be kept by Christ, strengthened by Him, guided by Him and honored by Him (which, sadly, may in some instances be the only positive recognition he receives). Conversely, a pastor must always remember that he is subject to the One who holds him in His right hand. Jesus is to be allowed to have absolute control over the pastors of His churches. Remember, the expression right hand is a reminder of who is in charge. The pastors of the churches are instruments in the hand of Jesus, and all that they accomplish is by the guiding and strengthening of His right hand.
“…who walked in the midst of the….. candlesticks…”
In John’s vision of the Son of man in His glorified state, he beheld Jesus in the midst of the candlesticks, indicating that Jesus was standing among the churches. That spoke of His status or position. However, in Revelation 2:1 Jesus declared that He walks among the churches. This alludes to the function that He serves on behalf of the churches, going from one to another as One who inspects and surveys what is under His care. The ministry Christ thus performs is two-fold – He supervises the activities of the churches and He sustains them in all their undertakings. He observes if the lamps are shining. He is present to strengthen the vessels of testimony. The Lord, who walks among His churches providing guidance and assistance, was foreshadowed by the presence of God in the camp of Israel as found in Leviticus 26:12 (And I will walk among you, and will be your God, and ye shall be my people.); Deuteronomy 23:14 (For the Lord thy God walketh in the midst of thy camp, to deliver thee, and to give up thine enemies before thee: therefore shall thy camp be holy; that He see no unclean thing in thee, and turn away from thee.); and Isaiah 43:2 (When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee; when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee).
Faithful, patient service (Revelation 2:2,3)
2 I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:
3 And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name’s sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.
Jesus Christ had some wonderful things to say concerning the Ephesian church. He knew all about its faithful, patient service and He also knew its shortcomings and failures. Nothing could be hidden from His knowledge, then or now.
Works, Labor and Patience.
Jesus commended the dedication of the members of the church at Ephesus. A congregation of hard-working believers, they eagerly assumed any task that needed to be accomplished. The “labor” reflected intense efforts – efforts which could be exhausting. In all their toils the Ephesian saints were persistent and consistent. The word patience spoke of endurance, bearing up under a heavy and burdensome load. Christian service is not for quitters. Jesus Christ Himself declared, “No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:26). Despite the pressures to which they were subjected or the heaviness of their endeavors, the members of the church at Ephesus remained faithful.
Intolerant of evildoers and false Apostles.
Among the other commendable things that Jesus mentioned regarding the faithful service of the members of the Ephesian church were their intolerance of evildoers and their exposure of false apostles. The evildoers with whom they dealt were some of the members of their own church (they would not have had any authority over people who were not part of their congregation). In regard to their membership, they were more concerned about the quality of their number than the quantity of it. Today, however, church discipline has become like most other aspects of discipline – rarely exercised. Generally speaking, there is all too little discipline in society, whether in schools, government, the courts, or homes, all of which results in a widespread lack of self-discipline. The Bible clearly teaches that God expects discipline in every realm, especially among His churches. As a side study of your own you may be interested to read 1 Corinthians 5:1-5 and 11-13, Matthew 18:15-17, and 2 Thessalonians 3:6.
The false apostles whom the church at Ephesus rejected and exposed were men who wrongly claimed to have the authority of an apostle. Apparently it was not uncommon in those days for men to insist that they be considered special spokesmen for the Lord in the same sense as were Peter, John, Paul and others. Paul warned against such charlatans, calling them “…deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ…” (2 Corinthians 11:13), and in his farewell remarks to the elders of the church of Ephesus he sounded the alarm regarding “grievous wolves” and “perverse” men (Acts 20:28-30). Jesus Commended the Ephesian saints for their spiritual perception and courage. What they did was a reflection of how they were in following the leading of God and the teaching of His Word.
For the sake of Jesus’ name.
In verse 3 the risen, glorified Christ praised the members of the church at Ephesus for their steadfast endurance in serving Him. In many ways and on many occasions they had been sorely tested and tried, but they had borne it all for the sake of the name of Jesus. Such reverence for and dedication to His name was how they managed to remain so faithful and zealous despite all with which they were confronted. Even in the face of arduous toils and severe trials the Ephesian saints had “not fainted.” The word faint was translated from a Greek term that conveys the idea of becoming wearied to the point of exhaustion. The strength that enables one to endure in serving the Lord – to keep on keeping on – is not from the engines of the flesh but from the energizing of the Spirit. The apostle Paul reminded the church at Corinth of this all-important principle in 2 Corinthians 4:16, “For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perisheth, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.” If any name has ever been worthy of total fidelity and steadfastness it is the name of the One whose example inspires His followers to patient endurance. Hebrews 12:3 admonishes: “For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.” The name that is above all other names is worthy of any and every effort believers put forth and any sacrifice we are called upon to endure.
Leaving One’s First Love (Revelation 2:4)
4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.
Despite the many commendable qualities of the church at Ephesus there was one rebuke from Jesus Christ: that congregation had “left” its “first love.” In order to understand the significance of that rebuke we need to know what was meant by the terms left and first love.
One’s First Love.
The word ‘left’ was translated from a Greek term that indicated a deliberate, intentional forsaking or departure. When Jesus called upon the Galilean fishermen to follow Him and become “fishers of men,” they immediately “left” (deliberately abandoned) their nets and fishing boats to follow Jesus as recounted in Matthew 4:18-22. The Greek word for ‘left’ was rendered ‘forsake,’ in some form or another, in Matthew 19:27, 29; 26:56; Mark 1:18; 14:50 and Luke 5:11.
The “first love” for any believer or congregation of believers is – or should be – the Lord God Himself. On one occasion Jesus was asked to specify which was the “first” or “great” commandment of the Law. His response was, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.” (Mark 12:28-30. Compare that passage with Matthew 22:35-38. The “first love” (that is, first in priority, importance and intensity) for both churches corporately and for believers individually should be our love for the true and living God.
Leaving One’s First Love.
How do we know that we have left our first love? The apostle Paul touched on the matter when he wrote, “For to me to live is Christ…” in Philippians 1:21. As believers we should seek His glory, not our own; we should want to exalt Him rather than ourselves; we should endeavor to please Him instead of ourselves or others. Another test of our love for God is how we feel toward other believers. Remember, how we feel toward others will be reflected in our treatment of them. The same John who wrote Revelation also wrote: ”He who loveth God [must] love his brother also” in 1 John 4:21.
Paul praised the Ephesian saints for their love of God and other believers in Ephesians 1:15 (…I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints…”); however, John had to deliver a divine rebuke to them because they had left their first love. What happened with them in the thirty or so years that passed between Paul’s letter and John’s message? Their fellowship with one another was not as intimate as it had been, or individually if not collectively they had become more concerned about their material or physical well-being than their spiritual well-being.
Repent… or Else! (Revelation 2:5)
5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.
In order to correct the problem that was mentioned in verse 4 the members of the church at Ephesus were given a three-fold exhortation which was buttressed with a solemn warning. The strong words of verse 5 underscore the gravity of what was beginning to happen within the Ephesian congregation.
The Divine remedy for Leaving One’s First Love.
The exhortation from Jesus Christ could be called the “three R’s” for returning to one’s first love. That prescription is as follows: first – remember; second – repent; and third – repeat.
{1} Remember – How easy is it to forget in the midst of our effort to worship and serve the Lord that love for Him is to be the driving force for all that we do? Such love is the most important attribute He desires from us. All too often church members are urged to “get busy” for the Lord, and in the process of doing so we forget about the One whom we are serving and why we are doing all that we do. What were the Ephesian saints specifically told to remember? They were to remember “from whence” they had “fallen.” They needed to recall how happy they were when God truly had first place in their hearts and minds; they were to remember when their worship of God and their service for Him were motivated by a genuine love rather than simply a sense of duty or obligation. Service out of a sense of son-ship is service that is rendered because of love. The call to remember is the first step in the divine call to return to one’s first love.
{2} Repent – This word as used in the Bible means to change one’s mind and purposes, which will result in a change of conduct and demeanor. Repentance might involve feelings such as remorse or regret, but there is much more to genuine repentance than such emotions. Judas Iscariot repented in a sense, but he did not seek forgiveness for his sin in Matthew 27:3 (Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders) while Peter genuinely repented with bitter tears his denial of Jesus in Matthew 26:75 (And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly). A good insight into the relationship of one’s feeling and true repentance is provided in 2 Corinthians 7:10, “For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of; but the sorrow of the world worketh death.” The divine exhortation to repent is the second step in returning to one’s first love.
{3} Repeat – After remembering and repenting, the members of the church at Ephesus were to “do the first works.” That meant they were to do what they had been doing before they left their first love. When we back-slide we need to retrace our steps and make our way back to the Lord. When Mary and Joseph discovered on their way back to Nazareth that Jesus was not with them they returned to Jerusalem and went back to the Temple, were they found Him (see Luke 2:41-46). Jesus had not left Mary and Joseph; He was where they had left Him. We, too, will find Christ where we leave Him. The third step in returning to one’s first love, then, is to repeat what we were doing when we were close to the Lord and walking with Him. Paul summed the idea when he wrote of the people of Thessalonica that they had “…turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God” in 1 Thessalonians 1:9.
An Urgent Warning to a Church Who Has Left Its First Love.
The gravity of the problem in the church at Ephesus can be felt by Jesus’ warning that if the situation were not remedied He would remove the candlestick from its place. To realize what was involved in that warning we have to recall the symbolic significance of the candlestick in the New Testament, especially in Revelation. A candlestick denoted a church (remember Revelation 1:20). This depiction underscored the responsibility and privilege of a church to serve as a witness for the Lord. If a church loses its “candlestick” it no longer has a testimony for Christ. It might continue to function as a religious organization and the members of the congregation who are saved will not lose their salvation. However, the “candlestick,” that is, the light of the testimony of the congregational body as a whole, will have been lost (take a moment to look at Luke 11:33-36). The decline that began in the early years of the church age has continued and even intensified until our present time, and every indication suggests the declension will continue until the end of this dispensation. There is a vast difference between the situations depicted by the Ephesian church and the Laodicean church we will consider later. The church in Ephesus was still fervently zealous, while the church at Laodicea had become nauseatingly lukewarm.
The meaning of this warning, then, is that the church was in danger of losing its identity as a church. It is not clear at what point the Lord ceases to recognize a church as such. Examination of the text reveals that the Ephesian church was doctrinally sound and morally clean. The warning comes in conjunction with the statement that it had lost is first love, and is accompanied by a plea to repent and return to its first works.
The implication then is that although a church may be sound in doctrine and morally pure it still may not qualify as a scriptural church unless the church as a whole returns to its “first love,” putting Him first, thus prompted to resume its “first works,” the works that are top priority when in Matthew 28:19 and 20 the words of Jesus are recorded: “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you…”
The Deeds of the Nicolaitans (Revelation 2:6)
6 But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
Another of the divine commendations of the church at Ephesus was its hatred for the deeds of the Nicolaitans. Jesus Christ fully and equally shared that feeling, as can be seen in his emphatic statement, “…the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.”
The Nicolaitans.
The term Nicolaitans evidently referred to those who advocated unscriptural beliefs and practices. The activities of the Nicolaitans were not limited to Ephesus, as we’ll see in Revelation 2:15. Perhaps the best way to understand what the Nicolaitans advocated is to examine the background of the word. It came from two Greek terms, nikao, which meant “to conquer” (the noun form is nike, which meant “victory”) and laos, which meant “the people” (laity came from this word). Literally speaking, the Nicolaitans were “people conquerors.” They wanted to control or dominate a congregation.
The identity of these people may be determined by the meaning of their name. The phrase is an allusion to the practice of episcopal authority, or preacher-rule over churches. This spirit was evident among the churches as early as A.D. 90. It grew and expanded its influences during the following centuries, culminating with the episcopal rule of Catholicism and its offspring. To be sure, Ephesus represents the zealous church of the apostolic age, but there was a certain cooling off of her zeal because of the influence of false apostles, false religious groups, and the declining state of the world in general.
The Deeds of the Nicolaitans.
A Biblical example of the Nicolaitan philosophy was the actions of a domineering man named Diotrephese. He opposed the apostle John because he wanted “to have the preeminence among them” (3 John 9-11). Such an attitude and such actions are not appropriate for God’s people or His churches. In church government the New Testament model is that of a congregational democracy presided over and unified thoecratically. Jesus Himself, as recorded in Matthew 20:25-26, said, “Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you…” This principle was reiterated by the apostle Peter in 1 Peter 5:3 – “Neither as being lords of God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.”
The Lesson from the Nicolaitans
The significance of the Nicolaitans becomes apparent when one studies church history. The simple democracy of the early churches quickly became corrupted as men like Diotrephese seized unwarranted authority over congregations. As more churches became “irregular” because of their non-scriptural teachings and practices an ecclesiastical hierarchy began developing among some groups. Whether they were priests, prelates or potentates, they were Nicolaitan in spirit and their deeds were as detestable then as in John’s time, and such is still the case today.
The Tree of Life (Revelation 2:7)
7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.
The over-comers in the church at Ephesus were promised permission to eat from the tree of life, a tree that is in the midst of the Paradise of God.
“To him that overcometh…”
How does one overcome or gain the victory to which Jesus referred in the second and third chapters of Revelation? The Bible speaks of overcoming in a two-fold sense: first, a victory is assured through faith in Christ and second, a victory is achieved through a daily life that is committed to the Lord. In other words, there is an overcoming through salvation and an overcoming through service.
Revelation 12:11 addresses this two-fold matter: “And they overcame him {Satan} by the blood of the Lamb…” This is the victory of faith. However, there is another overcoming, one which involves a continuing daily conflict. The last part of Revelation 12:11 supports this idea by adding, “…and by the word of their testimony, and they loved not their lives unto the death.” The fullest realization of the promises to the over-comers will be experienced by those believers who have faithfully served their Savior and Lord.
The Tree of Life
The specific promise to the over comers in the church at Ephesus was permission to eat of the tree of life. Adam refused to eat of the tree of life while in his state of innocence. When he became a fallen sinner as a result of eating of the forbidden fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil he was driven from the Garden of Eden. To understand the concept a little better take a moment to read Genesis 2:9, 16-17 and 3:22. However, according to Genesis 3:24 God dispatched cherubim with blazing swords to make certain the way to the tree of life was “kept” (that is, kept open, guarded, protected, maintained; ‘kept’ in Genesis 3:24 was from the same Hebrew word as ‘keep’ in Genesis 2:15). Thus, the tree of life may have been where our early forebears worshiped the Lord.
In the book of Proverbs references to the tree of life underscore qualities which make life meaningful and worthwhile. Accordingly, wisdom is a tree of life to those who lay hold upon it (Proverbs 3:18) and the fruit of the righteous is a tree of life (Proverbs 11:30); hope fulfilled is a tree of life (Proverbs 13:12) and a wholesome tongue is a tree of life (Proverbs 15:4). The tree of life speaks of life in its fullest and in its most meaningful sense.
The paradise of God
The word ‘paradise’ is of Persian origin and refers to a garden that was specifically designed for pleasure – a setting of serene and peaceful beauty.
The biblical usage of the word ‘paradise’ is rather limited, as it appears in the Scriptures only three times, all of which are in the New Testament (Luke 23:43; 2 Corinthians 12:4; Revelation 2:7). Although the word ‘paradise’ appears infrequently in the Bible, the concept of paradise is quite prevalent. The Garden of Eden described in Genesis 2:8-15 was unquestionably a paradise. The Septuagint, a Greek translation of the Old Testament made prior to the first advent of Christ, used the word ‘paradise’ in several instances such as Jeremiah 29:5 to refer to beautiful and elaborate garden parks. One of the most elaborate of all the man-made paradises was the one built by Solomon, king of Israel, described in Ecclesiastes 2:4 – 6.
Paradise is a place of comfort and peace that is characterized primarily by the presence of God (as in Luke 23:43 when Jesus spoke to the believing malefactor alongside whom he was crucified and 2 Corinthians 12:4, in which Paul described his apostolic experience). The New Jerusalem about which we will study later in chapter 21 seemingly will be the final expression of God’s paradise.
Summary – The Church of Ephesus (Revelation 2:1-7)
The Ephesian Congregation.
The membership of the church at Ephesus was a faithful, hard-working group of saints. Their works were many; their endurance was steadfast. They loved the truth and stood resolutely for it. They contended for the faith in keeping with the admonition of Jude: “…earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints” (Jude 3). The one rebuke Jesus had for that congregation was that it had left its first love.
The Ephesian Church Period
As previously suggested, the period of time in the church age of which the church at Ephesus was indicative was the first two centuries A.D. The churches of that time were characterized by great zeal even in the face of severe persecution yet they remained steadfast. The book of Acts (a study in and of itself) is an inspired account of the passionate, boiling zeal that contributed to the rapid growth of the early churches.
In the next article we will consider the church at Smyrna or, as it is known today, Izmir. Until then, may you be blessed and sustained in all things.
Tom