Ephesus-the name means "desirable." It was a beautiful, affluent city on the mouth of the Cayster River in the Roman province of Asia. Three major Roman highways from the east ended in Ephesus where there was also a deep-water port. With an artificial harbor accessible to the largest ships, it rivaled the harbor at Miletus. Ephesus was the most easily accessible city in Asia, both by land and sea. It was an ideal place for the apostle Paul to begin the Asian effort.

Ephesus had its dark side also. It was a city full of idolatry, pagan temples and immorality. It was the chief center of Diana worship.

Its location accommodated Paul's evangelistic efforts to nearby cities and provinces. He used it as a base to preach the gospel and raise up other churches throughout Asia Minor.

Paul founded the congregation in Ephesus in the early 50s. A few years later on a return trip from Macedonia, as he rushed to get back to Jerusalem to keep the Feast of Pentecost, he asked the elders to meet with him in nearby Miletus (Acts 20:16-17).

It was to be last time that he would personally see these men-many of whom he had personally ordained. As he reminisced, his comments took a very sobering turn for the Ephesus ministry and church.

"Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.

"For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. Therefore watch, and remember for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears" (Acts 20:28-31).

The future prospects for the Ephesian church were not very encouraging. False teachings would come from not only intruders, but also some of their own leaders.

Paul Fights Back

Paul predicted the problem, but that didn't prevent him from doing his best to resist the heretical teachings and teachers. Around A.D. 60 he wrote the Ephesian church and reminded them of what God had done in their lives, of where they had come from.

"And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience" (Ephesians 2:1-2). He urged them to hold on to unity and love for one another. The introduction of heresy into the Church there would create division and a party spirit.

The real source of this attack was Satan. They must resist him with dogged determination! "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 6:10-12).

Around the same time, Paul admonished Timothy: "To Timothy, a true son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. As I urged you when I went into Macedonia-remain in Ephesus that you may charge some that they teach no other doctrine, nor give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which cause disputes rather than godly edification which is in faith" (1 Timothy 1:2-4). Some there must have already begun to stray from the true teachings.

Ephesus in the 90s

The apostle John wrote the last books of the New Testament. He was the last living apostle of the original 12 that Christ had chosen to assist in the founding of the New Testament Church. In his old age, Roman authorities had banished him to the island of Patmos sometime around A.D. 94 to 95. Emperor Domitian persecuted the Christian Church throughout the empire until his assassination in A.D. 96. Patmos was one of several locations where Rome imprisoned offenders whose crimes were not serious enough for the death sentence. John's offense was the preaching of the Word of God and testimony of Jesus Christ (Revelation 1:9).

It was on this island that the apostle received information from God about what the Church and world governments would experience in the years preceding and following Christ's return. The information came to him primarily in a vision. The message that he was given became the book of Revelation.

He was told, "What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea" (Revelation 1:11).

These seven churches in Asia Minor were on a postal circuit around 30 or 40 miles apart. How was the church in Ephesus that Paul raised up doing?

Notice what Christ has to say about this church. "To the angel of the church of Ephesus write, These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands: 'I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name's sake and have not become weary'" (Revelation 2:1-3).

Christ expresses His appreciation for their works, their labor. The Greek word for labor is kopos, which means wearisome toil, or toil resulting in weariness. It hadn't been easy for them for the last 50 plus years. There must have been many spiritual casualties. This remnant had hung on to "the Way."

He also mentions being aware of their patience or perseverance. They had shouldered those burdens and responsibilities. They had labored and had not quit. This was not a young congregation any longer. Patience or perseverance implies the passage of time. They had many years of service behind them.

Today many of us can reflect back to the Feasts of Tabernacles in the 1960s when a minister speaking before the crowd would ask, "How many are here for your first feast?" Many hands would go up. Then he would work his way on down to the question, "How many have attended the Feast for 30 to 40 years?" There would be very few hands. Today, when this question is asked, most of the audience has attended for 30 years or more. Today God's Church is no longer a young Church.

Recent History

In verse 2, Christ speaks of what they had had to go through-the very things that Paul had spoken of. "I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars" (Revelation 2:2).

Evil people had come in among them. They had represented themselves as ministers of Christ, but had brought in heretical teachings in an attempt to sabotage the truth. Their doctrines were built upon religious lies.

Many of their ministers had turned away from the truth to teach lies. John had written them to try the spirits to see whether they were of God or not (1 John 4:18). Their own spiritual leaders now questioned the foundational truths that the Ephesians had devoted their whole lives to.

These members had been assaulted with the deeds and doctrines of the Nicolaitans. Many Bible scholars believe the Nicolaitans were the precursors of the Gnostics. The Gnostic heretics had a major impact on the Church in the early centuries. They mixed Greek philosophy, including the old pagan teaching of an immortal soul, in with Christ's and Paul's teachings. They also spoke out against the Old Testament writings and laws. The Christian Church of the second and third century that the world saw was very different from the one of the first century due in part to the efforts of these groups.

Battle Scars

What does it do to a congregation when its leaders betray them? These were men who had been looked up to-who were expected to teach, exhort and encourage. How does this affect one mentally and spiritually? It could not help but have a terrible effect on many in the Ephesian congregation-weakening their spiritual zeal, their Sabbath attendance and their Bible study. They had survived, but they had been scarred.

"Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love" (Revelation 2:4). Most of us have experienced that "first love" for the truth. It seemed we could not get enough of studying God's Word. We yearned to learn the next new point of truth! What we were learning was so exciting and we would burn the midnight oil to learn more. Christ says that this is what they had left. It's understandable in many ways after what they had gone through. They had begun with an excitement and love for truth, but the internal betrayal, the spiritual battles, had eroded much of their enthusiasm for religion.

So Christ tells them, "Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place unless you repent" (Revelation 2:5).

How they responded to the apostle John's letter, we don't know. But we know of no Church of God in Ephesus today.

How about us—have we lost some of our first love? There are many towns and cities in our brief history that had congregations of God's servants where there are none today. Christ told Ephesus to get back to the first works-those things they did from the very first. How many of God's people today have fallen away from foundational truths? He is saying to get back to those things they had fallen from.

Jeremiah admonished ancient Judah, "Thus says the LORD: 'Stand in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; then you will find rest for your souls.' But they said, 'We will not walk in it'" (Jeremiah 6:16).

A lot of people have found themselves at a spiritual crossroad in recent years-wondering which path to take. God says, look to the old truths. They may be old, but they are just as true as they ever were. Judah refused and was soon in slavery in the land of Babylon. We must not refuse to listen and heed, or we could find our candlestick removed.

It is possible to recapture the first love. With prayer and study the former love for God and His truths can be rekindled. God is very anxious to restore the close relationship with His people.

"For the eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth, that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His" (2 Chronicles 16:9, New American Standard Bible).

There was a time when David found he had drifted away from God. He no longer felt that former joy he'd had in the past. He fervently prayed, "Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me by Your generous Spirit" (Psalm 51:12). David was reconciled with God and went on to serve Him faithfully and zealously for the rest of his life.

God tests the heirs of the Kingdom. If faced and handled correctly, trials and tests can mature us. "My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing" (James 1:2-4).

That maturing process prepares us for a deeper understanding of God's Holy Word. When we were newer in the Church we devoured the milk of the Word. Now we are ready for the meat of the Word. We can become even more excited about the deeper truths that we are now ready for. The first love of study is restored, but now our capacity to understand is heightened.

Paul prayed that God would grant the Ephesians, "according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height" of God's love (Ephesians 3:16-18).

If we return to a diligent study of the Scriptures and ask God to restore a spiritual hunger for His wonderful truths, God will hear and answer us. "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened" (Matthew 7:7-8).

God is more anxious to share the good things He has with us than even we are with our own children. "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him" (verse 11)!

Then as we study it will be like God is speaking directly to us, and we will be uplifted by the hope that has motivated the faithful down through the centuries.

"You spoke to me and I listened to every word. I belong to you Lord God Almighty, and so your words filled my heart with joy and happiness" (Jeremiah 15:16, Today's English Version).