2:1-7 What do we learn here from the church at Ephesus?
2:1-7 What do we learn here from the church at Ephesus?
We learn here that doctrinal and moral purity, zeal for the truth, and disciplined service is no substitute for the love for Christ which the church at Ephesus had forsaken.
Jesus warned the church to repent otherwise He would remove it from its place in the kingdom of God "... else I will come unto thee quickly, and remove thy candlestick out of His place, except thou repent."
Only those who repent and overcome will eat of the tree of life. This admonition is for us too.
Ephesus is the first of seven local churches in Asia Jesus addresses in Ch 2-3. His purpose in writing to the churches is to reveal their spiritual condition and outline the future events that will come upon the earth preceding, and subsequent to Christ's second coming (cp Re 1:4, 11, 19).
The letters to the seven churches in Asia is a warning to both the corporate church and to every individual Christian, which they must heed in order to be saved. Christians must continually examine their beliefs and activities, and ensure that they conform to what Christ expects of His church (cp 1Cor 9:24-27; 10:12; 11:27-29; 2Cor 13:5).
While the seven churches in Asia were actual churches that existed in John's day, they are also representative of all churches in all ages. Christ's letters to them are to be interpreted as not only applying to that generation, but as having an ongoing application for all generations, including ours. What Jesus said to them applies to us too.
In closing, it should be noted here that it is not known who the Nicolaitans are in Rev 2:6. A great many Christians believe they were a heretical sect who compromised with the culture of the day and promoted immorality and idolatry. They were also prominent in the church at Pergamos together with Balaam (cpRe 2:14-15).
Others however, believe that the word Nicolaitans, because it means "to rule over the laity, or people", is a symbolic reference to the rise of the "clergy system" in the church, which designates paid, professional full-time ministers or priests, as opposed to the rest of the church - the laity. This implies a system with grades of status or authority ranking one above another in the New Testament church, which is hierarchical, and totally unscriptural.
However, it is more likely that doctrinal error is in view in Rev 2:6 rather than a hierarchical church system. Nicolaitans are still in the church today, professing to love Christ but compromising God's word with the corrupt world system. (For a more detailed study on New Testament church government see comments on Ac 11:27, 20:17, Ro 11:13, 16:1-2, Eph 4:11-12, 1 Ti 3:1-7, 3:8-13, 1 Pe 5:1-3).