The church of Ephesus… which means “first”… are the first to trust Christ when they will hear the Word of Truth preached to them. This is relevant especially today.
We find this definition of “Ephesus” in “Ephesians”: the Ephesians are those hearts who will first BELIEVE in what they will hear….the Word spoken by Christ…the Anointed. They will be the first ones to trust in Christ in faith of what they hear…..the Word of Truth as preached by the Anointed of God.
Ephesians 1:KJV
(12) That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.
(13) In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
(14) Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
Revelation 2:KJV
(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;
Those who will hear the Word of Truth and believe will find that their former pastors were not who they seemed to be as they had preached error to their ears for their entire church lives. They will find that those who had seemed to be true apostles were not.
The false apostles will do evil in response to their (the “Ephesians”) receiving the Word of Truth. Thos of Ephesus will not bear them which are evil….they will not put up with them as they are found “liars”…..as false apostles say they know God but do not do what He says: to have love for their brothers. They will prate against the preachers of the Word of Truth with malicious words and will cast out of the church any who will receive the Truth (the evil deeds of the Nicolaitans....those who will exercise their authority over the people).
(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.
But the church of Ephesus needed to overcome because they had left their first love. Even though we may have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge and have all faith and yet have NOT LOVE, we are nothing. (1 Corinthians 13:2).
The church of Ephesus had left their first love as they did not show love to their enemies…..the false apostles.
They are to love their enemies (the false apostles) who will berate them for receiving and preaching the Word of Truth. LOVE our enemies and bless them that will curse us and pray for them which despitefully use us, and persecute us. (Matthew 5:44). The church of Ephesus could not stand the false apostles and showed it by their lack of love towards the liars….which was not being “perfect” as the Father which is in “heaven”.
When we speak words in the “air”…. “heaven”, we are speaking in the expanse of His throne and He hears. God is a Spirit….a Breath…and we are to worship Him in spirit (breath) and Truth…having love. In Him we live and move and have our being. (Acts 17:28). He is as close to us as the atmosphere in which we move and breathe and live in. A servant of sin…evil speaking…will not dwell in the “house” very long…as the mortal body will be removed from this earth as judgment. The Word is also preached to the “dead”….the dead in trespasses and sins…so that they may be judged according to men in the flesh. The righteous shall be recompensed in the earth and so will the wicked and the sinner (Proverbs 11:31).
(4) Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.
We are to remember from where we have fallen and to repent…change our minds and do the “first works”.
(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.
The “first works” are to give all diligence to add to our faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness LOVE.
2 Peter 1:2-12 KJV
(2) Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,
(3) According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
(4) Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
(5) And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
(6) And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
(7) And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
For if these FIRST WORKS be in us and ABOUNDING at all times, they will make us neither “barren” nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. He shall give us to eat of the “tree of life”….we shall not be unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. He will give us to eat of the fruit of the tongue which speaks His knowledge. The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that wins souls is wise. (Proverbs 11:30). We "eat" of the fruit of the tongue.
(8) For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
(9) But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.
If we do these things….the FIRST WORKS, then we shall never FALL. The church of Ephesus had FALLEN…they had forgotten but were reminded to do the first works.
(10) Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:
(11) For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
REMEMBERtherefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works….
(12) Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth.
To be continued…
We find this definition of “Ephesus” in “Ephesians”: the Ephesians are those hearts who will first BELIEVE in what they will hear….the Word spoken by Christ…the Anointed. They will be the first ones to trust in Christ in faith of what they hear…..the Word of Truth as preached by the Anointed of God.
Ephesians 1:KJV
(12) That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.
(13) In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
(14) Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
Revelation 2:KJV
(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;
Those who will hear the Word of Truth and believe will find that their former pastors were not who they seemed to be as they had preached error to their ears for their entire church lives. They will find that those who had seemed to be true apostles were not.
The false apostles will do evil in response to their (the “Ephesians”) receiving the Word of Truth. Thos of Ephesus will not bear them which are evil….they will not put up with them as they are found “liars”…..as false apostles say they know God but do not do what He says: to have love for their brothers. They will prate against the preachers of the Word of Truth with malicious words and will cast out of the church any who will receive the Truth (the evil deeds of the Nicolaitans....those who will exercise their authority over the people).
(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.
But the church of Ephesus needed to overcome because they had left their first love. Even though we may have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge and have all faith and yet have NOT LOVE, we are nothing. (1 Corinthians 13:2).
The church of Ephesus had left their first love as they did not show love to their enemies…..the false apostles.
They are to love their enemies (the false apostles) who will berate them for receiving and preaching the Word of Truth. LOVE our enemies and bless them that will curse us and pray for them which despitefully use us, and persecute us. (Matthew 5:44). The church of Ephesus could not stand the false apostles and showed it by their lack of love towards the liars….which was not being “perfect” as the Father which is in “heaven”.
When we speak words in the “air”…. “heaven”, we are speaking in the expanse of His throne and He hears. God is a Spirit….a Breath…and we are to worship Him in spirit (breath) and Truth…having love. In Him we live and move and have our being. (Acts 17:28). He is as close to us as the atmosphere in which we move and breathe and live in. A servant of sin…evil speaking…will not dwell in the “house” very long…as the mortal body will be removed from this earth as judgment. The Word is also preached to the “dead”….the dead in trespasses and sins…so that they may be judged according to men in the flesh. The righteous shall be recompensed in the earth and so will the wicked and the sinner (Proverbs 11:31).
(4) Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.
We are to remember from where we have fallen and to repent…change our minds and do the “first works”.
(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.
The “first works” are to give all diligence to add to our faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness LOVE.
2 Peter 1:2-12 KJV
(2) Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,
(3) According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
(4) Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
(5) And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
(6) And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
(7) And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
For if these FIRST WORKS be in us and ABOUNDING at all times, they will make us neither “barren” nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. He shall give us to eat of the “tree of life”….we shall not be unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. He will give us to eat of the fruit of the tongue which speaks His knowledge. The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that wins souls is wise. (Proverbs 11:30). We "eat" of the fruit of the tongue.
(8) For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
(9) But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.
If we do these things….the FIRST WORKS, then we shall never FALL. The church of Ephesus had FALLEN…they had forgotten but were reminded to do the first works.
(10) Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:
(11) For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
REMEMBERtherefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works….
(12) Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth.
To be continued…