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Specific to Ephesus
After rereading the letter to Ephesus for the nth time, I realized something important, personally, I hadn't quite grasped before. The first priority is the first love which is the personal faith and devotion to God - above good works. I probably said that wrong but His concern is first and foremost that we take care of the daily prayers/devotions first and not neglect them by being too busy with other things.
We are in Jesus' hand and He is in the Father's.Why do you (anyone) think that Christ used this title (of the many) in His letter to the Ephesians: "
These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks;" ?
We are in Jesus' hand and He is in the Father's.
*[[Rev 1:20]] KJV* The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.
Something that is really lost in translation from the Greek is that many action verbs are continual verbs... Others are completed verbs and need no further action. We are to continually pray, continually seek, continually ask, but our salvation is done, finished, complete. Dying to self is continual but we are dead to sin once for all time.I don't disagree but I wonder, specifically, why Christ uses this title to Ephesus. I see it as Christ is with us and is in control....does this church need reminding of this? Is this letter reminding us to return to our first passion and wonder when we were first saved? That we need to continue to go on learning/understanding the Word - that we don't know it all, at any given point and if we don't continue, personally to our prayers/worship/learning that we lose passion and wonder - some if not all? Was the church/believer being warned to continue with learning new things so fatigue would not set in? I buy Missler's statement of what the term Nicolatians means....and to me it seems to commend them for stopping the desire to set up hierarchies, of clergy ruling/controlling over laity - or setting up an elite type of system. This letter refers to the deeds - further on another church is warned that they have accepted the doctrine. It's the 1st church addressed and talks of first love. Each church is promising the overcomer different things but isn't the overcomer the same for all the churches? What do you think?
Something that is really lost in translation from the Greek is that many action verbs are continual verbs... Others are completed verbs and need no further action. We are to continually pray, continually seek, continually ask, but our salvation is done, finished, complete. Dying to self is continual but we are dead to sin once for all time.
It's no more that what I've said: overcome the flesh and the world and be obedient to God with all that we are. Surrender to the will of the Holy Spirit in every way. Learn to walk in Him. It's a race with a goal post of death or rapture.I get what you mean that once we accept Christ in our heart as Lord and Savior....that's complete but the rest I would hope you would expand on because I'm not clear. I get the link between the parable where the employer hires morning, noon, and night and all get the same wages/reward and salvation but isn't this speaking to something different?
It's critical to remember that every single church was surprised by the letter they received... Churches that thought they were doing great received letters of rebuke and churches which believed they were being completely left for dead by God received letters of commendation and comfort....
One I have kinda been scratching my head about is Philadelphia (which ironically every church today professes to be part of)... At first glance - it's pretty straight forward.... But then you notice Jesus is not just holding any old key that opens a door to good things (As so many expositors would have you believe) but ONE specific key - the Key of David... A very Jewish thing... The only place that a key of David is mentioned is the "Key of the House of David" in Isaiah... This is typically associated with the Jewish royal authority and administration of the Jewish civil government...
So.. The reward in Philadelphia is opening and closing the House of David to those of this church... Interestingly, to most gentile Christians - this is not really something that we are looking for - being part of a Jewish kingdom... I think for most - it doesn't have any appeal.... Conversely, we don't recognize that the threat of being shut out of the House of David is important...
Thanks
It's no more that what I've said: overcome the flesh and the world and be obedient to God with all that we are. Surrender to the will of the Holy Spirit in every way. Learn to walk in Him. It's a race with a goal post of death or rapture.
I get what you mean that once we accept Christ in our heart as Lord and Savior....that's complete but the rest I would hope you would expand on because I'm not clear. I get the link between the parable where the employer hires morning, noon, and night and all get the same wages/reward and salvation but isn't this speaking to something different?
One and the sameCan one walk and race at the same time? Should we?
Lol...auto correct...I meant to say racing...One and the sameWe're teaching against ourselves.