![]() The letter to the church Ephesus is found in Rev 2:1-7. The Apostle John was said to have lived in Ephesus before and after his exile on Patmos. The church at Ephesus was the product of Paul’s third missionary journey. This temple was beautiful and was considered to be one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. The city was built near the site of a shrine to an old Anatolian fertility goddess. Ephesus was not only a trade center but was also a center for cult worship. It was a trading center with a beautiful and accessible harbor. The population of Ephesus was more than 300,000 people. The city of Ephesus was located at the mouth of the Cayster River on the west coast of Asia Minor, Ephesus was the capital of the Roman providence of Asia. ![]() The Letter to the Church at Ephesus Background By studying the background of the churches, a better understanding of the content can be gained. All the letters end with a command for all the churches to take notice of the letters. The churches are exhorted to repent and are told what would happen if they did or didn’t repent. The commendation is followed by a condemnation of the evil in the churches. There is a commendation, in which Christ praises the good works of the churches. ![]() The body of each of the letters contains basic elements common to each. In the introduction an aspect of the nature of Christ is described. The letters begin with an introduction of Christ. The content of each of the letters follows a similar format. Third, these churches are representative of the stages of development of the Christian church. Second, the problems which these churches had are representative of problems that churches throughout history have faced. First, they were real churches that had real problems. These seven letters had a threefold significance. These churches were a result of the missionary efforts of the Apostles.Ĭhrist instructed John to write to only these seven churches. These seven churches are only a representation of possibly 100 separate and independent local churches, established in the first century. The section of the book is “The things which are.” This indicates that the letters were sent to seven literal churches. He is pursuing you! Is your heart open to Him.The letter to the seven churches of Asia Minor is found in the 2nd and 3 rd chapters of the book of Revelation. Laodicea, a lukewarm, materialistic church: A call to open your heart and recommit your love for Jesus - Revelation 3:14-22 (part 7): Don’t let anything supersede your love and passion for Jesus. Choose faith over fear and learn about promises of God for your life. Philadelphia, a faithful church: A call to persevere & know you are loved - Revelation 3:7-13 (part 6): Feeling overwhelmed or anxious? Jesus knows, and He’s able to deliver you. Sardis, a spiritually dead church: A call to spiritual revival - Revelation 3:1-6 (part 5): Have you become spiritually lazy? How to be spiritually vigilant and on guard against attack. Thyatira, a church that embraced evil: A call not to tolerate sin - Revelation 2:18-29 (part 4): Faith, obedience, and love for God will guide you to persevere when tempted with tolerance for sin. Pergamum, a church surrounded by evil influence: A call not to compromise - Revelation 2:12-17 (part 3): Live as an overcomer, a bright light: repent, live a life of faith, and avoid a compromised lifestyle. Smyrna, a church that experienced persecution: A call not to fear - Revelation 2:8-11 (part 2): When trials come: pray, trust the Lord and walk in faith. This study shows us how to focus on Jesus rather than the battle, and listen to the Spirit of God and press in.Įphesus, a church that lost sight of its first love: A call to return to your first love - Revelation 2:1-7 (part 1): Don’t replace your love for Jesus with religious do’s and don’ts. This study reveals how we, as Christians today, should learn from this instruction so we can understand how we should be living as believers. We look at Revelation chapters 2-3 where each church is commended for its strengths and instructed in areas where it needs to make changes. What does an ancient church have to do with me? We’ll dive into the messages Jesus had for first-century Christians at seven different churches, also known as “The Seven Churches of Revelation”. ![]() In this series, we’ll consider how we’re living: holding onto what’s good and repenting when God makes us aware of our need to change. But we can’t live that incredible life full of God’s promises if we aren’t centered on God. This series is a challenge to every Christian to resist a life of distraction or indifference and passionately embrace the life God wants for us. More About This Series Are you spiritually distracted? ![]()
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